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Author(s)
CALifornia Measurement Advisory Council
Publication Date

This toolkit supplies evaluators doing energy efficiency evaluations in California with the latest versions of the key documents, rulings, and tools, that define, inform or control their evaluation efforts.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Small Town Energy Program (STEP),
Baltimore Energy Challenge,
Efficiency Maine,
Energy Impact Illinois,
Efficiency Nova Scotia,
CoMo Energy Challenge,
Empower Chattanooga,
Somerville Energy Efficiency Now!,
PG&E,
Seattle City Light,
City of Fort Collins

This toolkit describes how to strengthen residential energy efficiency program outreach and marketing efforts through data-driven, tailored efforts to change behaviors. One of the greatest challenges facing the residential energy efficiency market is motivating people to take steps to save energy. This toolkit provides guidance, resources, and examples for applying community-based social marketing (CBSM) to increase the number of homes that are energy efficient.

Author(s)
Julie Michals, E4TheFuture
Publication Date

This presentation discusses E4TheFuture's report, Occupant Health Benefits of Residential Energy Efficiency, which reviews existing research on residential EE measures and associated health impacts, discusses ways that programs can monetize occupant health co-benefits, highlights innovative programs that combine energy efficiency and health-focused home repairs, and identifies research gaps and strategies to help advance and leverage funding across such integrated efforts.

Author(s)
Energy Trust of Oregon
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Trust of Oregon

Energy Trust of Oregon’s contractor selection tips provide several considerations for choosing an energy efficiency contractor.

Author(s)
Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energize Delaware

This report consists of a literature review and in-depth interviews with subject matter experts in the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program area. The goal was to compare Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility (DESEU) HPwES Programs with peer-programs across the United States. The report also identifies key metrics and emerging trends regarding program design.

Author(s)
Noah Proser, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E)

This presentation describes how PG&E is using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to enhance their advanced home upgrade whole-house retrofit program, on-bill financing, and residential pay for performance (P4P) program.

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont

This case study highlights the low-income programs of Efficiency Vermont, the nation’s first public energy efficiency utility, which aims to reduce these customers' high energy burden, freeing up money that they can spend on food, housing, and other necessities. These low-income programs have saved enough electricity to power nearly 8,000 Vermont households for a year and offer solutions that eliminate or reduce up-front costs for residents, a typical barrier to improving energy efficiency in low-income households. Its multifamily energy efficiency program helps renters and building owners save energy, addressing the “split incentive” barrier in which owners have little reason to invest in efficiency measures that benefit tenants who pay their own energy bills.

Author(s)
Efficiency Vermont
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont

This report provides an annual savings claim summary and includes case studies and customer testimonials from homeowners, towns, and businesses that Efficiency Vermont served in 2016.

Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California,
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E)

This tool from Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) provides homeowners with a list of contractors, based on their location, to schedule an energy assessment or in-home consultation.  It also provides a direct link to state license information.

Author(s)
Energy Upgrade California
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California,
Southern California Gas (SoCalGas),
Southern California Edison (SCE)

This tool provides Southern California Edison (SCE) and Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) customers with a list of Energy Upgrade California participating contractors, home performance skills, license information, and the languages spoken by the contractors.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Trust of Oregon

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on key challenges and opportunities for working with HVAC contractors to shift toward high-impact energy-efficient HVAC solutions. Speakers include DOE and the Energy Trust of Oregon.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
Consumers Energy

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on innovative approaches to increase contractors' work quality through feedback reports and contractor ranking, decrease quality assurance costs through remote quality assurance, and improve contractor engagement. It features speakers from Consumers Energy, Enhabit, and DOE.

Author(s)
Navigant Consulting, Inc.
Publication Date

This study identifies actionable strategies and innovations to improve the multifamily program performance, realization rates, and overall program cost-effectiveness for both the residential and commercial sectors.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on behavior change program design and design thinking to increase program reach. It features speakers from See Change Institute, Efficiency Vermont, and Navitas Partners, Inc.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date

This report updates ACEEE's 2013 assessment of multifamily energy efficiency programs in US metropolitan areas with the most multifamily households. Using housing, policy, and utility-sector data from 2014 and 2015, this report documents how these programs have changed in the context of dynamic housing markets and statewide policy environments. The report also offers an analysis of the number, spending, offerings, and targeted participants of current programs and their potential for further expansion.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call summary focused on leveraging smart tech, health and/or utility data to increase participation in multifamily energy efficiency programs. It featured speakers from The Network for Energy, Water and Health in
Affordable Buildings, New Ecology, Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, and Emerald Cities Collaborative.

