Manufactured Housing Electrification Measure Development Support

The rising housing costs in California, particularly in wildfire-prone regions, have led to increased reliance on affordable manufactured housing. However, these homes have been excluded from efficiency rebate programs, operating under standards that lack resilience and efficiency emphasis. Despite federal limitations on energy efficiency standards, national programs like ENERGY STAR® for Manufactured Homes (ESMH) and Zero Energy Ready Homes for Manufactured Housing (ZERH MH) offer options for higher efficiency levels. Yet, upfront costs hinder the adoption of efficient technologies like heat pumps, contributing to higher homeownership costs. This project aims to develop an electronic Technical Reference Manual (eTRM) measure package to support the electrification of newly constructed manufactured housing in California. Findings reveal that energy efficiency upgrades, including envelope improvements and efficient HVAC and cooking equipment, can yield significant savings, though there are incremental costs associated. Stakeholder insights underscore the importance of addressing barriers such as outdated codes and affordability issues, and recommendations include developing educational outreach, offering incentives at the retailer level, and proactively engaging stakeholders ahead of impending energy efficiency standards. Additionally, opportunities lie in prioritizing utility conversion upgrades in master-metered mobile home parks, aligning with the transition towards fully electrified manufactured housing units and mobile home parks.