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…
By John Balfe |
Efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy are core components of a municipal-led initiative to improve the health and safety of buildings and to combat the impacts of climate change. But how do you prioritize and implement these strategies?
State and local clean energy goals often overlap – so who should take the lead?
Public buildings are controlled by local governments, while…
By Michael Rossi |
This year is off to a busy start and shows no sign of slowing. NEEP partnered with a number of organizations and states on concept papers in response to U.S. DOE funding opportunity announcements (more on this later) for energy codes, and we anticipate some major exciting changes and updates.
In this blog, we’re going to look ahead to the new year, break down some predictions, and analyze…
By Aditi Dalal |
Welcome to the first Regional Energy Data Dive of 2023. We are excited to announce that after spending the fall and winter collecting data for the newest update, we are ready to dig into what the numbers show. For the first time in REED history, we have collected data from Pennsylvania, allowing a more comprehensive view of energy efficiency programs in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
While we…
By Erin Cosgrove |
On November 30, 2022 the Massachusetts Commission on Clean Heat (Commission) issued its final report. The report included recommendations to implement a first-of-its-kind statewide building decarbonization clearinghouse and adopt new, innovative regulatory frameworks that accelerate the adoption of clean heat technology.
The Commission was a result of the recommendations from the state's…
By Andrew Winslow |
This year marks the end of the second phase of a Vermont retrofit program that NEEP has been engaged in along with our partners Building Performance Professionals Association (BPPA), and Energy Futures Group (EFG). The Zero Energy Now program (ZEN) is a whole home retrofit program designed to drastically reduce home emissions by combining efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy measures…