By Natalie Hildt Treat |
Welcome to Highlights!
August 2014
While late summer offers a much-needed lull for many of us, there is still some very important work being done by policymakers, regulators and program administrators to advance energy efficiency and address major regional energy issues.
One of the biggest of issues: “the winter peak.” States in the heavily natural gas-reliant…
By Josh Craft |
This summer, we’ve seen the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states continue tackle the major themes outlined at last month’s NEEP Summit in Newport: modernizing the electric grid, de-carbonizing the electric sector, and managing electric-gas infrastructure constraints in New England.
As you can see, policymakers did not shy away from strong action in June and July — whether it was the EPA releasing…
By Samantha Bresler |
Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) are one of the fastest growing heating and cooling technologies in our region. They have impressive efficiency profiles, high customer satisfaction reviews and are all electric, which means they can take pressure off fossil fuels and also be integrated with on-site solar generation.
As with anything new, there is plenty of room for debate and discussion, and a need…
By Brian Buckley |
For quite some time, the zero net energy concept has struggled to reach beyond the domain of policy advocates and pilot projects; but the world is changing. Recent storms of unparalleled intensity, falling costs of distributed generation, and the real world possibility of large-scale energy storage have led to a unique moment in the building energy industry: Daybreak on Net Zero Energy.
But…
By Carolyn Goldthwaite |
Greater Energy Savings through Building Energy Performance Policy, a new report by the Department of Energy’s State & Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action) provides recommendations for state and local governments to design policies and programs to achieve measurable improvements in efficiency outcomes in commercial buildings. The vision for the document is a future where…
By Kevin Rose |
For more background, see our earlier 2014 Building Code Preview
Unlike automobiles, appliances, or consumer electronics, buildings constructed today will still have an impact on U.S. energy use 50 to 100 years from now—if not longer. Building energy codes improve the energy efficiency of these long-term investments by setting minimum requirements for new and renovated buildings.
In…
By Natalie Hildt Treat |
We are fortunate to have three bright college interns working with us in Lexington this summer. Trevor, Lauren, and Erika are learning as much as they are contributing to our work, being exposed to an array of topics, joining external meetings and events, participating in NEEP projects and partnership groups, and generally getting a taste of the wide world of energy efficiency programs and…
By John Otterbein |
John Otterbein, Marketing Communications Associate
Throw some popcorn in an energy efficient microwave, turn down the overhead, living-room LEDS with your shiny-new home energy management system, and join our story’s protagonist, energy efficiency, on a myriad of journeys.
Every year we nominate, film, and present video case studies highlighting forward thinking businesses that have molded…