Drivers, Adoptability, and Performance of Healthier Energy-Efficiency Retrofit Materials in Affordable Multifamily Housing

In 2017, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) contracted with Three3 to capture insights from contractors and industry experts within the affordable multifamily energy retrofit industry through in-depth interviews. The study team aimed to understand the contractors’ and other experts’ motivations and values related to retrofit material choices and use; their perspectives related to usability, adoptability, and limitations of healthier materials; and their recommendations for improvements in promoting the use of healthier materials. The interviews attempted to capture rich anecdotes from those who are most familiar with the use, impact, and performance of these healthier alternatives.

Interviews revealed that health, safety, and environmental impacts are in fact being considered when insulation materials are selected. This understanding is an important starting point for designing educational information to further increase the adoption of healthier building materials.