ACEEE Buildings Program Description

ACEEE is recognized for leadership in building, appliance, and equipment efficiency. We have played an instrumental role in establishing and improving national efficiency standards for appliances, lighting products, motors, commercial HVAC and refrigeration equipment, transformers, and plumbing fixtures. These standards save consumers tens of billions of dollars while reducing pollutant emissions and avoiding the need for dozens of new power plants. ACEEE continues to advocate cost-effective new standards for products. We also administer a collaborative effort known as the Appliance Standards Awareness Project.

ACEEE develops and evaluates voluntary and mandatory energy labeling programs. We provide input to the EPA/DOE ENERGY STAR^® program on many new and existing program targets. We recently evaluated the Federal Trade Commission's EnergyGuide appliance label and are advocating improvements based on our findings.

We work to make building energy codes more stringent. We advocate code upgrades at the state level through the Building Codes Assistance Project, promote strategies for improving energy code compliance and implementation, and work on voluntary programs to promote higher efficiency levels than codes require.

We support emerging technologies and practices through expanded research and development efforts, and development of market transformation programs. In recent years, we have assisted market-building efforts for a wide range of innovative products including high-efficiency refrigerators, clothes washers, furnace fans, consumer electronics, light-emitting diode (LED) traffic signals, distribution transformers, and commercial refrigeration systems. We also focus on improving efficiency through system integration including work on home and commercial building performance and retrofits, and work to understand and influence decision-making.

ACEEE also publishes consumer guides, including our popular Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings and the Online Guide to Energy-Efficient Commercial Equipment.

Other Selected Publications:

• Leading the Way: Continued Opportunities for New State Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards (2006)
• Emerging Energy-Saving Technologies and Practices for the Buildings Sector as of 2004 (2004)
• Retrocommissioning: Program Strategies to Capture Energy Savings in Existing Buildings (2003)
• Saving Energy with Efficient Residential Furnace Air Handlers: A Status Report and Program Recommendations (2003)
• Opportunities for New Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards: Energy and Economic Savings beyond Current Standards Programs. (667KB) (2001)

>>> All Buildings Program reports and filings

For more information contact:
Harvey Sachs, Senior Fellow
Jennifer Amann, Program Director
Amanda Korane, Research Staff
Jacob Tablot, Research Staff