Turning Policy into Performance: Measuring Equity to Achieve Restorative Justice

This blog is the first in a series looking into the key insights of the newly released 2015 Regional Roundup of Energy Efficiency Policy in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States. The winter months of the past few years have been long, harsh, and expensive. Electricity customers in the  Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region have incurred higher costs during these periods, largely as a result of…

Originally posted on ACEEE's blog, this post is part one in a series where ACEEE examines the most effective roles for energy efficiency programs and market-driven solutions in scaling the deployment of energy efficiency. Thanks to Steve Nadal and ACEEE for sharing! The fundamental question that policymakers ask themselves is, Are we being the most responsible stewards of public dollars? For…

We’ve been singing it from the rooftops since the release of the 2015 Residential Lighting Strategy back in December: the residential lighting market will undergo a massive transformation as long as programs and supporting standards continue to propel it towards efficiency. Energy efficiency programs are pulling consumers into more efficient purchases, namely CFLs and LEDs, while federal…

Thanks to Jake Marin (HVAC Program Manager) and Efficiency Vermont for contributing this especially relevant piece on burgeoning heat pump products. Heat pump technologies transfer heat much more efficiently than traditional methods and are quickly becoming a financially viable alternative.  As the name suggests, a heat pump transfers or “pumps” heat from one place to another. How does…

LEDs are steadily moving to the forefront of retail shelves as energy efficiency programs continue to financially support their widespread adoption. With the cheapest ENERGY STAR certified LEDs costing about $10 each, efficiency program rebates are necessary if prices are to come close to other alternatives. Strong signals, however, are indicating that the LED invasion is beginning to gain some…

Welcome to Highlights! December/January 2015 As 2014 draws to a close, we are witnessing an energy policy landscape of many changes, with more to unfold in 2015. The November elections delivered us new governors in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maryland, and returned the legislature to Republican control in New Hampshire. There will be new public utility…

On December 5, Vermont finalized an update to its Residential and Commercial Building Energy Standards (RBES and CBES), thereby becoming the first state in the country to adopt* a building energy code based on the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (2015 IECC). The 2015 IECC is the newest and most efficient version of the IECC, a model code used by the vast majority of the country (…

What lies ahead for Rhode Island schoolhouses? It’s hard to say with any certainty, but if stakeholder contributions from a recent discussion in Newport, R.I. are any indicator, the future looks bright. After several years of a school construction moratorium, Rhode Island schools are finally seeing the potential for new construction and renovation opportunities this summer.  In…

The NEEP Buildings Team recently convened a webinar for the NEEP Multifamily Stakeholder Group highlighting two outstanding multifamily initiatives in the State of Rhode Island. The webinar featured presenter Nick Corsetti from National Grid speaking on National Grid's Rhode Island benchmarking programs and Mark Kravatz from the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) addressing GHHI’s leading…

The Regional Evaluation, Measurement and Verification (EM&V) Forum will host its Annual Public Meeting on January 14, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Baltimore, Md. Mark your calendar and make plans to be in Baltimore for a day filled with exciting discussion, connecting with new and old colleagues and learning from the best and brightest in the evaluation community and beyond. Agenda…