NEEP Notes: Third Quarter 2006: NEEP Updates- Regional Initiatives and Training and Education

Commercial Motors For more information, please contact Jon Linn at jlinn@neep.org or 207-338-9705	NEMA Premium Motors NEEP and its sponsors continued promoting NEMA Premium® industrial motors during the third quarter of 2006. Regional programs MotorUp, New York Energy Smart Motors and the Maine Small Commercial Program offer full service marketing campaigns directed to vendors and customers, providing information, education and monetary incentives for the purchase of qualifying motors. The second quarter results of these incentive programs show continued uptake of motor program promotions and motor management support in the Northeast.
Commercial HVAC For more information, please contact Jon Linn at jlinn@neep.org or 207-338-9705	Cool Choice NEEP sponsors throughout the region continue to promote packaged HVAC equipment meeting Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) Tier 2 efficiency specifications, through programs such as Cool Choice, New York Smart Equipment Choices, and others. Sponsors are also promoting optional controls for economizers and demand controlled ventilation. Many have reached the promotion stage for improved in-field performance for packaged HVAC systems. Upstream Promotions The regional commercial HVAC working group completed market research and began developing a strategy to further transforms the market for high efficiency packaged HVAC in commercial buildings. The working group is exploring a shift towards 'upstream' promotional efforts that focus on the distributors and manufacturers of equipment, rather than concentrating solely on customers and installation contractors. The group is also investigating opportunities to collaborate with players in the residential equipment and gas-fired heating markets, where those markets converge. Commercial HVAC Specifications Nationally, the commercial HVAC community is considering two specification steps in the near future. Recent federal activity increases efficiency standards for packaged commercial HVAC systems. In January 2008, small air conditioning units will move to a baseline energy efficiency rating (EER) of 13.0- up from 10.0. In January 2010, larger units will face a new baseline matching the current CEE Tier 2. A national group of program managers, led by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), is developing revised efficiency specifications in three tiers that will phase in the planned changes up to and beyond 2010. These tiers are expected to be finalized by early this Fall.
Commercial Lighting For more information, please contact Jon Linn at jlinn@neep.org or 207-338-9705	Equipment Promotions NEEP’s new Commercial Lighting Initiative has hit the ground running in 2006. This quarter, the regional working group continued to develop an equipment promotion project for high performance fluorescent systems (HP T8,) funded by the Department of Energy. The working group is also creating a regional strategy for integrated lighting design. In August, the working group received proposals from potential implementation contractors for the Department of Energy/Federal Energy Management Program project. The project will reach out to the commercial lighting market to promote HPT8 systems. It will deliver information and education resources to all levels of market players, and it will reach out to manufacturers and distributors of fluorescent fixtures. These efforts will go public at the turn of the year.
ENERGY STAR® Products For more information, please contact Melissa Lucas at mlucas@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 15.	ENERGY STAR Lighting CFL disposal impacted by mercury bill On July 28, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney signed Chapter 190 Mercury Management Bill, previously HB 5112, setting guidelines and goals to reduce the expulsion of mercury into the environment through improper disposal. The bill requires manufacturers to develop, implement, and market recycling programs for mercury added product disposal, including compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. If the manufacturer fails to achieve the set recycling goals, they will be required to pay up to $1,000,000 per year of non-compliance to the Department of Environmental Protection. Money raised from these fines will be used as grants to municipalities or regional authorities to facilitate meeting recycling rates. Read the entire Chapter 190 for more information. NEEP’s Residential ENERGY STAR Products Initiative Working Group discussed CFL recycling at its meeting in July. The group continues to monitor developments on this issue across the region. Change a Light, Change the World Campaign kicks off in October The ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World campaign is a national challenge sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy encouraging Americans to consider the energy they use and switch to light bulbs and fixtures that have earned the government’s ENERGY STAR for energy efficiency. As a first step to preserve our energy resources and environment, consumers are being urged to replace at least one incandescent bulb or fixture at home with one that has earned the government’s ENERGY STAR label. You can take the ENERGY STAR Change a Light Pledge online. A highlight of the campaign will be the second annual ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day on Wednesday, October 4. Several events are being planned throughout the Northeast, hosted by NEEP Sponsors. ENERGY STAR Appliances Sponsors of the Northeast ENERGY STAR Appliances Initiative hosted the 2006 ENERGY STAR Appliance Partner Meeting, held September 26-28 in Newport, RI. Sponsors include: Cape Light Compact, Connecticut Light & Power, Efficiency Vermont, Long Island Power Authority, National Grid, NSTAR Electric, United Illuminating, and Western Massachusetts Electric. The meeting featured marketing summits with major appliance manufacturers and retailers, as well as presentations on best practices, tax credits and ENERGY STAR Appliance Campaigns.
ENERGY STAR® Windows For more information, please contact Elizabeth Titus at etitus@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 11.	Retailer Sales Training Save the Date! Learn how to increase sales of ENERGY STAR Windows and take advantage of federal tax incentive. Energized Sales Training sessions have been scheduled for the following dates and locations: October 26, 2006: York, Pennsylvania (cosponsored by the Northeast Window and Door Association November 1, 2006: Maryland (cosponsored by the Maryland State Energy Office) November 2, 2006: Delaware (cosponsored by the Delaware State Energy Office) Sales training sessions in Massachusetts, cosponsored by GasNetworks, are coming soon. Please contact Elizabeth Titus for more information.
