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Best places to learn about energy efficiency

Sept. 6, 2012

By Elisa Wood September 5, 2012 Companies often email me asking for good sources of information about the energy efficiency business. These emails are coming more and more frequently as this industry continues to grow. Many of the emails come from newcomers trying to break into the field with a new product or service. They include information technology companies, […]

Elisa Wood

By Elisa Wood
September 5, 2012

Companies often email me asking for good sources of information about the energy efficiency business. These emails are coming more and more frequently as this industry continues to grow.

Many of the emails come from newcomers trying to break into the field with a new product or service. They include information technology companies, engineers, manufacturers, mom & pops, insurance firms, consultants, educators, students, conference planners, builders, solar installers, architects, researchers and the like.

So this blog is for them. Here is a listing of some of the sites that I frequent as I track the energy efficiency industry for the Energy Efficiency Markets blog. I can’t fit all here that I read, and I know I’m forgetting some important ones. My apologies in advance! If you spot any you would include, please add them in the comments section.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Energy policy, research, state programs and rankings, combined heat and power, conferences, advocacy and analysis.
The Alliance to Save Energy: Advocates in Washington, D.C. on behalf of energy efficiency, but international in scope. Papers, conferences, free newsletter.
US Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy: Policy, consumer and business information, funding, new technologies, data analysis, maps, and a lot more. A meaty site, although obviously with a DOE promotional slant. Free newsletter.
Consortium of Energy Efficiency: Information for energy efficiency program administrators in the US and Canada. Produces an annual report on the state of the efficiency program industry.
The Association of Energy Service Professionals: Conferences, information, networking. Member-based site provides data base of energy efficiency proceedings before state government agencies.
ASHRAE: Advocates on behalf of the heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration industry with an emphasis on sustainability. Provides information on standards, research, technology, education, certification and government policy and regulation.
US Green Building Council: Developer of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system for buildings.
International District Energy Association: Advocate for district energy and combined heat and power, conferences, policy news, case studies, maps, community development guide.
US Clean Heat & Power Association: Advocate for combined heat and power and waste heat recovery in Washington, DC. Offers conferences, policy and market information and education.
US EPA’s Combined Heat and Power Partnership: Information on CHP, funding sources, markets, case studies.
National Association of Energy Service Companies: Advocacy for energy service companies. Provides market analysis, policy information, news, case studies, free newsletter, position papers.
Energy Star: A joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. Manages the Energy Star labeling program for appliances and other products.
Building Performance Institute: BPI develops standards for energy efficiency retrofit work and provides certification.
The Institute for Market Transformation: Promotes energy efficiency, green building and environmental protection with an eye toward identifying and improving market failures.

Several state and regional organizations also provide good information: the California Energy Efficiency Industry Council, Environment Northeast, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, Texas is Hot and several others.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention RealEnergyWriters.com’s free newsletter Energy Efficiency Markets. We publish weekly and include this blog, a podcast by Lisa Cohn, aggregated news, many requests for proposals, upcoming events and member news.

Elisa Wood is a long-time energy writer whose work can be found at RealEnergyWriters.com

About the Author

Elisa Wood | Editor-in-Chief

Elisa Wood is an award-winning writer and editor who specializes in the energy industry. She is chief editor and co-founder of Microgrid Knowledge and serves as co-host of the publication’s popular conference series. She also co-founded RealEnergyWriters.com, where she continues to lead a team of energy writers who produce content for energy companies and advocacy organizations.

She has been writing about energy for more than two decades and is published widely. Her work can be found in prominent energy business journals as well as mainstream publications. She has been quoted by NPR, the Wall Street Journal and other notable media outlets.

“For an especially readable voice in the industry, the most consistent interpreter across these years has been the energy journalist Elisa Wood, whose Microgrid Knowledge (and conference) has aggregated more stories better than any other feed of its time,” wrote Malcolm McCullough, in the book, Downtime on the Microgrid, published by MIT Press in 2020.

Twitter: @ElisaWood

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