Case Studies

The CoBE tool calculates the greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutant emissions, climate impacts, and public health impacts of building energy use, and allows users to compare their emissions to climate policies. Our case studies provide information on how to use the tool to conduct what-if scenarios.

Case Study: Modernizing School Heating with Ground-source Heat Pump

In this real-life use case, Hopkins Academy, a public middle and senior high school in Hadley, MA, is considering upgrading its aging oil-burning heating system to a ground-source heat pump to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Case Study: Counterfactual Impact of a Lighting Retrofit

In this fictional use case, the owner of a supermarket in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is interested in reducing his building’s energy costs. In addition, he is also concerned about the impact of his building’s energy use on climate change.

Case Study: Mixed-Use Building Retrofit and BPS Compliance

Our first fictional use case concerns a Boston building owner who manages a four-story commercial building, consisting of apartments, offices, a bank, and a grocery store. This building owner is interested in retrofitting her building, particularly in HVAC and boiler technology upgrades. She would like to evaluate the reduction in energy use and emissions that would result from these upgrades, along with any potential environmental and public health cost savings.