2020/09/24 by Kevin Novan, Aaron Smith, Tianxia Zhou · 1 voice · 1 citation
Energy · Engineering · #Building Energy and Comfort Optimization #Energy Efficiency and Management #Sustainable Building Design and Assessment
paper · doi:10.1162/rest_a_00967
openalex publication_date 2020/09/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/26
Abstract In 1978, California adopted building codes designed to reduce the energy used for temperature control. Using a rich data set of hourly electricity consumption for 158,112 houses in Sacramento, we estimate that the average house built just after 1978 uses 8% to 13% less electricity for cooling than a similar house built just before 1978. Comparing the estimated savings to the policy's projected cost, our results suggest the policy passes a cost-benefit test. In settings where market failures prevent energy costs from being completely passed through to home prices, building codes can serve as a cost- effective tool for improving energy efficiency.