As federal standards for lighting improve, utilities and program administrators are looking for new areas of focus for energy efficiency gains.
At a recent Energy Efficiency as a Resource conference sponsored by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, leaders from regional energy efficiency organizations or REEOs said the answers will include heat pumps for space and water heating, strategic energy management programs, and industrial energy efficiency. High-efficiency heat pumps powered by clean electricity present a compelling and cost-effective opportunity in the residential market, participants said.
In the industrial and commercial sectors, strategic energy management (SEM) programs that give organizations a structure and methodology to identify and implement projects and maintain practices that save energy have much promise.
Participants all noted the importance of delivering programs that serve all customers, regardless of income or location. They cited the value of targeting programs to customers with the highest energy burdens, often located in rural areas or underserved communities of color.
Related Stories
| Nov 29, 2012
New York contractors say they will pay tax despite a court ruling that the tax is unconstitutional
The New York Building Congress says it will voluntarily pay a tax declared unconstitutional by the courts because, it says, the money is vital to maintaining the city’s transportation infrastructure.
| Nov 29, 2012
Storms like Sandy highlight the need for stricter codes, says insurance expert
Experts on insurance, weather, and catastrophe modeling say the role of climate change in Hurricane Sandy and future storms is unclear.
| Nov 29, 2012
Quake simulation to test concrete building's strength in California
Researchers aim to gauge how buildings constructed with reinforced concrete withstand an earthquake by conducting a simulation test at a two-story building built in the 1920s in El Centro, Calif.
| Nov 29, 2012
AGC offers stormwater compliance webinar
An effective document management system is necessary to stay in compliance with new and forthcoming stormwater runoff requirements, says the Associated General Contractors of America.
| Nov 29, 2012
Government policies help accelerate adoption of green building
Green procurement policies or green building mandates can help accelerate the adoption of green building practices, according to research by Timothy Simcoe and Michael Toffel.
| Nov 26, 2012
Minnesota law to spur development, job creation produced few jobs
Legislation that allowed local governments to direct excess property tax dollars from tax-increment financing districts into other private developments was supposed to kick-start construction hiring in Minnesota.
| Nov 26, 2012
How to boost resilient systems that are sustainable
Cities of the future can be both more resilient and more sustainable by promoting strategies that include solar power and green roofs, programs that minimize demand for energy, rain gardens, and permeable pavement.
| Nov 26, 2012
Developer of nation’s first LEED platinum skyscraper focuses on carbon reduction
The Durst Organization, the developer of the first LEED platinum certified skyscraper in the country, says it will not seek LEED certification for its residential pyramid planned for New York’s West 57th Street.
| Nov 26, 2012
Questions linger over ability of Miami's newer high-rises to withstand hurricanes
Some towers in Miami, rebuilt after a hurricane in 2005, were allowed to be constructed under older building codes instead of newer ones created after Hurricane Wilma.
