Katelyn Stenger

Katelyn Stenger is a Researcher III in the Mechanical Engineering group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), working within the Building Technologies and Science Center since 2022. Her interdisciplinary research integrates behavioral science, systems engineering, and policy to advance equitable building decarbonization and energy transitions across residential sectors.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia (Behavioral Science for Sustainable Systems)
• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (sustainability focus)

Dr. Stenger's research centers on Behavioral Science, Systems, Decarbonization, and Policy, with specialized expertise in residential building electrification, heat pump deployment, and building stock modeling. She examines procedural justice in energy transitions and develops complexity-aware solutions for diverse housing contexts, particularly through regional case studies in urban and rural settings.

Her publication trajectory shows significant growth from 1 output in 2022 to 8 in 2024, with current 2025 work focusing on equitable electrification frameworks and building stock validation. Research consistently bridges technical energy modeling with social equity considerations, emphasizing real-world implementation barriers and policy strategies.

As an NREL researcher, Dr. Stenger contributes to federally funded projects including ResStock development and regional decarbonization studies. Her collaborative approach involves partnerships with policymakers, engineers, and community stakeholders to translate research into actionable solutions for building sector transformation.

She actively contributes to NREL's Building Technologies and Science Center through technical leadership in building stock modeling and equitable electrification research, with recent work validating models for rural Alaska and developing frameworks for Los Angeles case studies.