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Showing results 1 - 10 of 10

A Field Guide to Utility-Run Behavior Programs: Making Sense of Variety

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
2014
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont

This webcast covers a report that is a comparative analysis of utility-run behavior programs, which lays the groundwork for further program development by developing a classification scheme, or taxonomy, that sorts programs into discrete categories.

Resource - Webcast

The Smart Energy Home: Strategies to Transform the Region

Author(s)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
Publication Date
2016
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont

Home energy management systems (HEMS) continue to present a unique opportunity and challenge. While energy savings have been documented for many HEMS, some of the most promising opportunities from these devices and systems can be found in the internet of things (IoT) and smart home technologies. This report presents market updates, a regional goal, and strategies to drive market transformation and achieve the many benefits from HEMS and the Smart Energy Home.

Resource - Publications

Green with Envy: Neighbor Comparisons and Social Norms in Five Home Energy Report Programs

Author(s)
Kira Ashby and Hilary Forster, Consortium for Energy Efficiency,
Bruce Ceniceros, Sacramento Municipal Utility District,
Bobbi Wilhelm, Puget Sound Energy,
Kim Friebel, Commonwealth Edison,
Rachel Henschel, National Grid,
Shahana Samiullah, Southern California Edison
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
National Grid,
Southern California Edison,
Puget Sound Energy,
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD),
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComED)

This paper explores ways in which program administrators are using social norms to spur behavior change and, as a result, curb energy use. In recent years, home energy reports (HER) programs have applied the concept of social norms to the energy efficiency context. These feedback programs inform customers of how their energy consumption compares to their neighbors' and provide other information about their usage, with the goal of enticing customers to change their energy use behavior to improve their relative neighborhood ranking.

Resource - Publications

Building Better Energy Efficiency Programs for Low-Income Households

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
2016
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont

This report details opportunities for scaling up program activity and increasing savings from programs reaching the people who need it most. It discussed best practices from existing programs for overcoming many of the key challenges that program administrators face, including how to address housing deficiencies that prevent energy efficiency upgrades, how to address cost effectiveness challenges, and how to serve hard-to-reach households.

Resource - Publications

Big Savers: Experiences and Recent History of Program Administrators Achieving High Levels of Electric Savings

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
2016
Organizations or Programs
Arizona Public Service,
Northern States Power,
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComED),
Efficiency Vermont,
Energy Trust of Oregon,
Eversource Energy,
Fort Collins Utilities,
Narragansett Electric,
National Grid Massachusetts,
Otter Tail Power,
Pacific Gas and Electric,
Southern California Edison,
Seattle City Light,
Tucson Electric Power

Energy efficiency savings have grown substantially in the past ten years, and national leaders in program administration have emerged as savings levels have increased. This report reviews annual program performance for 14 leading energy efficiency program administrators, with a focus on costs, electricity savings, cost effectiveness, and portfolio design.

Resource - Publications

Reaching More Residents: Opportunities for Increasing Participation in Multifamily Energy Efficiency Programs

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
2016
Organizations or Programs
Focus on Energy,
National Grid Rhode Island,
DC Sustainable Energy Utility Low-Income Multifamily Initiative,
Bay Area Regional Energy Network Multifamily Building Enhancements,
Con Edison Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program,
Con Edison Multifamily Low Income Program,
Puget Sound Energy,
Xcel Energy,
Elevate Energy,
Energy Trust of Oregon,
Public Service Electric and Gas Multifamily Program,
Pacific Gas & Electric Company,
Arizona Public Service (APS) Company,
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Vermont,
CenterPoint Energy,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

The multifamily sector can be hard to reach when it comes to energy efficiency programs. Besides being diverse and complex, the sector presents a unique set of challenges to efficiency investments. The result is that multifamily customers are often underserved by energy efficiency programs. Drawing on data requests and interviews with program administrators, this report summarizes the challenges to program participation and identifies best practices that programs can use to reach and retain large numbers of multifamily participants.

Resource - Publications

Energy Efficiency as a Low-Cost Resource for Achieving Carbon Emissions Reductions

Author(s)
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
Publication Date
2009
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont

This report summarizes the scale and economic value of energy efficiency for reducing carbon emissions and discusses barriers to achieving the potential for cost-effective energy efficiency.

