Energy Efficiency

Technologies (including passive solar), products, and services that reduce the amount of energy required for buildings, processes, or tasks.

Examples of Energy Efficiency May Include:

Efficient lighting technologies or HVAC systems

Lighting and HVAC systems that can meet the same lighting or heating/cooling needs with less energy than previous systems.

ENERGY STAR®, LEED®, or EarthCraft builders

Standards for building construction and/or energy and water usage developed by organizations interested in reducing the environmental impact of buildings.

Energy conservation to reduce energy consumption

Technologies and processes implemented to lower the amount of energy used. For example, occupancy sensor technology can turn off lighting, HVAC, and electronics in unoccupied rooms.

Developers of more efficient manufacturing processes

Methods which reduce energy use during the manufacturing of various products. For example, reorganizing production lines or simplifying tasks for factory workers.

Other Energy Efficiency Resources:

The Stats on EVs in North Carolina:

88,001

Energy Efficient Jobs

1,733

ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings & Plants

2,799

LEED Certified Buildings

20,000+

The energy efficiency industry in North Carolina was responsible for OVER $6.3 billion in revenue

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1,491

North Carolina has 30.9 million megawatt hours (MWh) of potential energy savings through 2035

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Energy Efficiency at NCSEA:

NCSEA views energy efficiency as a least-cost clean energy option and should be the primary strategy pursued before equipping buildings with other clean energy technologies. Energy efficiency can reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, providing benefits to occupants such as lower bills and healthier building environments.

 

We help vulnerable populations improve standards of living through energy efficiency.

 

Energy efficiency, if designed with inclusivity in mind, can provide a spectrum of benefits to low-to-moderate income (LMI) residents, the community and the environment. These benefits include reduced energy bills, increased local economic development, and improved community resiliency.

Our collaboration with NC Weatherization Assistance Program (NCWAP):

The Pay As You Save® model

We collaborate with nonprofits, utilities, and government agencies:

Combining our efforts with state and regional partners allows us to be more impactful, particularly for work with statewide implications such as intervening at the NC Utilities Commission and implementing recommendations from the NC Clean Energy Plan.

Duke Collaborative—NCSEA is a key partner of this group that consists of clean energy advocates throughout North Carolina and South Carolina who work with Duke Energy Progress (DEP) and Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) to make recommendations on existing and new customer energy efficiency programs.

We build up the high-performance building industry in North Carolina:

NCSEA has an active role in the NC Building Code Council (BCC) committee, and we educate policymakers about the value of improved codes and standards. This must be done as policymakers are under constant pressure from home builders and others to reduce or eliminate energy codes as a short-sighted effort to reduce construction costs.