Southeast Region-Wide Energy Efficiency Programs Deliver Millions in Savings
'Snapshot Reports' Demonstrate Benefits to the Southeast’s Environment and Economy
Atlanta, Georgia (Aug. 27, 2012) – The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) today released 20 “snapshot reports” highlighting the successes of sub-grantee energy efficiency programs in cities across the region. Combined, these local initiatives have saved more than 10,459,777 kWh of energy and $1,155,968 in utility bill costs since 2011.
Financing for SEEA’s network of retrofit programs was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Neighborhood Program (BBP). SEEA supports BBP initiatives in 15 cities aimed at developing and incubating community-based energy efficiency programs. SEEA’s consortium is the fourth most productive of the 40 BBP grant recipients in the country, behind only Boulder County, Colo.; New York; and Maine.
“One city at a time, these programs are redefining how our region views energy efficiency,” said SEEA’s Director of Programs and Services Eileen Nebhut. “As our snapshot reports show, saving energy creates value for our region; it reduces utility bills, improves the health and productivity of building occupants, provides jobs for qualified contractors, and ultimately helps to protect our natural environment.”
The snapshot reports provide a summary of city-level and aggregate audit and retrofit completion numbers, target goals, and average energy and cost savings. In addition, they outline the types and percent breakdown of installed measures – from insulation and air sealing to appliance replacement and equipment tune-ups. As detailed in the reports, each program has produced impressive results to date. Combined, they have saved the equivalent of:
- The annual greenhouse gas emissions from 2,217 passenger vehicles
- The carbon sequestered by 289,974 tree seedlings grown for 10 years
- The annual CO2 emissions from 1,410 homes’ electricity consumption
Cities participating in the SEEA consortium include Arlington, Va.; Atlanta, GA; Blacksburg, Va.; Carrboro, N.C.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Charlottesville, Va.; Decatur, Ga.; Hampton Roads, Va.; Huntsville, Ala.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans, La.; Richmond, Va.; and Roanoke, Va.
“As our network of energy efficiency programs continues to evolve, it lays the groundwork for fundamental market transformation in the Southeast,” said Michael Mills, President of SEEA. “We congratulate our partner cities on the success they have achieved to date, and on the regional capacity they’ve built to sustain a robust energy efficiency industry in the years ahead.”
Visit www.seealliance.org/snapshot-reports.html to view each of the individual and program-level reports.
About the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
SEEA is the independent champion driving market transformation in the Southeast’s energy efficiency sector through collaborative public policy, thought leadership, and programs, services and technical advisory activities. Visit us online at www.seealliance.org.
About the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program
The Better Buildings Neighborhood Program is part of a national Better Buildings initiative led by the U.S. Energy Department that is improving comfort, decreasing costs and supporting the energy improvement workforce by transforming the marketplace for energy efficiency upgrades in homes, businesses and institutions. Better Buildings has provided seed funding to 40-plus energy efficiency programs across the country that are helping consumers and businesses reduce their energy use, save money, and support the local energy improvement workforce. Learn more at betterbuildings.energy.gov/neighborhoods.
SEEA Media Contact
- Abby Schwimmer: (404) 602-9665, aschwimmer@seealliance.org