Author(s)
Natural Resources Defense Council
Publication Date

This report examines the history of pay-for-performance (P4P) energy efficiency approaches. As the report describes, there is a diverse spectrum of pay-for-performance programs but, at the most basic level, these programs track and reward energy savings as they occur, usually by examining data from a building's energy meters -- as opposed to the more common approach of estimating savings in advance of installation and offering upfront rebates or incentives in a lump-sum payment. The report finds that P4P has some important opportunities for increasing energy savings, but also key limitations that will need to be better understood through piloting and experimentation.

Author(s)
California Statewide Communities Development Authority
Publication Date

This document defines consumer protection policies for California's statewide Open PACE program, which is implemented at the local level for residential and commercial property owners. Property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs enable homeowners to finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water efficiency improvements. These recommended consumer protection policies can help guide PACE Program implementation to ensure homeowners realize maximum benefit.

Author(s)
Claire Miziolek, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.,
Joe Loper, Itron,
Abigail Daiken, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Richard Counihan, Nest Labs,
Nkechi Ogbue, ecobee
Publication Date

This presentation covers control technologies, such as smart thermostats, and the opportunities they provide for program evaluation, monitoring and verification.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on best practices on upgrades for zero energy ready homes. Speakers include  Florida Solar Energy Center and BIRAenergy.

Author(s)
Tim Guiterman, EnergySavvy,
Jeff Perkins, ERS
Publication Date

This presentation describes how programs have leveraged data to increase program energy savings, with a spotlight on advanced and real-time monitoring and verification (M&V 2.0), contractor scorecards, and intelligent quality assurance (QA) and monitoring.

Author(s)
California Public Utilities Commission
Publication Date

This report presents findings from an impact evaluation of the Universal Audit Tool (UAT). UAT programs provide residential customers with advice on energy efficiency, insight into areas of high energy use, and tips and suggestions for saving both energy and money based on responses to an online survey regarding household appliances, occupancy, and other dwelling characteristics.

Author(s)
North Carolina Building Performance Association
Publication Date

This industry survey incorporates raw data collected from local, state and national energy efficiency, green and high performance certification and verification programs, builders and developers, home energy raters and many others to compile an updated database of units built or retrofitted in North Carolina since approximately 2007. 

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Vermont Home Energy Challenge,
Efficiency Nova Scotia,
Narragansett EnergyWise,
Cool California Challenge,
San Diego Energy Challenge,
Narragansett Residential New Construction Program

Utilities and regulators increasingly rely on behavior change programs as essential parts of their demand side management (DSM) portfolios. This report evaluates the effectiveness of currently available programs, focusing on programs that have been assessed for energy savings. This report focuses on behavior change programs that primarily rely on social-science-based strategies instead of traditional approaches such as incentives, rebates, pricing, or legal and policy strategies. The objective is to help program administrators choose effective behavior change programs for their specific purposes.

Author(s)
Navigant Consulting, Inc.,
ILLUME Advising, LLC
Publication Date

This report presents the results of the first‐year process and impact evaluation of Berkshire Gas' Home Energy Report (HER) program. The primary objective of the program is to provide residential households with information on their gas consumption and tips on how to save energy to prompt them to take action to reduce their natural gas usage.

Author(s)
Chris Lohmann, U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Build It Green,
Efficiency Vermont,
Illinois Home Performance with Energy Star

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on ensuring contractor networks work for both energy efficiency programs and participating contractors.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
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.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
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.

Author(s)
Institute for Market Transformation
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy,
Austin Energy,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Mass Save,
City of New York’s Retrofit Accelerator,
Seattle RENEW Multi-Family Housing Program

This report explores how governments and energy efficiency implementers could help stakeholders better analyze and act upon building performance data to unlock savings.

