NEEP's Partners help to support our work in building a regional efficiency infrastructure with consistent policies, requirements and programs. This diverse group of organizations are also doing their part to make energy efficiency happen - read about their work here!

Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. (ARCA) has worked with the electric utility industry to provide environmentally-sound and cost-effective spare appliance recycling programs for over 20 years. They also provide turnkey services for purchasing and installing new ENERGY STAR® appliances and removing and recycling the displaced units, preventing them from entering the used-appliance market. To minimize disruption to the utility customer, new appliances are installed during the same appointment that old units are removed for recycling.

ARCA's appliance recycling programs offer the assurance that each appliance retired through a program is properly and permanently removed from service, never to be resold into domestic or export used-appliance markets.

For more information about ARCA's appliance market management services, please contact Bruce J. Wall at 203-265-9125 or bwall@arcainc.com.

The LED lighting revolution is coming home, thanks to Cree, Inc. As a leader in energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode) lighting, Cree recently announced the first consumer-grade LED downlight, the CR6. Consuming just 10.5 watts, but with light output equivalent to a 65-watt downlight, the CR6 is designed to last 50,000 hours. With mass-market availability planned for later this year, the CR6 will have a price point under $60 - on par with a CFL downlight but with approximately seven times the lifespan and 50 percent of the energy consumption. Designed for ENERGY STAR® qualification and with a simple-to-install Edison base, the CR6 makes retrofitting existing downlights easier than ever. For more information, visit www.creeledlighting.com.

Since 2006, employment at Conservation Services Group has grown 119 percent nationwide. On March 28, 2010 the New York Times ran a front-page article, "Overqualified? Yes, but Happy to Have a Job" featuring Jackie Swanson, who accepted a position as a facilities manager at Conservation Services Group (CSG) where she says she feels respected. Despite the national trend of downsizing, CSG's Human Resources department has increased from two to seven staffers in the last eighteen months; CSG recently announced the addition of three human resource professionals, and the promotion of Maureen Huffam to senior vice president. New HR leaders are Donna M. Angelico, director of human resource operations; Kevin C. Farrell, director of learning and development; and Sharon L. Gilbert, director of recruitment.

GroundedPower, provider of the Interactive Customer Engagement System (iCES) being used in seven pilots, has received more attention following receipt of a Final Report from PA Consulting Group on the Cape Light Compact pilot and its filing in the California Smart Grid rulemaking.

Here's what SmartGridNews.com had to say on April 7:

GroundedPower "told the California PUC that cost isn't the only motivator to get consumers involved in Smart Grid energy conservation and efficiency programs. GroundedPower underscored its points by referring to a Cape Cod pilot project that showed environmental concerns, competition, community cooperation, rewards and recognition were motivating a surprising number of consumers to access a dedicated Web portal weekly.

Quick Take: We've said from the beginning that consumer engagement and education are critical for a successful Smart Grid rollout. GroundedPower's approach and the pilot they cite put it in big red letters."

The Institute for Electric Efficiency (IEE) serves electric utilities and policymakers across the country as a resource for information and best practices on energy efficiency and demand response, a forum for dialogue on advancing energy efficiency and demand response, and a source of thought leadership on key issues surrounding customer energy management.

This year, IEE has continued its mission to advance energy efficiency and demand response among electric utilities by collaborating with Consortium for Energy Efficiency on developing an industry-wide database of energy efficiency impacts, expenditures, and budgets; compiling reviews of state energy efficiency regulatory frameworks and smart meter plans and deployments; issuing articles examining dynamic pricing for mass market customers, alternative financing mechanisms for energy efficiency, and community-based approaches to energy efficiency outreach; publishing a study comparing utility and third-party administration of energy efficiency programs; collaborating with MIT on its Energy Efficiency Strategy Program; and delivering presentations on smart meter concerns in California and Texas and strategies for communicating the benefits of smart energy management to consumers.

JACO is delivering over 75 cost-effective energy efficiency appliance recycling programs for program sponsors covering over 200 utility territories in 25 states on a turnkey, performance basis. JACO maintains over 20 recycling facilities in North America including Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Montreal, Quebec. JACO offers the most advanced recycling technology with certified capture of all ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases and reclamation of 95 percent of materials. The U.S. EPA honored JACO and its customers in 2004 with an international Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award and again in Montreal in 2007 with an international "Best of the Best" award on the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Protocol.

Rising fuel costs and global warming make the headlines daily. Homeowners are looking for new ways to cut costs and reduce their carbon footprint. Rheem designs high performance, sustainable water heaters that help homeowners save money and protect the environment. We offer more ENERGY STAR® product lines than any other water heater manufacturer.

New Heat Pump Water Heaters!
Rheem made an exciting debut in 2009 with a new hybrid. The HP-50 integrated air-source heat pump water heater was first-to-market in 2009 and has won seven prestigious awards. A new 40-gallon HP-40 joins the hybrid lineup in May 2010. With an Energy Factor of 2.0, the new water heaters will more than double the efficiency of standard electric storage water heaters. Quick recovery rate and a slim profile make it a favorite with homeowners and installers. For more information, please contact Chuck Rohde at chuck.rohde@rheem.com.