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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Who is participating in residential energy efficiency programs? Exploring demographic and other household characteristics of participants in utility customer-funded energy efficiency programs

In addition to benefiting all customers by reducing the total electric system cost, utility customer-funded energy efficiency programs provide direct benefits to the participants. Understanding the current demographic and household characteristics of participants will help assess the extent of inequities in program participation and figure out what characteristics need to be targeted to achieve equitable outcomes. This report describes how 11 demographic and household characteristics including income, race and ethnicity, and education affect participation in residential utility customer-funded energy efficiency programs. It compiles previous work on this topic and adds new primary analysis of four datasets with different levels of detail from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), two New England states, and a Midwestern state.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

LA100 Equity Strategies. Chapter 10: Household Transportation Electrification

The LA100 Equity Strategies project integrates community guidance with robust research, modeling, and analysis to identify strategy options that can increase equitable outcomes in Los Angeles' clean energy transition. This chapter focuses on residential electric vehicle (EV) incentive programs and multimodal electrified transportation services as means to increase equity in household transportation electrification. Specifically, NREL modeled EV adoption and affordability under business-as-usual and enhanced low-income incentives scenarios and transportation-related energy burdens under multimodal electric travel scenarios, including shared EVs, e-bikes, and improved transit services. Based on our analysis and community guidance, we identified strategies for 1)?increasing equity in new and used light-duty EV adoption and EV charging infrastructure distribution, focused on household used EV ownership and home charging access and 2) affordable, time-efficient, and equitable multimodal electrified transportation options, specifically considering the non-vehicle-owning population. Research was guided by input from the community engagement process, and associated equity strategies are presented in alignment with that guidance.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Exploring Nonmotorized Travel in New York State Using 2017 National Household Travel Survey Data

This report presents systematic analysis of nonmotorized travel behavior within New York State (NYS) utilizing 2017 National Household Travel Survey data. As walking and biking assume increasingly prominent roles in advancing active transportation objectives, accessible mobility, and sustainable transportation systems, comprehensive understanding of these modal patterns becomes essential for evidence-based policy development and strategic planning initiatives. Recognizing the substantial geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic heterogeneity characterizing NYS—spanning from the concentrated urban fabric of New York City (NYC) to dispersed suburban and rural contexts—this analysis employs the structured "4Ws" analytical framework to examine participant demographics, spatial and temporal distributions, and motivational factors underlying active transportation choices relative to motorized alternatives. This methodological approach captures modal behavior patterns, user characteristics, trip purposes, and temporal variations across the state's diverse contexts. Additionally, the research examines behavioral differences among distinct user classifications, including walk-only and bike-only travelers, while conducting comparative analysis of nonmotorized travel patterns between ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and non-ALICE household categories.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Environmental Persistence of Monkeypox Virus on Surfaces in Household of Person with Travel-Associated Infection, Dallas, Texas, USA, 2021

In July 2021, we conducted environmental sampling at the residence of a person in Dallas, Texas, USA, who had travel-associated human West African monkeypox virus (MPXV-WA). Targeted environmental swab sampling was conducted 15 days after the person who had monkeypox left the household. Results indicate extensive MPXV-WA DNA contamination, and viable virus from 7 samples was successfully isolated in cell culture. There was no statistical difference (p = 0.94) between MPXV-WA PCR positivity of porous (9/10, 90%) vs. nonporous (19/21, 90.5%) surfaces, but there was a significant difference (p<0.01) between viable virus detected in cultures of porous (6/10, 60%) vs. nonporous (1/21, 5%) surfaces. These findings indicate that porous surfaces (e.g., bedding, clothing) may pose more of a MPXV exposure risk than nonporous surfaces (e.g., metal, plastic). Viable MPXV was detected on household surfaces after at least 15 days. However, low titers (<102 PFU) indicate a limited potential for indirect transmission.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

