By Erin Cosgrove | Wed, August 30, 2023
Just a few weeks ago, we were celebrating the one-year mark of the passage of the IRA. Now, it‘s time to start implementing two of its biggest investments - the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) and the High Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA). Combined, HOMES and HEEHRA will result in over $8 billion dollars in investment in efficiency and electrification in homes across the…
By Nidhi Ravi | Mon, August 28, 2023
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) has been a cornerstone in helping low-income households reduce their energy costs and improve their living conditions for over four decades. As the world's focus on sustainability and energy efficiency has grown, so has the WAP. In recent years, significant changes and improvements have been made to the program, leading to greater efficiency and…
By Erin Cosgrove | Fri, July 28, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released guidance for $150 million in formula funding for the State-Based Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants (Contractor Training Program). The Contractor Training Program provides funding to state energy offices to train, test, and certify energy efficiency and electrification contractors. The funding is not just for IRA programs, but also to…
By Andrew Winslow | Fri, July 28, 2023
In Philadelphia, over 60,000 homeowners are living in poverty. In New York state, two million homes need to electrify to achieve 2030 climate reduction goals. What do these staggering statistics have in common? Comprehensive whole home retrofits can be a solution. Notoriously a confusing and expensive process, whole home retrofits are beginning to take center stage as states and communities see…
By Dragana Thibault | Thu, July 27, 2023
Imagine returning home after a long day, connecting your electric vehicle (EV) to your own charging station, and waking up the next morning with a fully charged car, ready to take you wherever you need to go. EV readiness in both homes and buildings offers this convenience and the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The automotive industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation…
By Aditi Dalal | Thu, June 29, 2023
Implementing retrofits in low-income homes faces numerous issues, one of which is deferred upgrades because of health and safety issues or tube and wiring issues, that can cause program implementers to walk away from a home before a project even begins.
For example, often a resident cannot participate in energy efficiency programs if their house has lead and mold problems or other…
By Deepti Dutt | Thu, June 29, 2023
Introduction
NEEP’s 2023 Summit was set at the Hotel Marcel, a Brutalist building (think of Boston’s city hall, FBI Headquarters (J. Edgar Hoover Building) or National Museum of the America Indian in Washington D.C.) revived into the nation’s first Passive House Certified hotel. This 165-room boutique hotel included the following features: LEED Platinum certification, all-electric (no…
By Laurel Murphy | Thu, June 29, 2023
This year – for the first time in a while – NEEP interns attended the Summit, and the lessons learned there, both around energy efficiency and professional development, were invaluable.
The 2023 Summit was a three-day affair, taking place in New Haven, CT at Hotel Marcel – the first Passive House certified hotel in the country. The event’s sessions covered a wide array of topics, from…
By Erin Cosgrove | Wed, May 24, 2023
In April, Connecticut became one of a handful of states to start implementing performance-based rates. Performance-based rates (PBR) align utility profits with public policy goals by changing how utilities invest and make money. In past blogs, we have explored how states can use metrics to pivot program design to include climate and equity goals, and this blog will look at how states can…
By Tara McElhinney | Wed, May 24, 2023
If you’ve been following the world of heat pumps, you know this past year has seen a lot of changes, from new minimum efficiency metrics (SEER2/HSPF2) to an influx of public funding to support heat pump adoption. How are states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic incorporating these changes into their programs?
In this post, we’ll explore the forces affecting the heat pump market and some…