VOLUNTARY ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM: The Work from Home (WFH) Trend Presenting a Win-Win Opportunity for the Triple Bottom Line

Abstract

The global pandemic COVID-19 has led to an advanced exploration of the remote world, with many employees and employers wanting to continue with the current work-from-home scenario even after offices reopen. Consequently, it becomes essential to understand the impact of energy load shifts from commercial to residential buildings and the resultant opportunity for the energy-efficient design community with this new trend.

Simultaneously, businesses and companies are increasingly declaring net zero goals and adopting various green market approaches, to tread a socially and environmentally responsible path. In this thesis, we are proposing the creation of a new program for such companies which would bring them closer to their carbon reduction goals while also benefitting their employees. It encompasses an opportunity for employers to incentivize energy efficiency upgrades of their employees’ homes, in a manner which proves to be financially feasible for both the primary stakeholders, i.e., companies and employees.

We began the research by analysing utility load shifts due to employees shifting to a workfrom-home (WFH) setup. Then, we collected information for residential green building retrofit techniques, identifying the most cost-effective and impactful ways to create healthier WFH environments while reducing GHG emissions. Further, we evaluated the viability of the new proposed program relative to the widely used existing decarbonization strategies. Next, we theoretically tested the implementation of the program through a case study of Cambridge Savings Bank, Waltham. The report culminates with different suggestions to standardize the roadmap of such a voluntary energy-efficiency program and a discussion about its practical implementation to enable win-win feasibility for the triple bottom line of the planet, people and profits.