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CASE STUDY
Driving Equitable Delivery of Guide Pennsylvania's $258M Home Energy Rebate Program
Synthesized complex federal energy datasets into precision geospatial tracking dashboards to target, optimize, and verify the equitable delivery of $258M in energy efficiency rebates to low-income census tracts.
01. Challenge
Overcoming Engagement Barriers to Reach Low-Income Demographics
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was tasked with equitably distributing $258M in federal funding from the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) program to improve residential energy efficiency and reduce monthly utility bills. However, the state faced significant challenges in accurately locating and connecting with hard-to-reach, low- to moderate-income residents. Without a specialized tracking mechanism, the agency could not guarantee it would meet its strict federal mandate to direct over 50% of all rebate dollars to marginalized communities.
02. Solution
Precision Demographic and Advanced Scenario Modeling
Our analytics engineers combined several complex federal datasets, including the Department of Energy’s LEAD data and NREL's ResStock models, to build highly detailed demographic segmentation frameworks at the census tract level. Using this foundation, our team developed interactive Participation and Energy Savings Scenario tools. These dashboards enabled state teams to identify and target specific areas across PA based on building type, income band, and heating fuel.
03. Impact
Establishing Data-Driven, Inclusive Outreach for Environmental Justice Metrics
Our modeling and analysis provided state deployment teams with interactive, precision-targeted dashboards that enable field resources to focus on high-need households. By translating raw geographic characteristics into clear energy-savings metrics, we empowered the state to track real-time outreach performance and measure household savings from heat pump and weatherization projects. Our work ensures complete alignment with federal requirements, positioning Pennsylvania as a national leader in equitable clean energy deployment.
10+
Demographic Data Sources Mapped
50%
Rebate Allocation Securely Targeted to Low-Income Areas
3.2K+
Census Tract Demographic and Energy Profiles Created
$258M
Total Federal Energy Efficiency Funding Guided
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