By Chase Macpherson |
Most people got accustomed to (and then very tired of) saying “unprecedented times” over the last few years with the Covid-19 pandemic, but the occasion is not quite over for our industry. Right now, we are in an unprecedented time of federal funding for clean energy and infrastructure, and as a young professional I’m already sure I’ll be talking about this point in my career for a long time!
A…
By Michael Rossi |
Prior to joining NEEP, I worked as a HERS Rater in Massachusetts for about two and a half years, and I want to share some lessons learned during this experience.
What is a HERS Rating?
“HERS” stands for Home Energy Rating System, and HERS Raters are accredited by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). A HERS Index, which is a score that Raters award to a home energy system, is…
By Andrew Winslow |
Completing and scaling comprehensive home energy retrofits has long been a goal of many programs within the energy efficiency industry. In 2020, NEEP continued to rethink home retrofits in collaboration with The Building Performance Professionals Association of Vermont and Energy Futures Group (EFG), launching the second phase of the Zero Energy Now (ZEN) pilot.
ZEN is different than single-…
By Erin Cosgrove |
Virtual power plants (VPPs), an aggregation of distributed energy resources, provide a deeper integration of demand flexibility and renewables on our energy grid, which can offer cleaner and more affordable power. They operate by aggregating distributed energy resources (DERs) to meet grid needs and optimize consumer energy usage. By aggregating the power of several DERs, a virtual power plant…
By Aditi Dalal |
After a busy winter of collecting, organizing, and analyzing new 2020 data for the Regional Energy Efficiency Database, NEEP is excited to share some new trends and results. This blog highlights how the latest REED data offers insight into regional trends.
Expenditures Per Capita
In 2020, states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic increased per capita spending for electric programs, while…
By Michael Rossi |
As we continue to look for solutions to the climate crisis, one opportunity is hidden in plain sight: decarbonization through building energy codes. Buildings make up approximately 40 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions and advancing building codes to address decarbonization could be an extremely important piece of the emissions reduction puzzle. Let’s break down some examples in the…
By Deepti Dutt |
My husband and I are proud New England home owners. This means that our house, like many in the area, is old and leaks like a sieve. Every summer, for the last four years, we painstakingly lugged our window a/c units from our basement to our second floor bedrooms and back to basement at the end of the summer. In both these trips, we make promises to ourselves and each other to look into whole…
By Erin Cosgrove |
The Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund presents a unique opportunity for state energy offices to not only invest in long term energy efficiency financing programs, but also provide grants to small businesses and low-income residents to improve the comfort of their buildings and install more efficient technology. The application deadline is May 26, which means states still have time to take…
By Chase Macpherson |
When I graduated from college in 2020, I had a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, many different experiences related to environmental and climate issues, and a very difficult time finding a job. I wasn’t sure exactly what kind of job I wanted, but I knew I wanted something very closely related to climate change, and that was big picture enough for me to feel like I was really able to make a difference…
By Erin Cosgrove |
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) present an unprecedented opportunity to grow efficiency and electrification across the United States. They also represent an extraordinary amount of work and coordination for our state energy offices, regulators, energy efficiency businesses, and other stakeholders. To take advantage of the full funding available, states…