How Heat Pumps Can Bring Relief to Households

An estimated 230,000 low-income households in Los Angeles lack access to cooling and are projected to experience more than two months of dangerous indoor temperatures (above 86 F) by 2035. Multifamily building residents are at much higher risk of dangerous heat exposure. Through robust modeling and analysis in the LA100 Equity Strategies project, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) identified strategies that could save lives and maintain safe home temperatures for low-income households during heat waves, including the installation of whole-home heat pumps.

buildings↗
DOE OSTI2021

Assessment of the driving factors of CO 2 mitigation costs of household biogas systems in China: A LMDI decomposition with cost analysis model

China has been placing a substantial focus on biogas for reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. The operation mode of biogas systems may make the CO 2 reduction target over-optimistic. There is limited research to investigate the influential factors that may be causing the gap between the actual and theoretical CO 2 reduction costs of biogas systems in China. In this research, by using field survey data of 209 biogas users and 489 non-biogas users from 19 villages in 2015, the gap between actual and theoretical unit CO 2 reduction cost is quantified at approximately 156 USD/t CO 2 . By employing the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index I (LMDI) model, it is found that both the cost effect (48%) and the reduction effect (52%) contribute to the unit CO 2 reduction cost gap. Furthermore, four influential factors–household labor, accessibility to the energy resource, acceptance of biogas technology, and subsidy–significantly narrow the gap between actual and theoretical CO 2 reduction costs, while the levelized subsidy contributes to widening the gap. On average, biogas systems should be operated for at least four years and the substitution rate should be more than 67% in order to keep the gap between actual and theoretical CO 2 reduction costs under 50%.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

2014 Southern Nevada Household Travel Survey

The 2014 Southern Nevada Household Travel Survey collected information from residents in the Las Vegas area to update the regional travel demand model and assess travel behavior. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada contracted with Westat to conduct the survey. The survey was conducted in two phases—from March to May 2014 and from August to October 2014. Participants provided demographic and travel data (via a travel log). A 10% subsample (1,694 participants) was randomly selected to take part in a wearable global positioning system (GPS) technology-based component of the study, the purpose of which was to assess the level of trip under-reporting in the self-reported travel logs. Participants in the GPS portion of the study were instructed to record trips in their travel logs on the first day only, while passively recording their travel for three full days.

1Hz data↗
DOE OSTI2026

1988/1989 Maricopa Household Travel Study

This study was commissioned by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Transportation and Planning Office. The primary objectives of this study were to update the trip generation rates used in the MAG travel demand forecasting process and to provide data to validate the MAG trip distribution model. Demographic, socioeconomic, and travel data was collected for 2,992 households residing within the MAG Urban Planning Area. Respondents were asked to record their travel and activities for a 24-hour period. A total of 26,733 trips were recorded by 6,463 people.

1Hz data↗
DOE OSTI2024

Household Energy Burden in Beacon Hill, Seattle, WA [Slides]

This technical assistance is part of the Communities Local Energy Action Program (CLEAP) for the Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington community coalition consisting of El Centro de la Raza, Beacon Hill Council and Bethany United Church of Christ with supportive partners, Seattle City Light and the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment. This report uses the Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool to identify the most energy burdened households by income group, building type, building age and fuel type.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Characterizing peak electricity demand for U.S. households: an assessment of end-use loads and demand factors

