SCC-IRG Track 1: Reducing Barriers to Residential Energy Security through an Integrated Case-management, Data-driven, Community-based approach

这个智能互联社区（SCC）项目的目标是探索新的社会技术范式的有效性，以减少密歇根州底特律市三个社区中低收入（LMI）家庭的住宅能源不安全，底特律是美国十大能源负担最高的城市之一。其中，LMI家庭将收入的15 - 30%用于能源成本（6%或更少被认为是负担得起的）。本研究充分整合社区观点，设计、应用和测试新兴智能技术、个性化住宅能源管理方法和能源费率结构改革，以实现节约成本、提高能源效率和节约、增强健康公平。该研究借鉴了几个不同的领域：工程，公共管理和公共卫生，并积极参与社区合作伙伴在所有重大决策和项目实施的社区参与式研究方法（CBPR）指导下的项目的各个方面。该项目创造的知识可以改善未来公用事业住宅能源计划的设计，提高电价的公平性，降低美国的整体能源消耗，从而减少我们对外国能源的依赖，促进更快地向可再生能源过渡，并改善电力部门的整体影响。该项目将促进社会成果，以推动社会和技术创新的知识，促进智能和互联的社区。 结果包括减少能源不安全和消费的弱势城市人口，增加参与能源效率和可再生能源计划，妇女和代表性不足的少数民族参与跨学科研究，并推进有意义的学术界engagement.拟议的研究将支持三个研究目标的社会和技术创新的进步。首先，我们将制定和实施一项嵌入社区的能源案例管理干预措施，以促进参与公用事业能源计划。这项干预措施将吸引近200个参与家庭，评估对计划利用率，能源消耗和能源负担的影响，并引入能源案例管理员（ECM），该管理员招募家庭，制定个性化的能源改善计划（EIP），并协助家庭实施EIP。ECM将通过使用智能技术驱动的建议（即智能电表），促进访问现有的公用事业计划。第二，我们将开发社会技术方法，以确定应被视为基本权利的特定家庭用电量。将开发使用智能电表数据来确定消费者基本电力需求的算法。邻里焦点小组将使审议过程中，居民将考虑和确定电力依赖的家庭必需品，进一步告知我们的基本电力需求的理解。第三，我们利用第一项和第二项研究的知识，旨在开发一种新的电价模式，以实现以下目标：i）基本电力的免费水平，ii）定价以覆盖公用事业提供商成本的补充电力，iii）动态稳定性，（iv）该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得的。通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来提供支持。

The goal of this Smart and Connected Communities (SCC) project is to explore the efficacy of new social-technological paradigms to reduce residential energy insecurity for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households in three neighborhoods in Detroit, Michigan, which is one of the top ten highest energy burdened metros in the US, where LMI households spend 15 - 30% of their income on energy costs (6% or less is considered affordable). This research fully integrates community perspectives in the design, application and testing of emerging smart technologies, individualized residential energy management approaches, and energy rate structure reform to realize cost savings, improved energy efficiency and conservation, and enhanced health equity. The study draws from several distinct fields: engineering, public administration, and public health, and actively engages community partners in all aspects of the project guided by a community-based participatory research approach (CBPR) for all major decision-making and project implementation. The knowledge created by the project can improve the design of future utility residential energy programs, increase equity in electricity rates, and lower overall US energy consumption, thereby reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources, facilitating a faster transition to renewable energy sources, and improving the overall impact of the electricity sector. The project will foster societal outcomes to advance knowledge for social and technological innovations to promote smart and connected communities. The outcomes include reduced energy insecurity and consumption for disadvantaged urban populations, increased LMI participation in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, participation of women and underrepresented minorities in interdisciplinary research, and advancement of meaningful academic communityengagement.The proposed study will support the advancement of social and technological innovation in three research aims. First, we will develop and implement a neighborhood-embedded energy case management intervention to facilitate participation in utility energy programs. This intervention will engage nearly 200 participant households, to evaluate the effect on program utilization, energy consumption, and energy burden with the introduction of an energy case manager (ECM) who recruits households, develops individualized energy improvement plans (EIP), and assists households to implement the EIP. The ECMs will facilitate accessing existing utility programs with the use of smart technology-driven recommendations (i.e. smart meters). Second, we will develop social-technological methods to determine the household-specific amount of electricity that should be considered a basic right. Algorithms will be developed that use smart meter data to identify consumers' basic electricity needs. Neighborhood focus groups will enable a deliberative process through which residents will consider and define electricity-dependent household necessities, further informing our understanding of basic electricity needs. Third, we use knowledge from the first and second research aims to develop a new electricity rate paradigm that seeks to achieve the following objectives: i) a free level of basic electricity, ii) supplemental electricity priced to cover utility provider costs, iii) dynamic stability, and iv) rates that encourage energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.