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

This paper is a baseline assessment of electric and natural gas energy efficiency programs that target low-income households in the largest metropolitan areas in the country. ACEEE surveyed over 70 electric and natural gas utilities on their 2015 low-income program spending, energy savings, customer participation, and best practices.

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)
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)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Publication Date

Each ResStock fact sheet presents the potential for residential energy and utility bill savings for the state. The top ten energy savings home improvements are highlighted.

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

This guide supports the development, maintenance, and use of accurate and reliable Technical Reference Manuals (TRMs). TRMs provide information to estimate the energy and demand savings of end-use energy efficiency measures associated with utility customer-funded efficiency programs. This guide describes existing TRMs in the United States and provides recommendations for TRM best practices. It also offers related background information on energy efficiency; evaluation, measurement, and verification; and TRM basics.

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)
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)
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)
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)
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.

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

The Regional Roundup of Energy Efficiency Policy is intended to give policymakers, regulators, efficiency proponents, program administrators and other stakeholders a comparative view of the progress of energy efficiency policies and programs across the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region. Along with state-level highlights, the report examines regional trends and shared challenges in harnessing the potential of energy efficiency to meet today’s pressing energy and environmental challenges.

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.

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)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
Publication Date
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.

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)
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)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date

This report lays the groundwork for a dialogue to explore regulatory and policy mechanisms for ensuring that efficiency financing initiatives provide value for society and protection for consumers. Through case studies of Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, California, and Maryland, it explores emerging issues that jurisdictions will need to tackle when considering an increased reliance on financing.

Author(s)
Energy Efficiency For All
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Elevate Energy

This guide identifies 12 best practices for policymakers, regulators, and program administrators to help building owners invest to increase the energy efficiency of multifamily affordable housing.

Author(s)
EmPOWER Maryland
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
EmPOWER Maryland

This report analyzes and develops estimates of non-energy impacts that could be included in cost effectiveness analyses for the EmPOWER Maryland energy efficiency programs. Four non-energy benefits are included in this analysis: air emissions, comfort, commercial operations and maintenance (O&M), and utility bill arrearages. In all four cases, a recommended value and methods for including them in future EMPOWER costs effectiveness analyses are provided.

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
This report provides an overview of considerations for designing and implementing successful energy efficiency financing programs for existing buildings in the residential and commercial sectors. Information on key issues related to energy efficiency financing programs, guidance to existing resources that provide more in-depth financing program design and implementation information, and strategies for delivering broad customer access to attractive financing products that enhance customer capacity and willingness to invest in energy efficiency to address "first cost" barriers are included.
Author(s)
Community Development Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Watt Watchers,
Neighborhood Energy,
Energy Savers,
Ratepayer Inte-grated On-Bill Payment Program,
I'M HOME initiative,
Multifamily Energy Efficiency and Housing Affordability,
Residential Multifamily Housing Program

There are more than 17 million multifamily households nationwide, yet they remain a significant and mostly untapped opportunity for energy efficiency gains. Many cities and states that have embraced energy retrofitting as a job creator and boon to both the environment and economy have yet to address potential savings in multifamily properties, primarily because of obstacles not faced by single family and commercial properties. This paper discusses two barriers -- a lack of information and financing -- that stand in the way of multifamily energy retrofits.

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

This report provides information on how energy use data access can help state governments lead by example through benchmarking and disclosing results and implement benchmarking policies for the private sector.

Author(s)
National Governors Association
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
TakeCharge! Challenge,
Enhabit,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

Many states have adopted policies intended to overcome the barriers that limit the more efficient use of electricity. Yet because such efforts have not addressed the lack of consumer information and motivation to improve efficiency, many opportunities for energy efficiency remain untapped. To help address that problem, states, utilities, and other energy efficiency service providers have begun to develop new approaches to informing and motivating customers based on behavioral economics and psychology research. This report describes three broad strategies that states can use to engage consumers' participation in energy efficiency programs: provide direct consumer information and feedback on energy use, influence social norms; and match messages and messengers to target audiences. Recommendations for actions that governors can take within the context of each of those three strategies are provided.

Author(s)
Mass Save
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Mass Save
This plan was jointly developed by gas and electric companies in the state of Massachusetts to set aggressive goals for 2013-2015 through a sustained and integrated statewide energy efficiency effort in accordance with Green Communities Act.
Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date

This report helps policymakers understand how electric and natural gas utilities can achieve greater efficiency by establishing numeric energy savings targets and goals for energy efficiency programs.

Author(s)
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
Publication Date
Organizations or Programs
Austin Energy,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

This report summarizes existing research and discusses current practices, opportunities, and barriers to coordinating energy efficiency and demand response programs.

Author(s)
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
Publication Date

This report presents best practices for operating successful portfolio-level efficiency programs, including assessing efficiency potential, cost-effectiveness screening, and developing a portfolio of approaches.

Author(s)
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
Publication Date

This report highlights road-tested strategies, resources, and tools states can use to adopt cost-effective energy efficiency and clean energy programs for their buildings, facilities, and operations.

Author(s)
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
Publication Date

This report describes the effects of utility spending on efficiency programs, how those effects could constitute barriers to investment in energy efficiency, and how policy mechanisms can reduce these barriers.

Author(s)
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
Publication Date

This report provides guidance on determining the efficiency potential in a utility footprint, state, or region; evaluating efficiency as a supply-side resource; and developing detailed efficiency program plans.

Author(s)
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency
Publication Date

This report describes the key issues, best practices, and main process steps for integrating energy efficiency into resource planning on an equal basis with other resources.

Author(s)
APPRISE Inc.
Publication Date

The purpose of this study is to furnish comprehensive information on ratepayer-funded low-income energy programs. This study includes information on and analysis of the energy needs of low-income households, the legal and regulatory framework supporting ratepayer-funded programs, program design options, and the findings from evaluations of program effectiveness.