Study Sheds Light on Residential Energy Use

Now that the U.S. Senate has passed the Inflation Reduction Act—expected to provide homeowners with access to thousands of dollars in cash incentives for new hot water heaters, HVAC, insulation, and other enhancements—a spotlight has been cast on the residential energy efficiency market. Given this, research in this field may be more important than ever before. 

A recent study published in the journal Buildings, co-authored by Ehsan Kamel, Ph.D., assistant professor of energy management and director of the Energy and Green Technologies Laboratory at New York Institute of Technology, explores the impact of energy-efficient upgrades to residential building envelope components, including walls, roofs, and windows.

“Buildings consume about 40 percent of the total energy use and 75 percent of the electricity in the United States,” says Kamel, who has conducted extensive research on building energy modeling, energy-smart homes, building energy retrofit, and other related topics. “My project focuses on improving the simulation process for buildings’ energy performance and finding the most effective energy retrofit or conservation measures to reduce their energy consumption.” 

To request an interview with Ehsan Kamel, Ph.D., contact [email protected].