Residential High Efficiency HVAC For more information, please contact Melissa Lucas at mlucas@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 15.	On July 20, energy efficiency program administrators gathered for a Residential HVAC Initiative Working Group meeting to discuss a variety of topics. NEEP provided an overview of recent Commercial HVAC activities, and discussions progressed on how to work with industry on cooperative promotions. In addition, program sponsors shared their plans for 2007 and addressed how working with industry could be incorporated into those plans. A meeting with manufacturers and distributors is tentatively planned for the Fourth Quarter of 2006.
Research and Evaluation For more information, please contact Elizabeth Titus at etitus@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 11.	Call for abstracts: International Energy Program Evaluation Conference The 2007 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference (IEPEC) will be held in Chicago next August. Conference topics include: consumer marketing; evaluating energy products and services; understanding customers and customer behavior; performance management; monitoring and evaluation of markets and market transformation; evaluation designs, implementation and results; energy efficiency in a competitive world; addressing public policy issues; and evaluation ethics, standards and practices. Abstracts for this conference are due on November 1, 2006. Please visit the IEPEC Web site for more information www.iepec.org Market Penetration Tracking As part of ongoing efforts to improve the availability and reliability of data used to document market transformation success, NEEP co-hosted an informal session on Market Penetration Tracking at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) Summer Study meeting in August 2006. The session’s goals were to: a) Summarize tracking efforts nationwide; b) Identify common needs and interests; and c) Brainstorm and discuss next steps and ways to meet needs. Several themes emerged, including: A strong consensus surrounding the need for lighting data, especially as related to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL). According to attendees representing the Northwest, Northeast and Wisconsin, state-level point of sales data for lighting is a top priority for many program administrators. Figures for both total sales of CFLs and the level of market penetration are needed to estimate impacts and to document progress in market transformation. The status quo level of appliance data is generally sufficient for most users, however greater product efficiency differentiation would be useful. The current ENERGY STAR requirement to provide data has not proved to be successful for residential lighting. Alternate approaches and alternate sources of data are available and may be useful to program administrators for specific needs. These include saturation studies, regression analysis to estimate based on other indicators like price, and other national indicator data. Various issues were identified for follow-up, including: How can CFL sales data be acquired from ENERGY STAR partners and delivered nationally? What is the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s (NEEA) approach to gathering and using sales data? Will the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) or other appropriate organizations provide lighting shipment data on a state level? How can the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency provide product differentiation data to program administrators based on wattage, lighting style and efficiency level? For more information, please contact Elizabeth Titus.

Training and Education

Building Operator Certification For more information, please contact Ed Londergan at elondergan@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 29.	ISO New England Workshop On August 29, NEEP and the Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-New England) held a joint energy efficiency workshop for facility managers, business owners and municipal representatives from across the region. The event included a presentation on energy efficiency strategies by Alan Mulak, one of NEEP’s BOC program instructors. The workshop was part of ISO-New England’s Take Charge campaign to encourage residential, business, and institutional customers to become more energy efficient. For more information, see the related article. Congressman Holds Energy Meeting Congressman John Tierney (D-Mass.) hosted a second annual energy forum in his North Shore district this summer, focused on energy efficiency education and training. NEEP participated in the forum by presenting information about the Building Operator Certification program and energy efficiency seminar series. 2007 Planning Meetings NEEP began meeting with the various utilities and program administrators in the region regarding training and education planning for 2007. As part of these annual meetings, NEEP presents information about the available training programs and seminars for the upcoming year and agreements are worked out that secure support and financial assistance for NEEP offerings. These meetings are valuable to NEEP because at this time of year, the annual budgeting and planning process at each utility and program administrator has not yet begun. This allows for the integration of NEEP training into the schedules of the utilities and program administrators before their budgets become set on other initiatives. Community College Training Opportunities Massachusetts Bay Community College NEEP is working with the President of MassBay Community College and the school’s Dean of Continuing Education and Corporate Training, to coordinate the addition of the BOC program and NEEP’s energy efficiency seminar series to the range of courses offered by the College. Quinsigamond Community College NEEP is working with the New Business Development Office at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Mass. to secure training grants for Equity Office Properties. NEEP is also working with the College’s Continuing Education Office to secure the addition of the BOC program and the Energy Efficiency Seminar Series to their catalog of non-credit course offerings. Community College of Rhode Island NEEP has entered into discussions with the Community College of Rhode Island to develop energy efficiency training modules to complement their existing energy technician program. New Hampshire Technical Community Colleges NEEP continues to work with the New Hampshire Technical Community Colleges to offer the BOC program as a “fast track” certification program. Complete operational details are still being finalized and the program will be offered for the Winter/Spring semester of 2007. 2006 Fall Massachusetts Energy Symposium NEEP is actively involved in the planning the second Massachusetts Municipal Energy Symposium, which will take place in late October. The first event, held in April, attracted over 125 participants from schools and municipalities and provided them with information and resources emphasizing the energy efficient design, construction and operation of facilities. New Hampshire Energy Symposium NEEP is working with KeySpan to develop an energy symposium for New Hampshire. It will be modeled after the highly successful Massachusetts Municipal Energy Forum that took place earlier this year. KeySpan will reach out to Public Service of New Hampshire to assess their interest in participating in the forum. BOC Course Available to the Public Due to the popularity of the BOC course offered to the public in Massachusetts earlier this year, NEEP has scheduled a second public course for the fall. The course will be held at National Grid’s training facility in Northboro, Mass. Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency Residential Energy Efficiency Program NEEP’s work with the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) over the last several months has resulted in the development of a residential energy efficiency training program for MHFA staff. The program will cover topics such as building systems, energy conservation and management, indoor air quality, HVAC efficiency and efficient lighting. The program is available to property managers and facility maintenance staff at the 5,000 housing developments for which MHFA has provided funding. NEEP has also developed and implemented an energy basics training program for MHFA account executives.