Author(s)
NMR Group, Inc.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Eversource,
United Illuminating,
Connecticut Home Energy Solutions (HES),
Mass Save,
National Grid,
Efficiency Maine,
Efficiency Vermont,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

This report identifies opportunities for Connecticut's Home Energy Solutions program (HES) to increase savings related to air sealing, duct sealing, and insulation.

Author(s)
California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority
Publication Date

This presentation covers the public process to encourage stakeholder participation and input in developing the criteria  for a comparative assessment of energy efficiency financing programs.

Author(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Kansas How$mart,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Michigan Saves,
Texas LoanSTAR,
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD),
Nebraska Dollar and Energy Savings Program

This report is a guide to all customer-facing financing products—products offered by a lender directly to a borrower—used to pay for energy efficiency. Intended for state and local governments that are deciding whether to start a new program, tune up and existing program, or create a Green Bank, it provides information on the full range of financing product options for target participants, the tradeoffs of various products, and potential advantages and disadvantages for different types of customers.

Author(s)
Dana Max, Navigant Consulting, Inc.,
Beth Delahaij, National Grid
Publication Date

This presentation describes National Grid's experience with customer behavior and engagement through the implementation of its smart grid pilot program.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energize Connecticut

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on how organizations can diversify and grow new revenue streams and types of financing approaches used to make resources stretch further and help homeowners finance upgrades. Speakers include Connecticut Green Bank, Sealed, and Craft3.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on communicating non-energy benefits that homeowners and building owners are most interested in. Speakers include Elevate Energy, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, and Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc.

Author(s)
Rocky Mountain Institute
Publication Date

This insight brief covers the set of standardized consumer protections for property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs that go above and beyond state legislative requirements and are recommended for universal adoption by state and local governments and bond-issuing entities.

Author(s)
The Cadmus Group, Inc.
Publication Date

The COOL SMART impact evaluation team conducted an in situ study of ductless mini‐split heat pumps (DMSHPs) in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This report presents the consumption and savings analysis of the DMSHP study.

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

This paper examines the current state of energy efficiency financing, highlighting segments of strength such as cars, green buildings, and energy service companies, and offering areas that are underserved, including residential low-income and moderate-income households and multifamily housing.

Author(s)
E4TheFuture,
Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)
Publication Date

The report, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and a survey of tens of thousands of businesses across the country, provides detailed breakdowns of clean energy jobs not available previously, and it was developed and released in connection with a major U.S. Department of Energy study of all energy jobs in America.

Author(s)
EMI Consulting
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California

This report presents the process evaluation results on the statewide Home Upgrade Program and includes findings on program operations, participant engagement, non-energy impacts, contractor characteristics, and contractor-customer interactions.

Author(s)
Navigant Consulting, Inc.,
ILLUME Advising, LLC
Publication Date

This report presents findings of a process evaluation of Cape Light Compact's Creating Awareness for Power Efficiency Initiative, which included in-depth interviews with 27 customers of varying participation levels. It also includes the results of an impact evaluation using econometric analysis to estimate savings.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
Tennessee Valley Authority

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on approaches organizations can use to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of home upgrade programs, including strategies to streamline data entry and make continuous process improvements.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on the ACEEE Summer Study, which brought together experts to discuss the technological basis for, and practical implementation of, actions to reduce energy use and the climate impacts associated with buildings.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This literature review describes what is currently known about the occupant health benefits resulting from residential energy efficiency or work that is consistent with home performance upgrades. Of particular interest are the occupant health impacts associated with work typically conducted by the home performance industry, such as: air sealing and insulation; properly-sized, selected, matched, and installed energy efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; identification and correction of moisture problems; proper whole house and room ventilation; lighting; and additional services including the replacement of appliances; measurement and installation of whole house and room air filtration systems (e.g., air purifiers); and basic pest exclusion. The intent of this literature review is to examine research that assessed work that would not be expected to harm residents or the workers.

