Members come together at CEE to support shared objectives of accelerating the adoption of highly-efficient natural gas equipment, emerging technologies such as gas heat pumps, accounting for non-energy impacts such as greenhouse gases, and continuing to provide cost-effective services that ensure customer comfort and equitable access. Opportunities cut across CEE work areas and encompass both traditional, incentivized specification approaches, such as those addressed by the CEESM Commercial Kitchens Initiative, and comprehensive energy savings at the building or system level, such as the CEESM Commercial Boiler Systems Initiative. Please note that many of the links below require CEE membership for access to the CEE Forum.
The Gas Portfolio Managers Working Group allows senior managers to share experiences in designing, managing, and evaluating a portfolio of gas efficiency programs in order to meet organizational needs and regulatory requirements. The opportunity for peers to discuss challenges and considerations unique to gas administrators leads to assessment of emerging technologies, many passed along from the CEE Emerging Technologies Collaborative. The portfolio managers combine their experience and insight to review opportunities such as gas heat pumps, low load furnaces, and combination heat and hot water systems.
The CEESM Residential New Construction Initiative rationalizes efficiency measures for new construction using the ResNET HERS index as a backbone. It also incorporates programs from EPA and DOE along with climate considerations.
The Industrial Program Planning Committee identifies and assesses industrial savings opportunities for future development, including gas opportunities such as CHP. The Committee explores program designs, such as energy management, and DOE and EPA industrial programs.
The Super Efficient Home Appliance (SEHA) Initiative support specifications for clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and room air conditioners. Residential gas efficiency program managers are essential participants in discussions of clothes washer, clothes dryer, and dishwasher efficiency.
The Commercial Gas Boiler Systems Committee and Initiative advance efficiency program efforts to increase market penetration of highly efficient boiler technologies and efficient system operation and maintenance practices. This includes evaluating the impact of dual-fuel systems and future green hydrogen or RNG fuel mixtures.
Efficiency in Residential Space Heating and Cooling Systems at CEE is supported through specifications for gas furnaces and gas boilers, as well as central air conditioners and heat pumps. Residential systems benefit from consistent quality installation and maintenance messaging for optimal performance. This committee is also home to the communicating thermostats exploration.
CEE supports an Initiative for highly efficient gas storage and tankless water heaters. In addition to specifications, this Committee has discussed ways to promote stocking highly efficient models in stores and "on the truck."
The Commercial Kitchens Committee and Initiative establishes a program platform for electric, gas, and water efficiency by maintaining specifications for ice machines, convection ovens, steamers, and other equipment, by promoting the ENERGY STAR® platform, and by exploring demand control ventilation.
While the CEESM Commercial Water Heating Initiative provides a basis for savings opportunities across commercially rated gas tankless and storage water heaters, the Committee is engaged in developing specific market strategies for certain high use commercial water heating applications, with a particular emphasis on commercial food service and commercial laundries.
As part of a Steam System Investigation, CEE members worked with industry to establish measurement and assessment criteria informing a steam system audit to screen for effective interventions and capture real-world conditions in complex systems. This goal enables members to demonstrate program impacts with regulators and other stakeholders, as well as overcome program limitations for support of routine maintenance measures.
Another investigation into Agricultural Gas brought about a revised Commercial Greenhouse Market Characterization and Technology Guide to effectively design and implement voluntary programs for agricultural customers. Based on industry comment and feedback, the Guide identifies savings opportunities and market considerations specific to greenhouses, providing the groundwork for a binational approach to successfully drive market transformation.