CEE Gas Opportunities | CEE—Consortium for Energy Efficiency

Members work together at CEE to address the energy savings available through efficient natural gas end uses. Savings opportunities cut across CEE work areas and encompass both traditional, incentivized specification approaches, such as those addressed by the CEE^SM Commercial Kitchens Initiative, and comprehensive energy savings at the building or system level, such as the CEE^SM 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 CEE^SM 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 Existing Homes Working Group approaches existing homes as a collection of interacting systems. The Consortium seeks to reduce energy consumed, both gas and electricity, while increasing health and safety by creating cross-disciplinary understanding of the fundamentals of systems in the home.	CEE Whole Building Performance looks at ways to save gas and electricity in commercial buildings through benchmarking, operations in existing buildings, and consideration of national energy management and information system (EMIS). EMIS specifications enable effective implementation of whole building energy efficiency programs.
The Super Efficient Home Appliance (SEHA) Committee and Initiative support specifications for clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators and room air conditioners. Residential gas efficiency program managers are encouraged to participate 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.
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.	In light of increased member interest in gas savings in commercial heating applications, the Gas PAC Exploration group developed a Commercial Gas PAC Market Characterization and Technology Guide. This resource defines the elements that characterize successful technical applications aimed at driving uptake and broader market transformation.
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 CEE^SM Natural Gas 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 are working 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.