Market Transformation Portfolio
NEEA creates the market conditions needed to accelerate and sustain the adoption of emerging energy efficiency products, services and practices over the long term.
A Disciplined Approach to Getting Results
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is an alliance of more than 140 utilities and energy efficiency organizations working on behalf of more than 14.5 million energy consumers to increase the adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices. NEEA leverages the collective market power of the region and its nearly 30 years of Market Transformation experience to create lasting market change to ensure businesses and consumers have the solutions they need.
To do this, NEEA manages a diversified portfolio of Market Transformation initiatives. For each initiative, NEEA identifies market barriers or opportunities and works with decision-makers throughout the supply chain to address them. This work gives Northwest customers better access to efficient and affordable products. It also provides market actors with opportunities for skills training and job creation or new business models.
NEEA’s Current Portfolio of Market Transformation Programs
NEEA’s programs work to strategically intervene in the market to remove barriers to adoption, delivering permanent market change and verified energy savings.
Advanced Heat Pumps
This program aims to improve heat pump efficiency by promoting advanced features and ratings in residential variable speed heat pumps across the Northwest. Key activities include collaborating with manufacturers on product development, training, specifications and standards to ensure necessary innovations and quality standards are integrated into the products. NEEA’s ultimate goal is to increase the average installed efficiency and peak savings of residential heat pump systems in the region.
Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWH)
Since 2011, NEEA has worked to transform the water heating market by addressing key barriers to the adoption of heat pump water heaters for emergency and planned replacements in single-family homes. NEEA is working to ensure that products are available that meet the needs of all consumers in the Northwest, including those in cold climates, homes with challenging installation locations and across all income levels.
Retail Product Portfolio (RPP)
In its RPP program, NEEA brings together utilities and national retailers to increase the availability of energy-efficient products to American consumers. The program, which is offered nationally, represents 31% of U.S. households. More than 300 retail locations throughout the Northwest participate in the program. Participating retail locations receive incentives to preferentially stock and sell energy-efficient products, which sends a signal to manufacturers about the demand for these products. By working directly with these national retailers and manufacturers, the alliance is able to transform the retail efficiency landscape to create opportunities that directly benefit consumers in the Northwest, making sure that they can purchase efficient products that meet their needs.
Advanced Commercial Water Heating
This program focuses on accelerating technical advancements and the market availability of advanced commercial water heating systems, including commercial gas heat pumps, in the commercial and multifamily sectors. NEEA is conducting product testing, product validation and market research to learn more about gas heat pump technology, other advanced efficient system configurations, and market conditions that will support affordable, efficient options for saving energy while providing reliable hot water.
Efficient Fans
This program focuses on motor-driven fan systems (fan, motor, drive) that are not part of other products and equipment. While fans are a proven technology, energy efficiency is only one of several considerations for engineers and specifiers when selecting fan products. NEEA is working to address barriers to significantly improve the efficiency of fan systems installed in the Northwest, focusing on working with manufacturers and their representatives who sell fans with a Fan Energy Index (FEI) rating certified by the Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA).
Efficient Rooftop Units (RTU)
Gas-fired packaged rooftop units, or RTUs, are particularly prevalent in low rise commercial buildings, and condition approximately 35% of gas-heated commercial floor area in the Northwest. NEEA’s Efficient RTU program aims to increase the efficiency of RTUs installed in the Northwest, to deliver efficiency and cost savings for natural gas customers.
Extended Motor Products (XMP) – Pumps
This program works to transform the pumps and circulators market toward high efficiency systems. Clean water pumps are abundant in commercial and industrial building environments. Recent technological advancements provide the Northwest with a unique opportunity to transform the pumps and circulators market, resulting in up to a 60% improvement in energy efficiency from pumps and circulators installed in the region.
High-Performance HVAC
This program is focusing on Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems (DOAS), which separate heating and cooling from the ventilation, resulting in more comfortable buildings that are more affordable to heat and cool. These systems save energy in new and existing small and medium commercial buildings while providing better indoor air quality and greater occupant comfort.
Luminaire Level Lighting Controls (LLLC)
This program seeks to remove market barriers so that installing LLLC systems becomes standard practice for commercial buildings across the Northwest. LLLC combine LEDs, controls, connectivity, and data to create a lighting product that is efficient, easy to install and offers improved occupant comfort and space utilization. NEEA is working with its partners to accelerate market adoption of LLLC technology by developing best practice specifications and increasing market awareness of the benefits of LLLC in retrofit applications.
Specially Funded Projects:
In addition to NEEA’s energy efficiency Market Transformation programs, a handful of opportunities for specially funded projects were identified in the 2025 – 2029 Business Plan. These opportunities are funded outside of NEEA’s Core Business Plan by a subset of regional funders and other stakeholders that wish to pursue them. Currently, NEEA has three specially funded programs: End Use Load Research, Commercial Whole Buildings, and End Use Load Flexibility. Learn more about NEEA’s work in these areas below.
Northwest End Use Load Research Project
Comprised of two studies – the Home Energy Metering Study and Commercial Energy Metering Study – and funded by regional electric utilities and government agencies, NEEA’s End Use Load Research project was initiated in 2017. The project aims to support the region’s understanding of electricity use, and how changes in electric appliances, heating and cooling systems, water heating, and newer electricity uses like LED lighting and electric vehicles are impacting load growth.
Commercial Whole Building Project
The Commercial Whole Building Project is creating a regional, market-based approach for utilities and efficiency programs to offer meaningful support to building owners to undertake deep energy retrofits, while creating a pipeline of efficiency projects. The project seeks to motivate the commercial building sector in a way that is widely accessible, scalable, and affordable for owners and occupants.
End Use Load Flexibility Project
With this project, NEEA seeks to catalyze innovation and Market Transformation towards a more flexible and reliable energy system. The project is focused on improving the efficiency, connectivity, and controllability of end-use devices by leveraging NEEA’s Market Transformation expertise.
The Benefits of Market Collaboration
Explore how NEEA’s work in various markets is driving energy efficiency and creating lasting change.
Lighting
NEEA works across the commercial lighting market to ensure that Northwest homes and businesses see the benefits of energy-efficient lighting technologies.
Consumer Products
NEEA’s work in the consumer products market ensures that efficient products are widely available for consumers across the Northwest and beyond.
Water Heating
NEEA’s work in the water heating market helps deliver efficient, high-performance solutions tailored for Northwest consumers that enhance everyday comfort.
Transforming the Energy Efficiency Marketplace
The alliance represents the market power of the Northwest’s more than 14.5 million consumers, working to build trust and credibility with regional and national entities.
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Success Stories
Explore how NEEA is transforming markets and driving energy efficiency across the region.
Research + Data
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