News & Events
Still the One: New Study Finds Efficiency Remains a Cost-Effective Electricity Resource
Energy efficiency continues to be a low-cost way to meet electricity needs, according to a new study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
New Resource for Local Governments on Roles and Risks in Financing Energy Upgrades for Commercial Buildings Using C-PACE Financing
Nearly three-fourths of U.S. states have authorized local governments to use a voluntary special assessment on commercial property tax bills to help finance energy improvements that may boost economic development, create jobs, increase property values and advance energy goals. “Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy,” or “C-PACE,” financing allows building owners to repay the borrowed capital — from private or public sources — over time using their property as security.
New study estimates impacts of a novel private financing approach on solar adoption for California homes
A new study by Berkeley Lab found that residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (R-PACE) programs increased deployment of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in California, raising it by about 7-12% in cities that adopt these programs.
New Report Showcases Pathways to Launching Commercial "PACE" Financing
Nonresidential buildings are responsible for over a quarter of primary energy consumption in the United States. Efficiency improvements in these buildings could result in significant energy and utility bill savings. To unlock those potential savings, a number of market barriers to energy efficiency must be addressed.
New Report Explores Financing as a Tool to Increase Energy Efficiency in Housing for Low- and Moderate-Income Households
Energy Efficiency Financing for Low- and Moderate-Income Households: Current State of the Market, Issues and Opportunities, a report by Berkeley Lab released today by the State and Local Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network, explores the challenges and potential solutions for ramping up adoption of energy efficiency by low- and moderate-income households.
Webinar: Benchmarking Progress: Examining the Effectiveness of Benchmarking and Transparency Programs
On July 31, 2017, Natalie Mims and Steven Schiller will present on a free public webinar Berkeley Lab's recent report, Evaluation of U.S. Building Energy Benchmarking and Transparency Programs: Attributes, Impacts, and Best Practices. The report focuses on the 24 state and local jurisdictions that (as of Dec.
How should energy efficiency financing programs be assessed?
In a technical brief released today, Berkeley Lab examines criteria for a comparative assessment of multiple financing programs for energy efficiency, developed through a statewide public process in California.
Webinar: State Performance-Based Regulation Using Multiyear Rate Plans for U.S. Electric Utilities
New report and webinar on performance-based regulation focuses on multiyear rate plan approach.
Webinar: It's a matter of time: The value of five electric efficiency measures for meeting peak power needs
Berkeley Lab presents a free webinar on July 10, 2017, to discuss a new report, Time-varying value of electric energy efficiency.
New report paves the way for better understanding and potential gains for energy efficiency financing
More than 200 energy efficiency loan programs in 49 states are administered by utilities, state/local government agencies, or private lenders. This distributed model for efficiency financing has led to significant variation in program design and implementation practices including how data is collected and used. Inconsistencies in data definitions and collection pose challenges for consolidating and aggregating data across programs. These inconsistencies curb opportunities for increasing efficiency as an energy resource.
New LBNL Policy Brief Provides Insight on New Sources of EE Financing Capital in the Pacific Northwest
Can financing deliver significant private capital and rapid growth in home energy efficiency improvements? A key element may be attracting secondary-market investors to buy the efficiency loans and thereby replenish funds for a new round of lending. A new policy brief from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, led by efficiency financing expert Peter Thompson, details how two creative financing entities crafted a ground-breaking deal with several novel features that may offer valuable lessons for future efficiency financing transactions.
Webinar: Exploring the Rationales and Design Options for Energy Efficiency Financing Programs
A new LBNL technical report provides an overview of the fundamentals of EE financing program planning and design, and provides tools for deciding the objectives and mechanics of EE initiatives.
Financing Energy Upgrades for K-12 School Districts
Energy costs K-12 schools in the U.S. $6 billion dollars annually. Spending less money on energy costs would leave more for funding-constrained school districts to spend on educating their students, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Merrian Borgeson and Mark Zimring, in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD), have released a guide on planning and financing comprehensive energy upgrades that involve multiple measures and are targeted toward achieving significant and persistent energy savings in schools.
The Limits of Financing for Energy Efficiency
EMP researchers sounding a cautionary note on banking on financing alone to accelerate energy efficiency. Their report shows that financing can, in some cases, increase the leverage of public dollars. In most cases, however, it is not able to drive demand to the same degree as direct incentives like rebates and so cannot be expected to replace other incentives in the current marketplace.