#EEDay2016: Synapse Celebrates the Inaugural Energy Efficiency Day

The inaugural Energy Efficiency Day has arrived! During this collaborative celebration, we’re highlighting the energy efficiency work happening at Synapse. Below are a few samples of our recent and ongoing efficiency projects. Follow #EEDay2016 on Twitter to learn more about the energy efficiency efforts of a wide range of organizations, companies, and individuals across the country.  

Advising Development of the National Energy Efficiency Registry

As generally the least-cost way for states to reduce emissions, energy efficiency can play a major role in helping states meet existing and future state and federal environmental requirements. Since April 2016, Synapse has been participating in the National Energy Efficiency Registry Steering/Advisory Committee to develop NEER’s principles and operating rules, which will ultimately describe the functionality that the NEER will provide. Currently under development, the NEER is a national, web-based platform that will allow states to transparently track energy efficiency. The NEER will:

  • Provide a robust and consistent framework for including energy efficiency as an eligible resource in federal and state plans
  • Demonstrate the eligibility of energy efficiency for state, multi-state, or federal initiatives and standards
  • Document the measurement and verification of efficiency projects
  • Facilitate interstate and intrastate trading of energy efficiency attributes

For more information, contact Alice Napoleon at anapoleon@synapse-energy.com.

Renewable Thermal Technology

As technology advances, Synapse stays on the frontline of modeling and data analysis. Our energy efficiency team provides analysis of the fuel shift, economic, jobs, emissions, and rate impacts of cutting-edge renewable thermal technology. Our recent work includes:

  • Advising a market development strategy for Rhode Island to drive increased adoption of renewable heating and cooling technologies
  • Modeling the net economic costs and benefits and rate and bill impacts of policy options for promoting renewable energy thermal systems in Rhode Island
  • Investigating the costs, benefits, and potential of various renewable energy thermal systems in New York 

Synapse also conducted an analysis of the impacts of cold climate heat pumps for 11 U.S. cities with varied climates. We presented our findings at the 7th International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting—you can read them here.

Want to learn more? Email Kenji Takahashi at ktakahashi@synapse-energy.com.

Energy Bill Impacts

Synapse reviewed South Carolina Gas & Electric’s (SCE&G) energy efficiency efforts to date and made recommendations for expanding programs in order to provide all customers with opportunities to lower their bills. SCE&G recently proposed a plan that scales back its energy efficiency programs significantly. Synapse proposed and analyzed an alternative energy future in which SCE&G expands its residential programs to a level many leading utilities and states have already achieved or surpassed—an annual savings level equal to 1.5 percent of retails sales.

Synapse found that with appropriately aggressive energy efficiency programs under the Alternative Case, sufficient programs and funding could exist for all SCE&G ratepayers to experience the benefits of participating in energy efficiency programs by early 2024. The average long-term energy bill savings due to the expanded programs would be 1.6 percent for all residential customers. While not every customer will be interested in deploying cost-effective energy efficiency, every single ratepayer will have the opportunity to reduce their bills by 2024 if SCE&G follows the Alternative Case. In contrast, the company’s Base Case affords far fewer customers the opportunity to reduce electricity expenditures in the current environment of rising rates.

Contact Kenji Takahashi at ktakahashi@synapse-energy.com for more information.