Author(s)
Dale Hoffmeyer, U.S. Department of Energy,
Chris Baker, Arizona Public Service (APS),
Torsten Glidden, Build It Green
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California,
Arizona Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

Achieving energy savings goals and improving customer and contractor satisfaction while staying cost-effective makes managing home energy upgrade programs challenging. DOE's Home Upgrade Program Accelerator is working with program administrators to identify strategies that overcome challenges and achieve better results. The Arizona Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program completed process improvements that improved contractor satisfaction and deceased quality assurance labor.  Build It Green implemented software improvements to their utility program's online rebate applications portal to accelerate data processing.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy,
Enhabit

This paper analyzes Bank of America's $55 million initiative to provide low-cost funding and grant support to advance energy efficiency investment in low- to moderate-income communities. The funding supported community development financial institutions (CDFIs) in developing and enhancing efficiency programs for residential, commercial, and multifamily buildings. We report on loan performance, energy savings, and the degree to which the savings offset the cost of the energy efficiency investment.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date

Energy burden is the percentage of household income spent on home energy bills. In this report, ACEEE, along with the Energy Efficiency for All coalition, measures the energy burden of households in 48 of the largest American cities. The report finds that low-income, African-American, Latino, low-income multifamily, and renter households all spend a greater proportion of their income on utilities than the average family. The report also identifies energy efficiency as an underutilized strategy that can help reduce high energy burdens by as much as 30%. Given this potential, the report goes on to describe policies and programs to ramp up energy efficiency investments in low-income and underserved communities.

Author(s)
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance,
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource,
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Michigan Saves,
ConEdison’s Brooklyn Queens Demand Management Program,
Florida's Multifamily Energy Retrofit Program,
Set the PACE St. Louis,
City of Chicago,
Energy Outreach Colorado,
Massachusetts Low-Income Multifamily Energy Retrofit Program

This report was developed to help inform national stakeholders about the strategies that have been used to achieve deep energy savings in the multifamily housing sector through energy efficiency upgrades. These strategies could be used as models in areas where utility program administrators and policymakers seek to achieve deep energy savings in the multifamily building stock for the purposes of reducing energy costs, creating comfortable and healthy homes, meeting regulatory requirements, or reducing the environmental impacts of energy consumption. This report includes a national multifamily market characterization, barriers and opportunities for program and policy efforts, and eight exemplary case studies from across the country.

Author(s)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
Publication Date

Residential air-source heat pumps (ASHP) are a heating and air-conditioning technology that use electricity to provide a combination of space heating and cooling to homes. A new generation of ASHPs has come to market over the past five years. This report evaluates the key market barriers as well as potential opportunities to leverage. Based on an assessment of the regional ASHP market, it is clear that while ASHPs have established a viable and growing market, there remains a significant opportunity to further accelerate adoption of the technology and in the process achieve energy and cost savings to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC)

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on strategies that can be used to promote energy efficiency programs for manufactured homes. Speakers include Collaborative Efficiency, Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation, and East Kentucky Power Cooperative.

Author(s)
Rocky Mountain Institute,
Building Performance Institute
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Impact Illinois,
Renovate America’s HERO program

This report, informed by leading research and real-world examples, highlights practical online and in-person tactics that contractors can use to promote social interaction and social comparison among homeowners to make energy upgrades a "must-have" in U.S. homes.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building America research team, Advanced Residential Integrated Energy Solutions Collaborative (ARIES), worked with four public housing authorities (PHAs) to develop packages of energy-efficiency retrofit measures that PHAs can cost-effectively implement with their own staffs during the normal course of housing operations when units are refurbished between occupancies. More than 1 million public housing units supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provide rental housing for eligible low-income families across the country, ranging from single-family houses to multifamily, high-rise apartments.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Baltimore Energy Challenge,
Energy Upgrade California

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on how to assess, reassess, and initiate organization partnerships.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
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.

REEO Multifamily Energy Efficiency Retrofits: Barriers and Opportunities Webinar

Author(s)
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance,
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource,
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Michigan Saves,
ConEdison’s Brooklyn Queens Demand Management Program,
Florida's Multifamily Energy Retrofit Program,
Set the PACE St. Louis,
City of Chicago,
Energy Outreach Colorado,
Massachusetts Low-Income Multifamily Energy Retrofit Program

This webinar covers the Multifamily Energy Efficiency Retrofits: Barriers and Opportunities for Deep Energy Savings report published in 2016.n

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on integrating health and home performance and discussed connecting energy efficiency and health.

