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Heat Pump and Air Conditioner Efficiency Ratings: Why Metrics Matter
This white paper examines efficiency metrics (ratings) for residential and small commercial heat pumps and explores the potential benefits and impacts of improving those metrics. It presents evidence that existing metrics are not reliable, particularly for modern, variable-speed heat pumps and air conditioners that are expected to be more efficient, but don’t always live up…
Products|Residential|Technology -
Variable Speed Heat Pump Product Assessment and Analysis
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) contracted with the Center for Energy and Environment to assess currently available centrally ducted variable speed heat pumps (VSHPs), also known as variable capacity heat pumps. The primary objective was to develop a better understanding of currently available products, pricing, performance specifications and equipment features. The research team developed…
Heating and Cooling|Integrated Systems|Products|Residential|Technology -
Variable Speed Heat Pumps – Technical Best Practices Gap Analysis
As part of the Variable Speed Heat Pump (VSHP) program, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) contracted with TRC to capture the status of best practices for VSHP installations. Research goals included 1) Capturing the current state of best practices for residential VSHP installations; 2) Identifying where gaps of knowledge exist, and; 3) Providing a…
Heating and Cooling|Products|Residential|Technology -
Energy Savings from Efficient Rooftop Units in Heating Dominated Climates
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) and Nicor Gas contracted with Cadeo Group to conduct energy modeling analysis of efficient rooftop units (RTU). This report describes the energy modeling analysis Cadeo performed to support the development of an efficient RTU initiative on behalf of NEEA and Nicor. Cadeo applied five different energy efficiency measures to…
Commercial|Commercial Buildings|Heating and Cooling|Integrated Systems|Natural Gas|Technology -
Perfect Pairings? Testing the Energy Efficiency of Matched Washer-Dryer Sets
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) contracted with Underwriters Laboratory (UL) to measure the energy use of matched pairs of washers and dryers and Kannah Consulting to analyze the collected data and develop recommendations. This new analysis builds off previous alliance research, including “Coming Clean: Revealing Real-World Efficiency of Clothes Washers,” and the 2016-2017 Residential…
Consumer Products|Natural Gas|Products|Technology -
EXP07 Value Engineering Memo and PowerPoint
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) contracted with Underwriters Laboratory (UL) to better characterize the duration and test parameters of the 2019 version of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) EXP07 load-based test procedure for heat pumps. Key objectives included establishing a baseline understanding of the 2019 EXP07 test procedure and identifying if there are potential…
Heating and Cooling|Residential|Residential Buildings|Technology -
Northwest Smart Thermostat Research Study
The Northwest Smart Thermostat Research Study was a collaboration amongst ten utility and energy efficiency organization partners along with the Northwest Power & Conservation Council and Regional Technical Forum staff members, managed by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA). The primary objective of the Northwest Smart Thermostat Research Study was to develop a method to…
Consumer Products|Heating and Cooling|Products|Regional Studies|Residential|Technology -
Variable Speed Heat Pump Smart Thermostat Findings
The Smart Thermostat Research Project is a regional collaboration of Northwest utilities, coordinated by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), that seeks to develop and verify a repeatable methodology to estimate energy savings for smart thermostats based on performance metrics. The initial investigation included a small research component to understand the potential for savings from…
Heating and Cooling|Products|Residential|Technology -
Next Step Homes Pilot Phases 2 and 3 Summary
As part of the Next Step Homes program (now known as Residential New Construction) the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) contracted with CLEAResult to conduct a summary report of activities, outcomes and lessons learned between 2013 and 2019. The activities detailed in this report occurred during NEEA’s Next Step Homes Pilot (Pilot) Phases 2 and…
Residential -
Non-Powered Damper Gas Storage Water Heater Lab Testing
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) contracted with Gas Technology Institute (GTI) to verify the rated performance of the new ENERGY STAR certified line of natural gas water heater products from A.O. Smith. Rating tests were conducted according to the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) “Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of…
Natural Gas|Residential