Economic Cost-Benefit Analysis of Mobile Homes: Improved Thermal Performance

摘要

This report presents a cost - benefit analysis of proposed changes in the Federal Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards, Subpart F, Thermal Performance Requirements. These changes were developed after conducting a series of onsite physical tests of mobile homes. A computer program estimated the gross benefits of reduced energy consumption by mobile homes due to the improved thermal envelope. To estimate life - cycle benefits, different energy escalation rates and discount rates were analyzed. Additional costs to society from producing these energy saving units were based on an engineering evaluation of the construction and materials changes required to meet the proposed regulations. Of the numerous revisions proposed, reducing the maximum permissible values of the overall coefficients of heat transmission for each of the three climate regions is expected to have the greatest impact on both costs and benefits. These stricter requirements were based on the assumptions that manufacturers would redesign their products in a substantially different way than is currently done. For this reason, the analysis also includes design options that can be met using common industry practice. Footnotes and tabular material are provided. Appendices describe the prototype mobile homes used in the study, life - cycle benefit - cost analysis of housing safety regulations, required structural changes and associated manufacturing costs for the prototype mobile homes to meet improved thermal performance requirements, and the computer program.