NEEP Updates: Commercial and Residential Regional Initiatives
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Commercial HVAC
For more information, please contact Jon Linn: jlinn@neep.org or 207-338-9705
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Equipment promotion
NEEP and sponsors throughout the region continue to promote packaged HVAC equipment meeting Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) Tier 2 efficiency specifications, through programs including Cool Choice and New York Smart Equipment Choices. Optional controls for economizers and for demand controlled ventilation also continued to be promoted. Sponsors remain in various stages of promotions for improved in-field performance for packaged HVAC systems
Industry meetings
In April, Regional Initiative sponsors met with industry representatives to explore upstream program strategies for efficient commercial packaged HVAC systems. There was general interest in a possible pilot program for 2008. The combined sponsor-industry group mapped out milestones for preparing a program description for review by utility management. The hope is that at least some territories in the region will test the concept in 2008, so that all may learn from its successes.
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For more information, please contact Jon Linn: jlinn@neep.org or 207-338-9705
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Equipment promotions and design
The regional working group for NEEP’s Commercial Lighting Initiative continues to manage an equipment promotion project for high performance fluorescent lighting systems (HPT8) funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) and efficiency program administrators.
In June, the working group developed a regional strategy for integrated lighting design and equipment promotion for future program efforts. The strategy combines DOE’s Commercial Lighting Initiative activities with the New Buildings Institute’s Advanced Lighting Guidelines revisions, the DesignLights Consortium‘s (DLC) knowhow series guides, and regional programs including the HPT8 project.
DesignLights Consortium
The DLC HPT8 project continues to move forward at a rapid pace. Early in the second quarter, 100 percent of major lamp and ballast manufacturers had signed participation agreements with the program. By mid April most of the major fixture manufacturers had also signed-on. The program is gaining visibility and acceptance from all ends of the lighting community.
Solid State Lighting
NEEP is formulating plans for the DOE Solid State Lighting (SSL) Technical Information Network project. Formal public rollout of this effort is expected later this summer. Initially, parties should be aware that NEEP and DOE will host a workshop entitled Voices for SSL Efficiency at the Hyatt Harborside in Boston on July 16-17. Host sites for demonstration projects are actively being sought. Please contact Ed Schmidt for more information.
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For more information, please contact Melissa Lucas: mlucas@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 15. |
ENERGY STAR water heater stakeholder meeting
On June 5, NEEP attended a stakeholder meeting to discuss a proposed ENERGY STAR Water Heater Specification, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ENERGY STAR is proposing to establish specifications for advanced technology water heaters (solar, heat pump, gas condensing, advanced non-condensing gas and gas tankless). Presentations from the June 5 meeting as well as stakeholder comments from the first round are posted on the ENERGY STAR Web site. Post meeting comments will be accepted until July 13, 2007. Updated criteria are expected to be released in August, with final criteria anticipated by January 1, 2008.
Residential HVAC negotiated cooperative promotion RFP released
On behalf of the sponsors of the Residential HVAC Initiative, NEEP distributed a request for proposals (RFP) for negotiated cooperative promotions (NCP) with HVAC manufacturers, distributors and other interested organizations on June 26. This RFP allows interested bidders to propose joint projects to promote high efficiency heating and cooling equipment, quality installation of the equipment and communications including customer/contractor education, cooperative advertising and others. Bidders meetings are tentatively scheduled for July 12-13, with proposals due to Sponsors by August 15, 2007. Sponsors included in the RFP: Connecticut Light & Power, Efficiency Vermont, KeySpan Energy (Mass.), Long Island Power Authority, National Grid (Mass. and R.I.), New Jersey Clean Energy Program, NSTAR Electric & Gas, and Western Massachusetts Electric. For more information, contact Melissa Lucas.
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ENERGY STAR® Products
For more information, please contact Melissa Lucas: mlucas@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 15. |
ENERGY STAR launches new ad campaign
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new public service campaign promotes ENERGY STAR as an important part of the solution to global warming. A new 30 second public service announcement (PSA) for television features individuals turning to ENERGY STAR to help save energy, save money, and protect the climate for future generations. The new campaign (which also includes print PSAs) helps reinforce the important link between saving energy and preventing global warming. For more information, visit ENERGY STAR’s Web site.
Lighting
ENERGY STAR SSL specification: The U.S. Department of Energy will soon be releasing the final ENERGY STAR criteria for Solid State Lighting (SSL) luminaries. Based on feedback from two rounds of comments, the final specification will outline requirements for near-term white LED lighting applications including under-cabinet kitchen lighting, under-cabinet shelf mounted task lighting, portable desk task lights, recessed downlights, outdoor wall-mounted porch lights, outdoor step lights, and outdoor pathway lights. The criteria also outline future performance targets for general illumination lighting. Presentations from the February stakeholder meeting, as well as stakeholder comments from both rounds are posted on the ENERGY STAR Web site.