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date

This guide for states highlights energy efficiency as a least-cost strategy to meet air pollution reduction and other policy objectives, including energy affordability and reliability. It presents established policy and program “pathways” to advance demand-side energy efficiency.

Setting Baselines for Planning and Evaluation of Efficiency Programs

Author(s)
Robert G. Ozar, Michigan Public Service Commission,
Carmen Best, California Public Utilities Commission,
Jeff Harris, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Publication Date

The key challenge with quantifying savings from end-use efficiency activities is the identification of an accurate baseline from which to determine the savings. Regardless of the protocol or procedure applied, all savings values are determined by estimating likely energy use in the absence of the program or project (the “counterfactual” scenario, or baseline). This webcast provides an introduction to considerations and common practices for defining baselines, the relationship between baselines and savings attribution, and examples of how different jurisdictions are addressing market baseline studies, setting baselines for retrofit measures, and market transformation program baselines.

Author(s)
Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc.
Publication Date

This report provides information and tools for policymakers, regulators, utilities, shared renewable energy developers, program administrators and others to support the adoption and implementation of shared renewables programs specifically designed to provide tangible benefits to low income and moderate income individuals and households.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This multifamily showcase project profiles the significant energy efficiency improvements as well as annual energy savings of 36 percent and cost savings of more than $210,000 at the Castle Square Apartments, located in Boston's South End.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This multifamily showcase project profiles the significant energy improvements as well as annual energy savings of nearly 30 percent and cost savings of $108,500 at the Golda Meir House, Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly in Newton, MA. Some of the energy efficient measures include: high efficiency windows, wall and roof insulation, LED lighting, Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) system, advanced building controls to prevent air conditioning use with open windows, boiler and domestic hot water system with high-efficiency boilers and pumps, baseboard hydronic heat and thru-wall air conditioners with air source heat pumps.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This multifamily showcase project profiles the significant energy improvements as well as annual energy savings of 20 percent and cost savings of $68,000 at Los Robles Apartments located in Union City, CA. Los Robles was one of the first Low Income Housing Preservation and Residential Homeownership Act (LIHPRHA) projects in the country to leverage Low-income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and private capital to finance comprehensive energy- and water-efficiency retrofits.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This multifamily showcase project profiles the significant energy efficiency improvements as well as annual energy savings of 68 percent and cost savings of nearly $300,000 from the redevelopment of The Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony in Boston, MA, which provides deeply affordable housing in extremely energy-efficient buildings.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E),
New Jersey Clean Energy Program,
Energy Upgrade California

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on strategies for scaling up and growing residential energy efficiency programs or contracting businesses. It covered PG&E's Residential Energy Efficiency Program's Pay for Performance (P4P) program. It also covered priority areas to consider when scaling up a program, such as contractor sales and marketing training and maintaining quality.

Author(s)
Navigant Consulting, Inc.,
ILLUME Advising, LLC
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
National Grid,
Eversource

This report summarizes the impact analyses of National Grid's and Eversource Energy's Home Energy Report (HER) programs. The evaluation team conducted three distinct impact analyses related to these HER programs: Cohort-Specific Impact Analysis; Mapping Analysis; and Dual Treatment Analysis.

Author(s)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
Publication Date

NEEP has been tracking the residential lighting market for several years and has provided analysis in many reports. As the transformation of this complex market gains traction, we find the conversation and need for new information narrowing to one key topic: LEDs. While CFLs continue to play a role in residences and amongst Northeast and Mid-Atlantic program administrators, the LED has transitioned into the starring role of the residential lighting show.

