Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships Hires Christina Halfpenny

Energy Efficiency expert to direct DesignLights® Consortium.

Lexington, MA, February 11, 2015 – Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) announced today that Christina Halfpenny will join the NEEP Senior Management Team as Director of DesignLights Consortium® (DLC) beginning February 23. Halfpenny will direct all aspects of the DLC project, which serves the US and Canada with the mission to support accelerated market adoption of quality, high efficiency commercial sector LED lighting solutions. She will lead DLC’s strategic planning, project services, marketing and brand management, stakeholder engagement, and internal team development.

Halfpenny will lead the implementation of a long-term strategic plan developed last year that lays the groundwork for the DLC’s growth and expansion beyond its current focus on LED luminaires, the center of which is the Solid State Lighting Qualified Product List (QPL).  DLC expansion plans include assisting efficiency programs to accelerate the market adoption of LED lighting controls to achieve additional energy savings in commercial lighting systems in the US and Canada. Additionally, the DLC will explore integration of high efficiency LED lighting systems into overall lighting designs and building management systems to achieve even deeper energy savings.

“We are excited to welcome Tina Halfpenny to NEEP to lead the DesignLights Consortium®, an initiative that has grown to serve the US and Canada,” said Sue Coakley, NEEP Executive Director. “Commercial lighting efficiency is a critical element of efficiency programs, accounting for significant efficiency program savings achieved each year in the US and Canada. LED technology is at the heart of this, offering increased energy savings with unparalleled flexibility for customized lighting solutions that provide  productive and attractive building environments.”

“As commercial lighting undergoes this momentous LED transformation, the DLC is setting the bar for quality and efficiency,” Coakley added. “We are glad to have Tina’s leadership and experience to lead this strategic initiative with efficiency programs and the lighting industry across North America.”

With 15 years in the energy efficiency industry and a variety of experience in strategic management, Halfpenny brings a vast range of knowledge and expertise regarding planning, public policy and regulation, and improvement of practices and processes to better identify energy efficiency opportunities. Most recently, she served as the Director of the Energy Efficiency Division in the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. There, she led the achievement of all cost effective energy efficiency in the built environment through policies and programs.

 “I’m looking forward to taking on the growth and development opportunities of the DLC. Lighting is a dynamic industry that continues to present new and innovative solutions to energy management challenges,” said Halfpenny. “NEEP is a great organization that has strong leadership and active engagement in the most important issues for energy efficiency. The DLC has its roots with NEEP and will continue to gain from NEEP’s experience and intellect.”

ABOUT NEEP

NEEP is a non-profit organization that transforms the way we use and think about energy. Through advocacy, collaboration and education we focus on three areas where we believe energy efficiency can have the greatest impact: buildings, high efficiency products & best practices. Our unique approach helps bring together all stakeholders to accelerate energy efficiency and highlight its impacts on the region, the economy, and the planet. For more information, connect with us via our website blog and Twitter.

ABOUT THE DESIGNLIGHTS CONSORTIUM®
The DesignLights Consortium® (DLC) is a project of Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP), that promotes quality, performance and energy efficient commercial sector lighting solutions through collaboration among its federal, regional, state, utility, and energy efficiency program members; luminaire manufacturers; lighting designers and other industry stakeholders throughout the US and Canada. Over its 14 year history the DLC program has driven the lighting market towards innovation by providing information, education, tools and technical expertise for cutting edge technologies. Since 2010, the DLC has administered the Qualified Products List (QPL), a leading resource that distinguishes quality, high efficiency LED products for the commercial sector. Today, the QPL sets the bar for efficiency program incentives across the US and Canada while informing manufacturer product development.

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