Resource - Publications

Home Energy Makeover Contests: Who Are the Winners and Losers in Motivating Existing Homeowners to Make "Whole House" Energy Saving Improvements

Author(s)
UtilityExchange.org,
Building Performance Institute
Publication Date
2013
Organizations or Programs
Atlanta SHINE,
DecaturWISE,
CharlestonWISE,
Enhabit,
Energy Upgrade California,
Help My House,
FirstEnergy,
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
NOLA WISE

This paper first details industry best practices for contest administration, including tips for developing an overall contest plan and timeline, product sponsor recruitment, building a dynamic informational website, maximizing customer participation, selecting the winning home, seamless installation management, capturing and documenting project results, conducting a high profile media open house and facilitating customer workshops that educate homeowners and strengthen trade ally relationships. This paper then presents results and key lessons learned from more than 20 contests supported with funds from local community sustainability programs, utility energy efficiency programs, and U.S. Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds between 2008 and 2012.

Resource - Publications

Partnering with Utilities and Other Ratepayer-Funded Energy Efficiency Program Administrators

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2013
Organizations or Programs
Colorado ENERGY STAR Homes,
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
Silicon Valley Energy Watch Program,
The Home Energy Rebate Option,
New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
Efficiency Vermont,
Energy Trust of Oregon,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
The objective of this document is to help state and local governments understand the role of program administrators (PAs) and assist them in developing successful partnerships with utility and other energy efficiency PAs. The majority of this paper presents information on partnering and leveraging current energy efficiency activities. However, it also includes information for governments in areas without active PAs, as well as an appendix with a case study describing how state and local governments can fill gaps and administer programs in the absence of a PA.
Resource - Publications

The Bottom Line on Public-Private Finance Tools for Energy Efficiency

Author(s)
World Resources Institute
Publication Date
2011
Organizations or Programs
ClimateSmart Initiative,
Efficiency Vermont,
Sonoma County Energy Independence Program

Outlines five public-private financing mechanism options for energy efficiency upgrades programs, including on-bill financing, PACE financing, and loan loss reserve funds.

Resource - Publications

Content Type

  • Resource (10)

Resource Type

Program Components

  • Market Position & Business Model (4)
  • Program Design & Customer Experience (8)
  • Evaluation & Data Collection (1)
  • Marketing & Outreach (4)
  • Financing (1)

Program Design Phases

  • Strategy Development (7)
  • Planning (8)
  • Implementation (6)
  • Evaluation (2)

States or Territories

  • Alabama (1)
  • Alberta (1)
  • Arizona (5)
  • British Columbia (1)
  • (-) California (10)
  • Colorado (1)
  • Connecticut (2)
  • DC (1)
  • Florida (1)
  • Georgia (1)
  • Idaho (1)
  • Illinois (3)
  • Maine (2)
  • Massachusetts (6)
  • Michigan (2)
  • Minnesota (3)
  • Nevada (1)
  • New Hampshire (1)
  • New York (5)
  • North Carolina (1)
  • Ohio (4)
  • Oregon (3)
  • Pennsylvania (1)
  • Rhode Island (5)
  • South Carolina (2)
  • Texas (1)
  • Vermont (12)
  • Virginia (1)
  • Washington (4)
  • Washington DC (2)
  • West Virginia (1)
  • Wisconsin (1)

Organizations or Programs

  • Energy Upgrade California (44)
  • Enhabit (13)
  • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) (10)
  • (-) Efficiency Vermont (8)
  • Austin Energy (7)
  • Elevate Energy (7)
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) (7)
  • EnergySmart (5)
  • Energy Trust of Oregon (5)
  • Michigan Saves (5)
  • Build It Green (4)
  • Focus on Energy (4)
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) (4)
  • Better Buildings Program San Jose (3)
  • emPowerSBC (3)
  • Energy Impact Illinois (3)
  • EnergySmart Colorado (3)
  • Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) (3)
  • Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) (3)
  • Low Income Energy Efficiency (LIEE) Program (3)
  • Mass Save (3)
  • NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad (3)
  • Windsor Efficiency PAYS (3)
  • Bend Energy Challenge (2)
  • California Alternate Rate for Energy (CARE) Program (2)
  • ClimateSmart Initiative (2)
  • Colorado ENERGY STAR Homes (2)
  • Commonwealth Edison Company (ComED) (2)
  • Community Power Works (2)
  • Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge (2)
  • Efficiency Maine (2)
  • Efficiency Nova Scotia (2)
  • Energize Phoenix (2)
  • Kansas How$mart (2)
  • NOLA WISE (2)
  • Puget Sound Energy (2)
  • RePower Bainbridge (2)
  • RePower Bremerton (2)
  • Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (2)
  • Southern California Edison (2)
  • Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (2)
  • Texas LoanSTAR (2)
  • California Community Savings Initiative (1)
  • (-) CharlestonWISE (1)
  • EnergyWorks (1)
  • Green Works Orlando (1)
  • Home Energy Affordability Loan (HEAL) (1)
  • MPower Oregon (1)
  • RePower Kitsap (1)
  • ShopSmart with JEA (1)
Residential Program Guide is a resource of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office.
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