Home RX: The Health Benefits of Home Performance − A Review of the Current Evidence
Jonathan Wilson, David Jacobs, Amanda Reddy- National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH)
Ellen Tohn- Tohn Environmental Strategies
Jonathan Cohen and Ely Jacobsohn- U.S. Dept of Energy
The purpose of this review is to address the question: what are the occupant health and indoor environmental outcomes resulting from energy efficiency or home performance upgrades, and how indoor environmental conditions can affect health? Home performance upgrades—defined as the systematic approach to improving the comfort, health, safety, energy efficiency, and durability of a home—ranges from work supported by many utilities and the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (e.g., air sealing, insulation, lighting, properly functioning heating/cooling systems, assuring adequate ventilation) to additional work supported by DOE’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) and green renovations (e.g., ventilation upgrades, moisture control, window replacement, and allergen-reduction repairs). In all home repair and home performance work, there is some potential for unintended consequences and negative health outcomes due to improper design, inadequate installations, insufficient maintenance, and/or equipment failures. This review does not investigate the health outcomes related to these risks, nor does it assess the prevalence of home performance work that does not meet current industry best practices and standards.
