Turning Policy into Performance: Measuring Equity to Achieve Restorative Justice

Over 900 stakeholders from around the country gathered last week in Washington D.C. to showcase the accomplishments made thus far in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative. The initiative was launched by President Obama in 2011 with the goal of reducing national building energy usage by 20% over ten years. A key strategy in this program is the Better Buildings Challenge, a…

This article was originally posted on Efficiency Vermont's blog. I often speak with small- to mid-size business owners who are so strapped for money and time, that much-needed energy-efficiency upgrades just never happen, even though they know the potential for savings. Here’s the thing: not making time to invest in energy upgrades will cost you over time. Take a look at the comparison below…

We are back at it after LightFair International in New York City last week – what a show! This year marked a new frontier for the DesignLights Consortium with our own booth at the most future-focused conference and tradeshow in the lighting industry. With high traffic at our booth, we saw many familiar faces, made new connections and encountered some of the most innovative technologies the field…

While you probably won’t find Rooftop Units trending on Twitter anytime soon, you will continue to find them on roofs of commercial buildings working tirelessly to keep you cool. And, like many of their HVAC counterparts, rooftop units are due for an energy efficiency overhaul. Just like air conditioning & heat pump units in residential homes, rooftop units are anticipating an energy…

UPDATE: The Maryland Public Service Commission approved the merger by a 3-2 vote on May 15, 2015, as did the Delaware Public Service Commission on May 19, 2015.  Initially denying the merger on  August 25, 2015, the District of Columbia Public Service Commission gave final approval to the merger on March 23, 2016. From 2002 to 2012, mergers amongst electric utility companies…

Welcome to Highlights! April/May 2015 The first few months of 2015 have been witness to a number of interesting developments both on the energy efficiency front, and at NEEP itself. In the Northeast, all eyes have been on New York recently with its late February Policy Framework and Implementation Plan for the Reforming the Energy Vision Proceeding, examined in…

Since our last update for Highlights in August, the following code adoption progress has occurred: 2015 IECC adoption: Vermont and Maryland became the first states in the nation to adopt the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)—the latest and most energy efficient model code. Vermont’s new code was adopted in December and became fully effective in March. Vermont is also in the…

The energy-efficient home market in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic continues to grow at a steady pace. The market penetration of high-performance homes in the United States reached $36 Billion in 2013 and is projected to hit $72 Billion by 2016 (Source, McGraw Hill Construction). Consumers are seeking green and energy efficient features, and builders are striving to meet the demand. A recent…

The energy policy world was abuzz during early 2015 over the potential impact of a landmark proceeding at the New York State Public Service Commission.  Utilities, State Utility Commissions, consumer advocates, and others were awaiting a key order in New York State’s “Reforming the Energy Vision.”  On February 26, 2015, the New York State Public Service Commission delivered their long…

NEEP’s Evaluation, Measurement, and Verification Forum recently released two publications that are receiving increasing attention within the industry.  The first report centers upon strategies for geo-targeting energy efficiency as a system planning resource, and the second examines the baseline assumptions included in potential estimates for savings attributable to electric residential…