High Performance Schools Exchange For more information, please contact Carolyn Sarno at csarno@neep.org, or 781-860-9177, ext. 19.	State Activity Connecticut NEEP took part in a building construction standards meeting with members of the Departments of Public Works, Safety, Policy and Management and the Institute for Sustainable Energy. The purpose of the meeting was to review the first pass at regulations for state funded buildings (excluding schools). A recent bill requires all state funded buildings (over $5 million) to be designed to the equivalent of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard. NEEP provided feedback on the regulations as well as an overview of the Northeast Protocol (see related article). NEEP has been invited to participate in future meetings. Rhode Island NEEP and circuit rider CG Consulting, have been actively working with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) on the development of school construction standards. A first draft of the standards was delivered to RIDE in July, and a second draft is currently in progress. NEEP facilitated three meetings of the Rhode Island High Performance Schools Working Group to plan education and outreach initiatives for 2006-2007. The plan includes a series of educational presentations to RIDE, state agencies, architectural and engineering firms, superintendents and school committees. NEEP is also working with Rhode Island school committees to develop a one-day high performance schools conference for next winter. Vermont In July, the Vermont Schools Construction Standards Committee invited NEEP and representatives from Green Globes and the United States Green Building Council’s LEED for Schools program to make presentations about their high performance schools guidelines. As a result, the Committee recommended NEEP’s Northeast High Performance Schools Protocol as the standard Vermont should use for new or renovated schools. In August, NEEP participated in a meeting of the Vermont High Performance Schools Working Group. NEEP provided feedback on their roadmap of strategies for the Vermont High Performance Schools Initiative. Regional Protocol Regional High Performance Schools Working Group members participated in a forum to review comments and proposed changes to the Northeast Protocol. Based on feedback received during the forum, a revised second working draft was created and distributed to representatives of state school construction funding agencies, select members of the design community and members of the Exchange Technical Task Force. Presentations NEEP gave a presentation on high performance buildings to the Vision 21 Implementation Committee of Belmont, Mass. regarding the design process and the benefits of building green. NEEP also made a presentation on high performance schools to the Building Task Force for the town of Stowe, Mass. The Task Force’s objective is to collaborate on options for building or renovating existing schools. NEEP answered questions on high performance schools and was asked to provide assistance with additional community outreach. Outreach NEEP took part in two meetings of the Regional Lung Association. They have expressed interest in collaborating with the Exchange on education and outreach regarding the health benefits of high performance schools.
Building Energy Codes For more information, please contact Don Vigneau at dvigneau@neep.org, or 860-498-0055.	International Code Council hearings In September, NEEP provided information, analysis and recommendations on the energy-related proposals presented during the International Code Council (ICC) code change process. The ICC hearings will result in recommendations by the respective code committees for the change proposals before them, as well as contested actions when a majority of the active membership at the hearings disagrees. The results of these actions will be published before December 1 and are subject to challenge by any interested party. All challenges will be heard at the Final Action Hearings scheduled May 21-26, 2007 in Rochester, NY. The results of those final hearings are published and available for adoption by any jurisdiction. NEEP will continue to represent the needs of the Northeast throughout this code update process. State Code Adoptions NEEP has begun an analysis of a proposed code update in New Jersey. Comments on the draft are due November 1. The Massachusetts Residential Code, which includes changes related to the May 23, 2006 public hearing, will be released in early October. NEEP monitored that process and joined with the Responsible Energy Code Alliance (RECA) to propose language that enhanced the code’s energy efficiency provisions. Connecticut has announced that technical change comments on the September 2004 and December 2005 adoptions of the International Code Council (ICC) family of codes will be opening shortly. NEEP intends to offer suggestions on coordination issues to eliminate gaps in code requirements. Code Training NEEP has developed a preliminary working outline for a codes mentoring process and has begun discussions with officials in Massachusetts and Rhode Island about their roles in the process. NEEP held code training sessions in West Warwick, R.I. and Willimantic, Conn. during the third quarter. Four sessions are scheduled for October.