Working as a collaboration of utilities, efficiency organizations, and other strategic market partners to advance innovation, the alliance operates a portfolio of market transformation programs. Within each product group in the portfolio, the alliance develops and implements programs, emerging technologies and enabling infrastructure activities with the potential to deliver significant energy savings opportunities for the region.
Gas heat pumps offer efficiency and decarbonization benefits to multifamily and commercial buildings with existing natural gas central water heating systems. NEEA will leverage its existing relationships to improve product specifications, guidelines and design practices that encourage wide adoption of these products by designers, installers, and building operators.
The Advanced Heat Pump Program, formerly the Variable Speed Heat Pump program, aims to identify and drive adoption of product features, capabilities and ratings that will deliver higher efficiency in all residential two-stage and variable speed heat pumps installed in the Northwest.
The Efficient Fans program works upstream with manufacturers to produce and promote efficient fan systems. Adoption of more efficient fan products in the commercial and industrial sectors could bring the region 176 aMW in estimated energy savings. Information collected throughout the program may be used to inform new codes and standards set by both industry associations and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Efficient Rooftop Unit (RTU) program works to increase the efficiency of RTUs through product differentiation and increased Federal Standards. Motivated by emerging opportunities from evolving test procedures, the Efficient RTU program transitioned from an exclusive focus on condensing rooftop units (C-RTUs) to a broader rooftop unit approach in 2020. Updated modeling demonstrates a significant energy-saving potential among Efficient RTUs through low-cost efficiency measures, offering a strong opportunity to differentiate these products in the market.
Accelerates the adoption of more efficient motor driven products, such as pumps, fans, and compressors in end markets with significant savings potential.
Fifty-five percent of Northwest homes have electric water heaters. The alliance is increasing availability of high-efficiency heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) specifically designed for the Northern climate, with a goal of influencing the passage of a federal standard requiring HPWHs for all electric storage tanks greater than 45 gallons by 2025.
The High-Performance HVAC program is a recent addition to NEEA’s portfolio, and will focus on Very High Efficiency Dedicated Outside Air Systems (VHE DOAS) as its first technology. Building on the DOAS concept of separating the ventilation from the heating and cooling system, VHE DOAS includes heat recovery ventilation and focuses on increased equipment efficiency and optimized system design. This combination yields significant whole building energy savings in new and existing small and medium commercial buildings while providing better indoor air quality and greater occupant comfort.
High-Performance Windows is a dual-fuel program in the alliance's portfolio that aims to accelerate the adoption of high performing windows that reach 0.22 U value, or lower. Motivated by national interest in the products, the program is focusing on increasing builder demand, influencing leading manufacturers to scale production and advancing the ENERGY STAR criteria to reach the large existing home and multifamily window replacement market.
Luminaire Level Lighting Controls (LLLC) combine LEDs, controls, connectivity, and data to create a lighting product that is both efficient and 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 LLLCs in retrofit applications.
The region is working together to demonstrate success for a new voluntary above code specification (NEEM 2.0) in the market prior to a HUD code change, providing manufacturers/retailers with the tools and resources they need to drive consumer demand.
NEEA and its partners are engaged in a “Retail Product Portfolio” initiative that uses mid-stream incentives to influence retail stocking practices, making more qualified products available on store shelves.
The region has identified the need for a set of common resources and best practices to guide businesses in strategically managing their energy. NEEA is working to address this need by developing a holistic set of tools and an online community, SEM Hub, that support utilities and the market in building market capability, awareness and demand for Strategic Energy Management (SEM).