Durham Housing Authority – Darcy Jones – 2017

Goals

Durham Housing Authority enlisted EDF Climate Corps fellow Darcy Jones to benchmark its portfolio of 17 multifamily properties for low- to medium-income tenants. A past energy audit had already identified significant energy savings opportunities, but DHA lacked the funds and staff power needed to carry out these improvements. DHA’s aging housing stock is due for either rehabilitation or demolition within the next decade, making benchmarking energy and water savings a higher priority.

Solutions

After working with DHA staff and three utility providers to collect all relevant data, Jones benchmarked the energy and water performance of nearly 2,000 residential units. Poor-performing properties were then identified as critical recipients of limited capital funds. Following the analysis, Jones proposed several potential sources of financing, including government finances, utility programs and a partnership with Duke University’s Carbon Offsets Initiative.

Potential Impact

With a complete set of energy use data, DHA will be better equipped to identify opportunities for energy and water improvements, secure financing and track progress in performance.