Through research, we make the case for equitable climate investments by elevating our customers’ lived experiences and grounding them with local and national data, analysis, and tools.
As a program implementer working with and for communities, Elevate has a unique “on-the-ground” perspective. We collaborate with partners such as federal agencies, national labs, universities, municipalities, utilities, affordable housing providers and community organizations. These collaborations contribute to a broad range of perspectives and drive initiatives that advance equitable clean energy investments and support economic opportunity.
Our research and innovation leads and supports services across the organization. Many initiatives integrate multiple subject areas such as housing, transportation, health, community, and economic development.
Energy Insecurity
Empowered: Stories of Energy Insecurity
When facing energy challenges, people empower themselves every day by finding creative strategies to take control of their energy use. Still, every year millions of Americans struggle to meet their basic energy needs. Nearly 25 million families (or 20% of all U.S. households) must make painful choices between buying food and medications or paying their utility bills.
Empowered is a project with artist Tonika Johnson that uplifts the stories of the people experiencing energy insecurity. We wanted to move beyond the numbers and dollar signs of ‘affordability’ and share the lived experiences of real people. Experiencing energy insecurity often means more than just being unable to pay your bills – it can mean feeling uncomfortable in your home, sacrificing food or medications to pay for utilities, and living with the chronic stress of a possible shut-off. Energy insecurity is also often intertwined with housing insecurity and housing deficiencies like inefficient buildings that result in increased utility bills and greater financial burden for the household.
Extreme Heat Resilience
Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related death in the United States, and exposure to extreme temperatures is a growing public health concern as temperature and humidity increase globally. As the climate warms, there is growing momentum towards characterizing heat exposure and vulnerability to extreme heat. Existing research in the U.S. shows that places with historically cooler climates like Chicago face particular health risks from rising temperatures since the prevalence of central air conditioning is much lower than the national rate, the residential buildings were designed to retain heat, and the population is generally less acclimatized and prepared for extreme heat. As climate patterns shift, we are working to increase awareness, preparedness, and adaptation efforts for extreme heat resilience.
Monitoring Indoor Temperatures in Chicago Homes
Much research on the impacts of extreme heat uses outdoor temperatures to estimate heat exposure and related heat stress; however, indoor temperatures provide a more accurate representation for most of the U.S. population since the majority of Americans spend most of their time indoors. To better understand indoor temperatures in typical Chicago homes, Elevate and the Illinois Institute of Technology conducted a study measuring temperature and relative humidity in ten Chicago homes without central air conditioning. The results showed that indoor temperatures in 80% of the homes reached dangerous levels during the worst heat wave of the summer. To cope with these extreme conditions, participants reported using a variety of strategies to keep cool. Yet, many reported that the home remained uncomfortably warm despite their efforts. Overall, the results indicate that typical residential buildings in Chicago without central air-conditioning can experience acute and chronic indoor heat during the summer. Read the report here.
Community Perspectives on Extreme Heat Challenges and Solutions
After monitoring indoor temperatures in Chicago homes, one of our key takeaways was a need to better understand community needs and solutions for building resilience. To do so, Elevate partnered with NREL and UnBlocked Englewood, an initiative of the Chicago Bungalow Association and Tonika Lewis Johnson to provide transformative home repairs and energy efficiency improvements to a block in Englewood that has a history of discriminatory housing practices. In summer 2024, we interviewed residents who participated in UnBlocked Englewood to learn more about their perspectives of extreme heat. These interviews focused on extreme heat challenges, risk perceptions, health impacts, and solutions. Read the report here to learn more.
Building Electrification and Decarbonization
Electrifying Chicago’s La Paz Place Apartments
In order to have a chance of combatting the climate crisis, we need to eliminate fossil fuel use in the next one to two decades. Burning fossil fuels (typically oil or gas) to provide heating, cooling, and hot water in buildings can be a significant source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
We worked with Bickerdike Redevelopment Corp in Chicago to electrify their La Paz Place Apartments, home to 44 families with incomes below 30% of the Chicago average. All building equipment and systems that use natural gas were upgraded to use electricity. Each household was upgraded with a new high-efficiency heat pump for space heating and cooling, a new programmable thermostat, and a new electric stove. Common areas were upgraded with heat pumps for water heaters and clothes dryers. Full electrification of La Paz Place is estimated to reduce energy by 61% and save residents an annual $11,300 in utility costs. After completing upgrades, Elevate began monitoring indoor air quality and energy use. In addition, we are working with Bickerdike to provide consulting advice on how to integrate solar and demand response strategies at the property. Read more about the project.
Deep Retrofit Packages to Cut Carbon Emissions
We worked with the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the City of Chicago, and ComEd to look at the potential for energy savings in Chicago’s housing stock. The three-year project developed a roadmap for the City of Chicago with retrofit solutions that showed the typical Chicago home can reduce energy use by 50%. This is just one climate action strategy that dramatically cuts carbon emissions, and can potentially reduce energy costs for Chicago homeowners. Read more about the project and NREL and Elevate’s case study for how other cities can use ResStock to achieve their climate goals.
Energy Efficiency and Electrification Save Money and Improve Indoor Air Quality
With funding from the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program, we researched the impact of energy efficiency and electrification upgrades on indoor air quality and energy savings. The homes assessed in this study all received energy efficiency and weatherization retrofits, and each home also received complete electrification retrofits. The project team analyzed nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels and energy use pre- and post-electrification for each of the homes in the study. Our findings highlight several outcomes associated with the efficiency and electrification upgrades, including reduced NO2 levels and reduced energy use. The findings presented in the case study provide insight on energy and non-energy impacts of electrification in Chicago homes. Read the case study here.
Healthy Homes and Indoor Air Quality
Breathe Easy
Breathe Easy was a three-year study in partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) that evaluated indoor air quality and asthma outcomes for different types of ventilation systems. During the study, we installed ventilation systems and monitored indoor air quality in 40 homes with 52 residents with asthma. Measuring air pollutant concentrations showed that all types of ventilation systems effectively reduced pollutant concentrations to improve indoor air quality. Read more about the project.
The first of a series of peer-reviewed papers from the Breathe Easy project was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. The first paper focuses on indoor air quality impacts, while subsequent papers will focus on asthma outcomes.
Stove Electrification Project
We published a report assessing the health and safety, performance, and cost-effectiveness of different stove types to create a detailed comparison for decision-makers who are considering converting to electric stoves from gas. This information supports our building programs, and helps educate the public about the health benefits of moving away from gas appliances, especially gas stoves.
Water Affordability and Equity
Chicago and Evanston Water Affordability Analysis
We worked with the Metropolitan Planning Council and the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant on a water affordability analysis for the City of Chicago and City of Evanston to help them transform their assistance and affordability approaches. By using real billing data, we made a solid case to show the inequity and unaffordability of water bill and debt burden that people carry. As the climate changes water will only become more vital to people’s lives, so working on affordability challenges now will have long-term impacts.
The Chicago Water Affordability Analysis was published in January 2022.
All Publications
View Elevate’s full database of publications.