Improving comfort in manufactured homes

August 24, 2026 by Shannon Stendel and Cynthia Segura

The heating and cooling (HVAC) systems in manufactured homes are often oversized or poorly matched to the home. Living with poorly sized equipment not only raises energy costs—it can also impact resident comfort.

This research project aims to improve HVAC performance and sizing in existing manufactured homes to save energy, improve resident comfort, reduce noise, and lengthen the life of the equipment.

Our team will measure baseline HVAC sizing and operations in 30–40 manufactured homes across Minnesota. Of this sample, 10–15 homes will receive free HVAC adjustments so we can evaluate the impacts. The results of this study will help Minnesota improve its energy-efficiency programs to better serve manufactured home communities for years to come.

What Participation Involves

All participants must:

  • Allow Slipstream staff to conduct an in-home visit to assess your current HVAC system and home characteristics.
  • Complete 1–3 short surveys about your experiences with comfort, noise, and energy use.
  • Grant permission to view or directly provide us with your energy utility (natural gas and electric) bills.
  • You may be invited to participate in a second phase of the study, which would include another in-home visit 6–12 months later to adjust the HVAC system at no cost to you.

Benefits of Participating

All participants will receive a $150 Visa or American Express gift card and learn about how your home’s HVAC system affects your energy bills.

If chosen for phase two of the study, you'll receive:

  • An additional $100 gift card.
  • Potential improvements to HVAC performance to save energy, improve your home’s comfort, and reduce noise.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this study, all participants must:

  • Live year-round in a manufactured home located in Minnesota.
  • Allow Slipstream staff and contractors on-site to complete an in-home HVAC assessment, as well as a limited number of follow-up visits if selected.
  • Have the homeowner’s permission to adjust the HVAC equipment if necessary.
  • Complete short surveys on comfort, noise, maintenance, and related questions.
  • Provide consent for our team to view data from your utility bills for analysis.

Interested in learning more or participating?

Please fill out this intake form

If you have questions, please reach out to the Project Manager, Cynthia Segura.

This project is supported by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources through the Conservation Applied Research and Development (CARD) program.