03/11/20 ~ Mikelann Scerbo, Manager, Research, Alliance to Save Energy 

Leaders Of Active Efficiency Collaborative Plot A Course At Inaugural Meeting

The Active Efficiency Collaborative has set out to modernize energy efficiency to lay the foundation for a more integrated and time-dependent energy system. On March 6, the Active Efficiency Steering Committee hosted its inaugural meeting and set the tone for cross-sector coordination and mutual support for Collaborative members.

What is Active Efficiency again?

The Steering Committee defines Active Efficiency as “the combination of technologies, practices, and policies that enable the optimized use of energy.” That means all opportunities to optimize energy use are fair game to tackle in the Collaborative. In fact, Steering Committee members often weave digitalization, beneficial electrification, and distributed energy resources into the conversation on energy optimization. Active Efficiency takes a bigger view of what efficiency means to let us not only support component-level technologies –efficient refrigerators, insulation, electric vehicles – but also push for:

• More time-dependent strategies, e.g. demand response
• Greater integration, e.g. advanced sensors and controls
• Benefits beyond energy savings, including resilience, health, decarbonization

The Players (Efficiently) Driving the Collaborative

The Collaborative includes electric utilities, energy service companies, policymakers, advocacy groups, and technology providers. The common ground across all players is a commitment to use energy efficiency as the first tool to decarbonize and optimize energy consumption. While digitalization charges ahead, the Collaborative aims to wield energy efficiency as a guiding light in an era when you can buy more and more connected devices, ranging from water filters and ovens to mirrors and virtual assistants. And while global pledges toward decarbonization are on the rise, the Collaborative is a sobering voice reminding us that energy efficiency remains a major and necessary lever to reduce emissions.

Steering Committee members are key leaders of the Collaborative and will build guideposts for the Active Efficiency framework while also championing policies and programs that support Active Efficiency. Under the umbrella of the Steering Committee, several Working Teams take the helm to deliver project proposals that push Active Efficiency forward:

• The Scoping Team is identifying opportunities to adjust existing policies and programs, and to stimulate markets, to enable Active Efficiency.
• The Utility-ESCO Team is exploring frameworks for markets and regulations that can bring better energy services to more customers.
• The Marketing/Branding Team is establishing a campaign to communicate the Collaborative’s insights to help deploy its recommendations as they develop.

Working together to drive Active Efficiency, the Collaborative is coordinating cross-sector stakeholders to envision an energy system that is more integrated, dynamic, and decarbonized. To learn more about the Collaborative, please reach out to activecollab@ase.org.