Mobile and Manufactured Housing Market Characterization Study

Manufactured housing is an important source of affordable housing. However, despite lower upfront purchase costs compared to site-built homes, residents of manufactured homes face greater energy insecurity, higher energy costs per square footage, and higher housing cost burdens than residents of other housing types (Kaul and Pang 2022, Bell-Pasht 2023). Codes that regulate the construction and efficiency of manufactured housing lag behind energy efficiency codes implemented for site-built construction, and while there is increasing demand for new, higher efficiency options in manufactured housing, existing homes often are inefficient.   As California pursues decarbonization and electrification goals, retrofitting manufactured housing with energy efficiency and electrification measures presents an opportunity for residents and utilities to save energy and reduce emissions, but gaps exist for understanding the market and technical potential. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the existing stock of manufactured homes in California, identify barriers and opportunities to electrification and energy efficiency retrofits, and identify where whole-home replacement may be a better option than an electrification retrofit. To address these gaps, this project assessed the characteristics of manufactured housing and residents in California; reviewed existing program offerings, permitting processes, codes and standards regulating existing and new manufactured homes; identified electrification retrofit measure packages; and assessed potential energy savings, bill impacts, peak demand, and greenhouse gas impacts of all-electric retrofit scenarios and high-performance new construction standards. This information was gathered and developed through secondary research, analysis of public datasets, stakeholder interviews, and energy modeling.