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Heat pumps, strategic energy management could be next major focuses for efficiency

Codes and Standards

Heat pumps, strategic energy management could be next major focuses for efficiency

After lighting, efficiency experts look to new opportunities to boost energy efficiency.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | November 13, 2019

Courtesy Pixabay

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.

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