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In recent years, policymakers, regulators, and utilities have increasingly focused on energy efficiency, resulting in both more innovative policies and programs and a significant ramp-up in energy efficiency investments. With increased resources comes increased scrutiny, which translates into a greater need to demonstrate that taxpayer and utility ratepayer dollars are being used wisely. New types of programs and policies, including energy-efficient resource standards (EERS), energy saving credits, performance based compensation, and carbon offsets, present new technical challenges related to evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) of energy savings. EM&V protocols, therefore, must be a key component of any successful energy efficiency program or policy.
The Alliance believes that to enhance the credibility and reliability of EE program savings measurement, federal and state governments, along with various stakeholders, should: 1) institute processes for EM&V design and review that incite transparent and thorough debate over EM&V methods, data and assumptions; 2) improve EM&V methods, data and assumptions; 3) increase consistency of methods and assumptions between regions and program types, 4) assure evaluation professional competency and integrity and 5) manage stakeholder expectations.
The Alliance participates in EM&V activities of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (NAPEE), Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP), North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB), and other forums. The Alliance’s activities in this important area will intensify in 2010.
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