Shea Homes: San Diego, CA

To measure the energy performance of selected technologies in occupied homes.

• Attic temperatures were, on average, 5°F lower in attics with radiant barrier roof sheathing than in those without. However, it was not possible to extract specific energy savings from the temperature reduction.
• The PV systems contributed between 20 and 32 percent of the households’ energy consumption during 2002 and reduced energy demand per household, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., by over 650 watts on average.
• The lowest household electricity use occurred in one of the baseline homes, underscoring the importance of homeowner habits on energy consumption in homes. In this case, conservation measures outperformed renewable energy generation.