Efficiency Maine begins CFL recycling: This June, Efficiency Maine launched a recycling program for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), offered free to residential lighting retailers enrolled in the program. Efficiency Maine is placing buckets in participating stores for consumer disposal of used CFLs as well as training store sales associates on the program. More information is available from Efficiency Maine.
U.S. DOE and Disney-Pixar promote energy efficiency: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced in June that it has teamed up with Disney-Pixar to promote energy efficiency through an animated 30-second television spot with characters from the upcoming film, “Ratatouille.” The spot will air on the DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Web site as well as on cable television throughout the summer.
Appliances
ENERGY STAR refrigerator stakeholders meet: On June 4, NEEP attended a stakeholder meeting to discuss upcoming revisions to the ENERGY STAR refrigerator specification, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). DOE has initially proposed to revise the criteria for standard refrigerators to be 20 percent more efficient than the federal standard (the current specification is 15 percent more efficient than the federal standard). The proposed date for the new criteria is April 1, 2008. Presentations from the June 4 meeting as well as stakeholder comments from the first round are posted on the ENERGY STAR Web site.
Consumer electronics
ENERGY STAR is revising and launching several consumer electronics specifications including:
Set-top boxes: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising the ENERGY STAR specification for set-top boxes (current specification currently suspended), following a May 15 stakeholder meeting in Washington, DC. For more information visit the ENERGY STAR Web site.
Computers: An updated ENERGY STAR specification for computers takes effect on July 20, 2007 (Tier 1), which includes active power as well as standby power consumption. The EPA will begin to revise the specification this fall for Tier 2 (effective January 1, 2009). More information is available on the ENERGY STAR Web site.
Televisions: The EPA is currently revising the ENERGY STAR television specification to include active power. There will be an upcoming stakeholder meeting in Washington, DC on July 19 to discuss the first draft of the specification revision (expected to be release in the next few weeks). The EPA aims to complete the revision by late 2007, and make it effective in the fall of 2008. For more information, visit the ENERGY STAR Web site.
Digital television adapters: The EPA released a new ENERGY STAR specification for digital television adapters (DTA) effective January 31, 2007. When the United States switches from analog broadcast signals to digital on February 18, 2009, consumers must have a DTA or cable/satellite box to convert the signal (if they own analog televisions). This new specification requires DTAs to use less than eight watts in the active power mode and one watt in the sleep mode. More information is available on the ENERGY STAR Web site.
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ENERGY STAR Windows
For more information, please contact Elizabeth Titus: etitus@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 11 |
2007 retailer sales training
There are two ENERGY STAR Windows retailer sales training sessions scheduled in New Jersey this summer:
- July 24: Glassboro, NJ
- July 25: New Brunswick, NJ
Additional training is planned for Delaware in the fall.
Any organization interested in co-hosting training sessions is welcome to contact Elizabeth Titus for more information.
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Research and Evaluation
For more information, please contact Elizabeth Titus: etitus@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 11 |
Program evaluations now available on NEEP’s Web site
NEEP has recently added a new tool on its Web site, a database of New England energy efficiency program evaluations and studies from 2002-2007. This excel spreadsheet contains basic information on the studies, organized by state. To view the tool, please visit: http://www.neep.org/about/Studies.xls.
Efficiency program administrators submit plans to ISO-New England
This quarter, NEEP assisted evaluators in New England prepare measurement and verification (M&V) plans for submission to the Independent System Operator (ISO) for New England. The plans were required as part of the qualifications packages that accompany bids to participate in the first Forward Capacity Auction for a market that will begin in 2010. The plans provide information in support of forecasted demand savings from program administrators’ portfolios of energy efficiency programs.
2007 regional evaluation studies now available
Two measurement and verification studies co-funded by members of the State Program Working Group were completed this spring. They are:
Multiyear evaluation planning underway in New England
Evaluators of New England’s energy efficiency programs will meet on July 11, 2007 to discuss evaluation and research priorities in the near future (2008) and beyond. They will explore opportunities for regionally coordinated research and evaluation studies that can help support Forward Capacity Auction bids and other shared energy efficiency program information needs. Information about outcomes of this meeting will be shared with NEEP’s Evaluation Network. Other details about NEEP's work in support of the Forward Capacity Market can be found in the policy section of this newsletter.
International Energy Program Evaluation Conference to be held in Chicago this August: Register Now
The International Energy Program Evaluation Conference (IEPEC) is a professional conference for energy program implementers, program evaluators, federal and state agency representatives and researchers. With the goal of improving confidence in the results of energy program evaluations in order to implement programs that conserve natural resources and reduce greenhouse gasses, the conference will focus on: evaluating energy products and services; understanding customer behavior; performance management; monitoring and evaluation of markets and market transformation; evaluation designs, implementation and results; energy efficiency in a competitive world; and evaluation ethics, standards and practices. More information can be found on the IEPEC Web site.
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Copyright © 2007
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc.
5 Militia Drive • Lexington, MA 02421
Tel 781-860-9177 • Fax 781-860-9178
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