HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnergy Efficiency and Conservation Program 09-14-2016-EE
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program
AEA’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) program is working to achieve the State’s 15
percent by 2020 energy efficiency goal through a variety of means. Current initiatives include
USDOE’s RACEE competition, a National Governor’s Association EE Policy Retreat, the Village
Energy Efficiency Program, Commercial Building Energy Audit program, industrial audit toolkit,
statewide outreach, and technical assistance with regional and community level energy efficiency
planning and implementation.
AEA’s energy efficiency programs have an average simple payback of less than four years on
implemented efficiency measures.
Private commercial buildings
The private commercial sector represents nearly three-quarters of all non-residential buildings and a
large underserved market for energy efficiency programs in Alaska. The CBEA program will pay
for up to 100 percent of the cost of an energy audit for privately owned commercial property.
Energy audits not only provide a clear path to energy savings, they also provide energy education
and incentivize private investment in efficiency improvements. The most recent round of
Commercial Building Energy Audit (CBEA) audits was completed in December 2014; 81
reimbursements were made.
Current Status:
AEA continues to manage the State Energy Program (SEP) federal funds for Alaska, sharing
revenue 50/50 with the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC).
AEA provided technical assistance to 13 communities chosen as phase II US Department of
Energy’s Remote Alaska Communities Energy Efficiency (RACEE) communities. Technical
assistance included energy audits of non-residential and residential buildings, community and
building level energy use analysis, financial analysis for purposes of evaluating project
development options, measuring and monitoring of distribution systems for line loss, building
inventory and community planning. Phase II communities were eligible to submit applications to
receive up to a total of $3.3 million for implementation in Phase Three; applications were due
August 31, (later extended to September 6th) and DOE intends to announce awards in October at
the Alaska Federation of Natives conference. Communities that do not receive Phase Three
funding will continue to receive AEA assistance to make projects finance-ready.
AEA collaborated with the Governor’s Office to win one of four competitive grants nationwide
from the National Governor’s Association for technical assistance to convene a 1.5 day EE
policy retreat. This retreat was held on September 8th and 9th in Anchorage. Approximately 20
stakeholders from the legislature, state organizations, and the private sector participated in a
facilitated discussion of two energy efficiency policies: Property Assessed Clean Energy for
commercial buildings (PACE-C) and an Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS).
Reviewed: September 14, 2016
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program
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Community and Technical Assistance
EE&C outreach and education staff are working closely with AEA’s community assistance staff
and with regional planning contractors to provide information and technical assistance to
communities and regions interested in efficiency.
EE&C staff continue to work with Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START)
Program communities, as well as with US DOE Office of Indian Energy, presenting at project
development and finance workshops and assisting with related planning and efficiency initiatives.
Data collection and analysis
EE&C staff continue to work with the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the Department of
Community and Regional Affairs, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and Denali
Commission to ensure that data collection across programs and agencies are consistent to allow for
future analysis, program evaluation and continuous quality improvement.
Follow up with regional and community level stakeholders interested in efficiency led to the
creation of a building inventory template for communities. The purpose of the building inventory
initiative is to create a more accurate picture of the building make-up (both type and ownership) in
remote Alaska places with no property tax system to rely on.
AEA has a shared use agreement with AHFC to utilize the Alaska Retrofit Information System
database for building energy use data storage, analysis and reporting. Both AEA and AHFC
program information is displayed on the energy efficiency map Akenergyefficiencymap.org.
AEA has a MOU with the University of Alaska establishing clear lines of authority and control
over the Alaska Energy Data Gateway, a robust relational database developed by the Institute of
Social and Economic Research and used by AEA primarily for Renewable Energy Grant Fund
performance tracking and reporting.
Outreach, education and stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement is managed through the Alaska Energy Efficiency Partnership. The
Partnership has more than 70 member organizations and creates opportunity for collaboration and
synergy among statewide stakeholders. On behalf of the Partnership, AEA built and maintains a
central hub of energy efficiency information, Akenergyefficiency.org. Outreach and education
within EE&C includes a strong public education campaign that uses top-down, media driven
marketing and bottom-up, stakeholder-led local initiatives that redistribute the same messages.