Best Practices

I recently heard “move electrons instead of molecules” to describe policies to electrify buildings and transportation to displace the use of carbon-intensive fossil fuels. This clever phrase describes a key trend in ACEEE’s recently released 2020 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard – that states working to implement the most aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals in the nation scored the most points

For over a decade, utilities have rigorously explored a variety of approaches in their quest to achieve predictable and reliable energy savings data. One approach that combines energy efficiency, behavioral changes, and integrated demand-side management is strategic energy management (SEM). SEM is a holistic approach that continuously examines and manages a customer’s energy usage in pursuit of deeper, long-term savings.

Picture this: It's Friday night; you and your closest friends are getting together at your place. As the host, you decide to provide the libations for your event. While picking up that cold six-pack of beer, you notice a sign on the freezer door that explains that the price of your six-pack has been reduced due to the recent implementation of commercial refrigeration retrofits. You think to yourself, “great, cheap beer, but what is a commercial refrigeration retrofit and what does that have to do with reduced prices?”

We buy clothes, books, and airplane tickets online. We virtually hail taxis, bank, and make international phone calls. We share photos of cats and start viral revolutions with bytes of data. Energy efficiency may be fashionably late to this e-party, but with strong partnerships and a focus on customer convenience, the movement is underway to transform how this least-cost resource is captured online.

So how are shoppers discovering energy efficient products online?

“We do not have to wait for an international treaty or new regulations to act,” proclaims Joe Kaiser of Siemen’s Energy as he refers to the responsibility on industry’s shoulders to manage energy with an eye to the future. Siemens, an employer to 340,000, is setting a powerful example for businesses, taking control of its energy use through energy efficiency, meticulous energy management practices, and distributed generation. An example many are eager to follow.

Back in the fall of 2014, I attended Hubspot’s Inbound Marketing Conference. There were dozens of expert speakers and motivators, all offering their insight into the business world. One speakers' insights have been resonating with me ever since.

Home energy management systems (HEMS) are an invention of the internet age. They are a 21^st-century by-product of the idea that when two-way communication between utilities and homeowners is paired with the proliferation of smart devices, the results are greater connectivity, control, and ultimately comprehensive energy savings.

This post was submitted by The Holderness School, a 2015 Business Leader Champion for energy efficiency. It was authored by Hillary Beach, assistant director for communications.

Hab-it (noun)- a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

We know the future will be bright for the residential lighting market, but just how efficient will it be?

Residential lighting has long been at the heart of ratepayer-funded energy efficiency program portfolios. In New England, residential lighting measures have produced over 30 percent of all efficiency program savings. The large savings potential along with the relatively low barriers to getting bulbs into sockets makes lighting the classic low hanging fruit.

If I asked you what a small private high school in New Hampshire had in common with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, you’d probably rack your brain for some complicated relationship between the two disparate establishments.

Well, I’m here to tell you that the relationship isn’t as uncanny as you may think. In fact, don’t think all that hard; the light above your head should switch on by itself.