Understanding household peak electricity demand is critical to evaluate the technical need for electrical infrastructure upgrades. This study characterizes peak loads for existing and new equipment using metered data from a convenience sample of 11,940 U.S. dwellings from four sources, including 911 from two sources with end-use metering. After standardized data cleaning and labeling, we derived descriptive statistics for key metrics, such as maximum demand and demand factors, and developed predictive models relating 60- to 15-min demand for the National Electrical Code (NEC). Mean 15-min maximum demand was 9.7 kW (median 9.0 kW; IQR 7.0–11.5 kW, 95% CI 9.6–9.8 kW), indicating spare capacity in 98% of homes with hypothetical 100 A panels. Maximum demand increased with floor area and number of high-demand loads. Dwelling maximum demand was driven by higher-power, longer-duration heating appliances and vehicle charging, while most user-operated appliances contributed little. Demand factors are used to account for how most devices contribute less than their rated power to maximum demand. Existing load mean demand factors (28%; median 10%; IQR 0–58%; CI 28–29%) were higher than those for new loads (21%; median 7%; IQR 0–35%; CI 20–21%), because new loads changed the timing and magnitude of maximum demand. New high-demand loads had higher than average demand factors (40–60%). Whole dwelling demand factors support the NEC's 40% assumption, but they challenge its conservative 100% treatment of new HVAC. We propose a data-driven 50% demand factor for new equipment, which would align with metered data, improve affordability, and modernize electrical codes.

Appliances↗
DOE OSTI2020

Household Materials Selection for Homemade Cloth Face Coverings and Their Filtration Efficiency Enhancement with Triboelectric Charging

The COVID-19 pandemic is currently causing a severe disruption and shortage in the global supply chain of necessary personal protective equipment (e.g., N95 respirators). The U.S. CDC has recommended use of household cloth by the general public to make cloth face coverings as a method of source control. We evaluated the filtration properties of natural and synthetic materials using a modified procedure for N95 respirator approval. Common fabrics of cotton, polyester, nylon, and silk had filtration efficiency of 5–25%, polypropylene spunbond had filtration efficiency 6–10%, and paper-based products had filtration efficiency of 10–20%. An advantage of polypropylene spunbond is that it can be simply triboelectrically charged to enhance the filtration efficiency (from 6 to >10%) without any increase in pressure (stable overnight and in humid environments). Using the filtration quality factor, fabric microstructure, and charging ability, we are able to provide an assessment of suggested fabric materials for homemade facial coverings.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Social-ecological interactions in a disaster context: Puerto Rican farmer households’ food security after Hurricane Maria

Islands are uniquely vulnerable to extreme weather events and food insecurity, and have additional response challenges due to their limited landmasses and economies, isolation, colonial legacies, and high dependence of food imports. Domestic farmers have a key role in producing food for island communities like Puerto Rico, which can safeguard food security when food importation may be challenging. Nevertheless, in the context of disaster, farmers themselves may be vulnerable to food insecurity and unable to contribute to domestic markets. This paper examines Puerto Rican farmers households’ food security in the aftermath of 2017’s Hurricane Maria using a social-ecological lens. Survey data from 405 farmers gathered eight months after Maria, coupled with biophysical data from the hurricane’s impacts (winds, rains, and landslides), were analyzed. Overall, 69% of farmers experienced at least one month of food insecurity in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and 38% reported persistent food insecurity (three months or more). A multinomial logistic regression suggests that biophysical impacts, but especially social factors, such as age and constraint access to external sources of support, are linked with persistent food insecurity. This suggests that the biophysical impacts of the hurricane interact with existing infrastructure and social resources to affect farmer vulnerability and the food environment in different ways. Thus, strengthening adaptive capacity in multiple domains can help farmers and vulnerable populations better navigate the disruptions faced during disasters to alleviate food insecurity.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Temperature-adaptive radiative coating for all-season household thermal regulation

The sky is a natural heat sink that has been extensively used for passive radiative cooling of households. A lot of focus has been on maximizing the radiative cooling power of roof coating in the hot daytime using static, cooling-optimized material properties. However, the resultant overcooling in cold night or winter times exacerbates the heating cost, especially in climates where heating dominates energy consumption. In this work, we approached thermal regulation from an all-season perspective by developing a mechanically flexible coating that adapts its thermal emittance to different ambient temperatures. The fabricated temperature-adaptive radiative coating (TARC) optimally absorbs the solar energy and automatically switches thermal emittance from 0.20 for ambient temperatures lower than 15°C to 0.90 for temperatures above 30°C, driven by a photonically amplified metal-insulator transition. Simulations show that this system outperforms existing roof coatings for energy saving in most climates, especially those with substantial seasonal variations.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Rounding Error Analysis of Mixed Precision Block Householder QR Algorithms

