Portable Air Conditioners Standard Evaluation

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) contracted with Michaels Energy from December 2024 to July 2025 to assess NEEA and its partners’ influence on the federal standard for Portable Air Conditioners. The evaluation included a review of rulemaking documents and interviews with key stakeholders. 

Findings show that NEEA and its partners’ activities, including participation in public meetings and submission of written feedback on analysis conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy, addressed concerns voiced by manufacturers and influenced the outcome of the adopted standard. Additionally, Michaels Energy estimated that NEEA and its partners influenced 9.1% of the total energy savings resulting from the adopted standard.  

To support future evaluations, Michaels Energy recommended that NEEA keep detailed records of its engagement activities. They also suggested updating NEEA’s Standards Logic Model to reflect the cumulative, long-term influence of alliance efforts across multiple rulemakings.