Northeast Utilities: Leading the Expansion of Efficiency in the Northeast
With a service area that stretches from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound, Northeast Utilities (NU) operates New England’s largest energy delivery system, serving over 2 million electricity and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. NU is the parent company of four regulated utilities: The Connecticut Light and Power Company, Western Massachusetts Electric Company, Public Service of New Hampshire and Yankee Gas Services Company, which is Connecticut’s largest natural gas distribution company. Northeast Utilities is committed to investing in New England’s energy infrastructure and delivering reliable energy products and services, including an innovative array of energy-efficiency programs.
NEEP is very pleased to have Northeast Utilities as the Platinum Sponsor of the 2008 Northeast Energy Efficiency Summit. Through funding from the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF), Northeast Utilities administers an impressive range of programs for their residential, commercial and municipal customers that promote energy efficiency, while encouraging economic development and reducing air pollution. Their efforts support the NEEP vision that the Northeast will become a national role model by investing in energy efficiency policies and programs.
In fact, that vision was realized in part this past June when the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) issued its State Energy Efficiency Scorecard for 2006. The Scorecard ranked the 50 states on the success of their energy-efficiency programs. Connecticut was ranked number one in a tie with California and Vermont for excellence in its energy-efficiency programs, many of which were CEEF programs developed and administrated by the electric utilities – Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating. Besides the number one ranking, the ACEEE recognized several individual NU-administered programs with awards as well.
Exemplary Programs
The Energy Opportunities Program, for commercial and industrial companies, received an “Exemplary Program” Recognition award. The purpose of the award is to recognize the individual achievement of the selected program and to showcase the program for emulation by other organizations pursuing similar goals. Through this program, electric energy-saving retrofits and upgrades may be eligible for financial incentives. When Connecticut’s Norwalk Hospital decided to make upgrades to their 691,000 square foot facility, they worked with Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) on a plan that included energy-efficient lighting, motors, cooling equipment and control systems. These efficiency improvements will potentially save about 5 million kilowatt hours annually – the equivalent of over 2,300 pounds of coal not burned, or more than 305,000 gallons of oil not burned, or almost 600 homes provided with electricity for a year.
The Small Business Energy Advantage Program also received an "Exemplary Program" Recognition award. Similar in its features to the Energy Opportunities program, but designed for smaller businesses and municipalities, the program is extremely successful. In 2007 the program is projecting lifetime energy savings of approximately 500 million kilowatt hours, with annual demand savings of about eight megawatts. Wilton, Connecticut recently replaced the lighting in five of its public schools through the program. Instead of the usual old-style fluorescent, metal halide and incandescent fixtures, Wilton's schools now feature energy-efficient High-Performance T-8 fluorescent fixtures with electronic ballasts. The new high-efficiency fixtures reduce energy costs by producing more light using fewer watts. Areas that were previously dim are now well lit. Occupancy sensors were also installed for even more energy savings. The new lighting will result in a total lifetime savings of over 10.5 million kilowatt-hours. By not having to produce that energy, 5,775 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided. The new lighting also reduces the peak demand for the five schools by almost 159 kW. Reducing peak demand means the schools use less electricity during-high use periods and there is less stress on the region’s supply.
The Energy Conscious Blueprint Program was the third winner of an ACEEE "Exemplary Program" award. The program encourages businesses to install energy-efficient measures when most cost-effective -- at the time of construction or major renovation. The program can pay up to 100 percent of the incremental costs associated with more expensive, energy-efficient equipment. Businesses can install energy-efficient equipment for approximately the same net cost (after incentive) as standard-efficiency equipment. This saves substantial energy and money over the lifetime of the equipment. When Price Chopper first started making plans for a new store in Windsor, Connecticut, they worked with CL&P to make sure that their designs included energy-efficient HVAC equipment, lighting, and motors. They were especially concerned about high energy costs typically experienced with the use of traditional coolers. They solved that problem by installing an innovative refrigerated rack system. These measures will result in a lifetime savings of over eight million-kilowatt hours and the store will save approximately $78,000 annually on associated energy costs.
Honorable Mention Programs
The Process Revue for Increased Manufacturing Efficiency (PRIME) Program received an “Honorable Mention” from the ACEEE. Through this program, CL&P provides its eligible industrial customers with a no-cost productivity evaluation using lean manufacturing techniques. The program helps customers achieve greater manufacturing efficiencies through more streamlined processes and waste minimization, inventory reduction, and reduced floor space requirements. The PRIME program expands the scope and role of traditional energy evaluations within the manufacturing sector by including environmental, production, and process issues. Through this program, CL&P continues to work directly with industrial customers to improve the energy and manufacturing efficiency of various processes of both existing and planned expansions.
Award Winning Residential Programs
The residential CEEF programs administered by Northeast Utilities have also won awards and garnered national attention, including an ACEEE “Honorable Mention” for the Home Energy Solutions Program, and an “Exemplary Program” award with NEEP (as one of its sponsors) for the Northeast ENERGY STAR® Lighting and Appliance Initiative. Home Energy Solutions provides NU’s residential customers with a free or low-cost home energy assessment, along with compact fluorescent light bulbs, draft sealing, insulation rebates, ENERGY STAR appliance rebates, and water conservation measures.
The Weatherization Residential Assistance Partnership (WRAP) Program helps low income Connecticut residents improve their energy efficiency and lower their costs by providing free weather-stripping, insulation and draft prevention, in addition to lighting, appliance, and water-conservation measures, if necessary. This important program, administered by CL&P, is growing every year, with approximately 11,000 households served during 2007.
In addition to the programs already described, Northeast Utilities’ Conservation & Load Management Department provides and participates in a host of energy-efficiency events and services including technical training seminars, trade and home shows, lighting fairs, lectures, panel discussions, and energy-efficiency education through the award-winning EE Smarts program.
“At NU, we've always been committed to delivering energy to our customers. Ever since the 1973 fuel crisis, we've also been active proponents of energy efficiency", says Michael Ahern, Northeast Utilities’ Vice President of Utility Services. “As stewards of the environment, efficient use of precious resources has to be a priority. All of us share the goal of leaving the best possible world to our children, neighbors and community.”
For more information, please visit the Northeast Utilities Web site at http://www.nu.com. or the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund site at http://www.CTEnergyInfo.com.
