By Darren Port |
The energy-efficient home market in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic continues to grow at a steady pace. The market penetration of high-performance homes in the United States reached $36 Billion in 2013 and is projected to hit $72 Billion by 2016 (Source, McGraw Hill Construction). Consumers are seeking green and energy efficient features, and builders are striving to meet the demand. A recent…
By Brian Buckley |
The energy policy world was abuzz during early 2015 over the potential impact of a landmark proceeding at the New York State Public Service Commission. Utilities, State Utility Commissions, consumer advocates, and others were awaiting a key order in New York State’s “Reforming the Energy Vision.” On February 26, 2015, the New York State Public Service Commission delivered their long…
By Danielle Wilson |
NEEP’s Evaluation, Measurement, and Verification Forum recently released two publications that are receiving increasing attention within the industry. The first report centers upon strategies for geo-targeting energy efficiency as a system planning resource, and the second examines the baseline assumptions included in potential estimates for savings attributable to electric residential…
By David Lis |
The time is now to voice support for strong minimum efficiency standards for residential gas furnaces and boilers (both gas and oil). With gas pipeline constraints and the need to meet future natural gas supply needs on the minds of many policy makers, the Department of Energy is in the late stages of rulemaking processes to update minimum efficiency standards for residential gas furnaces and…
By Brian Buckley |
NEEP’s 2015 Regional Roundup confirms that we’re seeing a changing landscape in the world of energy efficiency. Make no mistake about it—the ground is shifting nationally and the Northeast-Mid-Atlantic region is not invulnerable to these shifts in energy efficiency focus and practice.
On one hand, the region is home to a remarkable number of states that are very much leaders in the field of…
By John Otterbein |
In the world of energy efficiency, clothes dryers were the kids picked last during recess basketball games, overlooked for more promising appliances. As refrigerators, clothes washers, and dishwashers became incrementally more efficient over time, clothes dryers were left to their energy squandering ways.
Clothes dryers hadn’t received an upgrade to their appliance efficiency standard for over…
By Lowell Ungar |
This post originally appeared on the ACEEE Blog.
Now that one energy efficiency bill is before the president, the real legislative work on energy efficiency begins. The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015 (S. 535) is three steps forward, a collection of three useful but relatively modest provisions on residential water heaters and commercial buildings. But there is a long way to go.…
By John Otterbein |
Last we left Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS), they were overseas playing a major role as Energy Continuity Systems (ECS) in Japan after the devastating Fukushima disaster disabled forty-eight of Japan’s fifty nuclear reactors. Rolling blackouts and sporadic outages plagued the Land of the Rising Sun years after the monstrous earthquake rocked the world, instilling a heightened awareness of…
By Jim OReilly |
What ingredients are propelling Delaware, and what could ensure progress in New Hampshire? The following 2015 Regional Roundup case study takes a closer look at the paths these states are taking to capture all cost-effective energy efficiency.
In our 2013 Regional Roundup, we rated the state of Delaware as "Still in the Starting Blocks," noting that "the clock [ran] out before legislation aimed…
By Samantha Bresler |
While the oil bills from heating your home are still fresh in your mind. While you still seethe from the snow and slush, I want to offer a suggestion.
Air-Source Heat Pumps.
Air-Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) warm our houses by extracting heat from the outside air and pumping it indoors. But, if you live in a climate that regularly dips below freezing temperatures, it becomes increasingly…