Chicago Community Area Energy Profiles

Research conducted by Elevate and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) with the City of Chicago and ComEd shows that deep retrofit packages can reduce energy use in Chicago’s single-family homes by 50%. Read the fact sheet from Elevate and NREL, “Achieving 50% Energy Savings in Chicago Homes: A Case Study for Advancing Equity and Climate Goals.”

The Chicago Community Area Energy Profiles analyze the energy potential of Chicago neighborhoods by showing potential energy, utility bill, and carbon savings from energy efficiency and electrification retrofits at common Chicago homes. 

These energy upgrades help create homes that are resilient in the face of climate change and affordable to the people who need them most. The analysis shows where energy retrofits can have the biggest impact by focusing on common home types that represent nearly 93% of Chicago’s residential buildings, and 20 neighborhoods that have historically seen less investment. Across Chicago as a whole, these energy upgrades can achieve over $220 million in annual utility bill savings for Chicago families, and over 2.5 million metric tons of annual carbon savings. 

View each Community Area Energy Profile by clicking on the name below:

• Auburn Gresham
• Austin
• Belmont Cragin
• Chatham
• East Side
• Englewood
• Gage Park
• Grand Boulevard
• Hermosa
• Humboldt Park
• McKinley Park
• North Lawndale
• Rogers Park
• Roseland
• South Chicago
• South Lawndale
• South Shore
• Washington Park
• West Englewood
• Woodlawn

The numbers on the map correspond to Chicago’s recognized 77 Community Areas. View a map of all Community Areas here.  

This analysis is part of a larger research and field demonstration project with the City of Chicago, the National Renewable Energy Lab, the U.S. Department of Energy, and ComEd to create a guide for retrofits in Chicago. Learn more at ElevateNP.org/Chicago-Retrofit-Roadmap.