Although mixed precision arithmetic has recently garnered interest for training dense neural networks, many other applications could benefit from the speedups and lower storage cost if applied appropriately. The growing interest in employing mixed precision computations motivates the need for rounding error analysis that properly handles behavior from mixed precision arithmetic. We develop mixed precision variants of existing Householder QR algorithms and show error analyses supported by numerical experiments.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Norms, Norm Sets, and Reference Groups: Implications for Household Interest in Energy Technologies

Household adoption of rooftop solar panels and battery storage can potentially reduce the negative environmental impacts of the electric grid. We argue that the number of socially close (friends and family) and geographically close (neighbors) others who have rooftop solar panels will affect norm expectations regarding how much others approve of solar panels and battery storage and expectations about how personally beneficial those technologies are likely to be. We test our hypotheses using survey data collected from California homeowners and find partial support. We find evidence for the significance of socially close others (rather than neighbors), highlighting the importance of identifying the appropriate reference groups when studying norms. Our results also provide insight into how one category of behavior (adoption of solar panels) can influence norm expectations about another less visible behavior (battery storage), suggesting a mechanism that may contribute to norms regulating private behaviors.

Horne, Christine↗
DOE OSTI2021

Distributed Solar Adoption in Orlando: A Household-Level Model for Distribution Resource Planning

Potential for rooftop solar in Florida is massive (47% of retail sales, 3rd overall nationally), yet adoption lags (12th nationally). A 2018 Florida Public Service Commission ruling authorizing solar third-party ownership (leasing) has substantially increased attention on distributed solar in the state. The city of Orlando has committed to a 100% clean-energy target by 2050 and deployment of solar and storage are expected to contribute significantly to reaching the goal. Deployment of customer-adopted solar, unlike utility-procured solar, is uncertain, but known to be spatially correlated with demographic factors and existing adoption. We develop a new method to adapt NREL's dGen model in order to represent building-level agents in adoption forecasts for the Orlando Utility Commission (OUC) service territory. Using the agent-based model we develop projections of solar adoption, subject to scenarios varying future solar costs and valuation, and aggregate adoption predictions by OUC distribution feeder. We find substantial spatial heterogeneity in the projected level of adoption by OUC distribution feeder. For instance, 25% of all projected adoption through 2050 would be concentrated on just 5% of feeders and 88% of projected adoption on 50% of feeders. Because of the uncertainty in adoption, bottoms-up solar adoption forecasting methods at the household-level are integral to long-term resource planning by anticipating system needs as customers increasingly adopt distributed solar, storage, electric vehicles, and other distributed energy resources.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Community Solar Policy Landscape and Pathways to Meaningful Benefits: A Review of Equitable Access and Household Savings

As of August 2024, community solar legislation and policies have been implemented in 24 U.S. states and localities, including the District of Columbia. These policies have driven significant growth in the community solar market. The states that have enacted legislation accounting for over 62.8% of the country's installed capacity. Community solar policy designs are evolving, with many states expanding programs, enhancing equitable access, and ensuring household savings.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Analyzing Trip Chaining Behavior in New York State Using 2009 and 2017 National Household Travel Survey

Trip chaining, defined as the sequential linking of trips by individuals throughout a given day, provides critical insights into daily mobility patterns and activity sequencing. Understanding these patterns has significant implications for transportation demand forecasting, congestion management, and local economic activity. This analysis examines trip chaining behaviors in New York State (NYS) for the years 2009 and 2017 and compares the Middle Atlantic Census Division with other U.S. regions in 2022, utilizing data from the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). Through demographic, geographic, and temporal analysis, this study characterizes how populations organize travel for work, personal errands, and social activities, providing empirical evidence of evolving trip chaining behaviors to inform transportation planning strategies.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