Using Deemed Savings and Technical Reference Manuals for Efficiency Programs and Projects

Author(s)
Tina Jayaweera, Northwest Power and Conservation Council,
Jennifer Easler, Iowa Attorney General's Office,
Chuck Rea, MidAmerican Energy Company
Publication Date

Applying well documented stipulated (deemed) values is a common practice for determining the savings from energy efficiency projects and programs and the databases where such deemed values are cataloged are called Technical Reference Manuals (TRMs). This webcast introduces the use of deemed savings, information on setting up and updating TRMs, lessons learned, and resources for state officials. As examples, speakers discuss the content and development processes used for the Northwest regional TRM and the Iowa state TRM.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on employer assisted initiatives and the range of models used to help employees become energy efficient at home. It included lessons learned from the Clinton Climate Initiative, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation's (VEIC) employee sustainability benefit program, and the Nevada Governor's Office of Energy.

Author(s)
Clean Energy Works Oregon (now Enhabit)
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit

Enhabit uses this 100-Point Performance Check to make recommendations to improve home performance.

Author(s)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
Publication Date

This report represents NEEP’s annual assessment of the major policy developments of 2014, as well as its look into the immediate future, where NEEP gauge states’ progress toward capturing cost-effective energy efficiency as a first-order resource. While looking at the region as a whole, NEEP also provides summary and analysis of some of the biggest building energy efficiency successes and setbacks from Maine to Maryland — including significant energy efficiency legislation and regulations and changes in funding levels for energy efficiency programs.

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Enhabit,
Mass Save,
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA),
Manitoba Hydro,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Michigan Saves,
Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans,
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Vermot,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
Illinois Home Performance with Energy Star,
Build It Green,
Earth Advantage,
Elevate Energy,
Arizona Public Service (APS),
Pacific Gas and Electric Company,
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad

This Guide is designed to help state and local policymakers to take full advantage of new policy developments by providing them with a comprehensive set of tools to support launching or accelerating residential energy efficiency programs. The Guide focuses on four categories of policies that have proven particularly effective in providing a framework within which residential energy efficiency programs can thrive: incentives and financing, making the value of energy efficiency visible in the real estate market, data access and standardization, and supporting utility system procurement of energy efficiency.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
Bend Energy Challenge,
Mass Save,
Focus on Energy,
Enhabit

This document summarizes top marketing and outreach takeaways shared by Better Buildings Residential Network members during spring 2015 Peer Exchange Calls.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Nova Scotia,
Enhabit,
EnergyFit Nevada

The Better Buildings Residential Network Social Media toolkit can be used to help residential energy efficiency programs learn to engage potential customers through social media. Social media can build brand awareness concerning home energy upgrades and the entities working on them, which can lead to more energy upgrade projects taking place in the long run. This toolkit will help program managers and their staff with decisions like what social media works best for various program needs. When aligned with other marketing and outreach efforts, social media can be a useful tool in attracting home energy upgrade customers. Note that social media changes constantly, so users of this toolkit need to regularly reassess their methods and review results to ensure goals are being met.

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date

Energy efficiency collaboratives vary greatly and are typically designed for a specific jurisdiction, making them hard to compare side by side. This guide seeks to highlight a few common elements and draw conclusions on the overall effectiveness of specific characteristics of collaboratives. This guide defines and examines four different types of collaboratives in terms of their origin, scope, decision-making method, membership, duration, available resources, and how they interact with and influence their respective commissions.

Author(s)
Jeffrey Pitkin, NYSERDA,
Tammy Agard, EEtility,
Frank Spasaro, Southern California Gas Company
Publication Date

This presentation covers the New York On-Bill recovery financing, Home Energy Lending Program's (H.E.L.P.) loan program, and California energy efficiency financing products.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Elevate Energy,
Enhabit

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on standardization of effective practices across a program territory.

Author(s)
Multifamily Subcommittee of the California Home Energy Retrofit Coordinating Committee
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California

The MF HERCC Recommendations Report 2015 Update expands the 2011 publication, and delivers explicit and refined recommendations for multifamily energy efficiency program administrators and implementers.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR,
Mass Save

The benefits of energy efficiency extend beyond energy savings. Homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities gain comfort, health, and safety benefits from energy efficiency programs. Additional benefits for businesses include savings on maintenance, materials, and the costs of regulatory compliance. On the supply side, electric utilities enjoy reduced system costs. Focusing on the residential, business, and utility sectors, this report examines each of these multiple benefits, their role in program marketing, and current best practices for including them in cost-effectiveness testing.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energize Connecticut,
Iowa HVAC SAVE Program

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on the challenges, requirements and opportunities to advance staged upgrades in the home upgrade market.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Build It Green

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focuses on how mentoring on sales skills and business management helped one contractor increase sales and become more profitable. The call also covered top tips for supporting contractors, such as helping contractors develop systems to be more efficient in completing projects and creating a service plan with customers for additional improvements in the future.

Author(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Built Green Washington,
Energy Trust of Oregon

This study documents the market valuation associated with the predominant green and energy efficiency home certifications used in the Northwest. Regional markets with a track record of including green building and energy efficiency information in MLS databases have lacked a recent, thorough, locally relevant analysis of the potential value of “higher performing” homes in current market conditions. Real property appraisers require a reliable, localized, granular analysis they can use in their home valuation calculations. The analysis contained in this report addresses this identified market need.

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA),
Energy Right Solutions for Buisness,
Energy Right Solutions for Industry,
Efficiency Nova Scotia,
National Grid Energy Efficiency Program,
Energy Trust of Oregon,
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs,
Enhabit,
District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility,
BC Hydro,
Ontario Power Authority Industrial Accelerator Program,
Elevate Energy

Among the many benefits ascribed to energy efficiency is the fact that it can help create jobs. Although this is often used to motivate investments in efficiency programs, verifying job creation benefits is more complicated than it might seem at first. This paper identifies some of the issues that contribute to a lack of consistency in attempts to verify efficiency-related job creation. It then proposes an analytically rigorous and tractable framework for program evaluators to use in future assessments.

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

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
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.

Author(s)
The Cadmus Group, Inc.
Publication Date

The California investor-owned utilities -- Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), Southern California Gas (SoCalGas), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), referred to collectively as the IOUs or Joint Utilities -- are designing seven energy efficiency financing pilot programs at the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC's) direction. To help inform the pilot design process and subsequent evaluation efforts, this report summarizes a comprehensive review of 15 existing financing programs representing noteworthy program models across the United States and around the globe.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energize New York

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on methods, reactions and legal considerations of contractor rating and feedback systems.

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on evaluating and demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of energy upgrades to programs.

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Energize Connecticut,
Michigan Saves,
Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans (WHEEL)
This report provides an overview of credit enhancements available, such as loan loss reserves, loan guarantees, debt service reserve funds, and subordinated capital. It also discusses key issues related to credit enhancement, examples of how others have successfully implemented credit enhancements as part of their energy efficiency financing programs, and additional information on existing resources that provide further information on credit enhancement design and implementation.

Demonstrating Success and Sustaining Impact

Author(s)
Kelly Lucci, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont

This webcast is part of a three-part series on communications strategies and methods. It focuses on how communities can effectively showcase the benefits and successes of a clean energy initiative to ensure additional funding opportunities, continued engagement, and sustained behavior change.

Author(s)
Efficiency Vermont
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Efficiency Vermont

This report was prepared to provide an overview and analysis of results and lessons learned under Efficiency Vermont’s program from 2011-2013.  The aim was to explore the factors that motivate customers to initiate and complete retrofit projects, how have these factors influenced the growth and development of the program, and opportunities to update and evolve the program.

Author(s)
Kevin Moyer, Toledo Port Authority,
Ben Taube, Ygrene Energy Fund,
Greg Leventis,,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio

This presentation covers lesson learned for PACE from the Toledo Port Authority, innovative real estate finance solutions from the Ygrene Energy Fund, and financing energy improvements on utility bills.

Energy Efficiency Cost-Effectiveness Testing

Author(s)
Snuller Price, Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc.,
Tim Woolf, Synapse Energy Economics,
Tom Eckman, Northwest Power and Conservation Council,
Sami Khawaja, The Cadmus Group, Inc.,
Steven Schiller, Schiller Consulting, Inc.
Publication Date

This webcast provides an introduction to cost-effectiveness testing for energy efficiency programs. It also covers key drivers in the cost-effectiveness results and cost-effectiveness tools developed for the U.S. Department of Energy.