industry acronyms
3C-REN
Tri-County Regional Energy Network
3C-REN (Tri-County Regional Energy Network) is a partnership between the Counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura established to deliver energy-saving programs and industry trainings that help reduce energy use, strengthen local job markets, and support efforts to achieve climate goals.
ACEEE
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Nonprofit research organization
Develops transformative policies to reduce energy waste & combat climate change
ACH
Air Changes Per Hour
Measurement related ventilation
Used to quantify fresh air in buildings
Determine air infiltration = how tight or leaky the building envelope is.
AESC
Avoided-Energy Supply Costs
Incremental cost to a utility of generating or purchasing electric energy or capacity, or both, in an amount equal to that purchased from the qualifying facility
AMI
Advanced Metering Infrastructure
Integrated system of smart meters, communications networks, and data management systems
Enables two-way communication between utilities and customers
ANSI
American National Standards Institute
Private non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the US voluntary standards and conformity assessment system
Identifies, develops standards-conformance-based solutions to national & global priorities
AQMD
Air Quality Management District
Defined geographical areas where air pollution levels are, or are likely to, exceed national air quality objectives
Identify and monitor where the public may be exposed to harmful air pollution over a period of time e.g. residential homes, schools etc.
ARRA
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Stimulus package enacted by Congress, signed into law by President Obama in Feb 2009
A greater increase in poverty was averted by ARRA which provided funds to create, preserve jobs, extend or expand unemployment insurance, other safety net programs
ASHP
Air-source Heat Pump
Type of heat pump that can absorb heat from outside a structure and release it inside using vapor-compression refrigeration process, in reverse
BAAQMD
Bay Area Air Quality Management District
The California Legislature created the Air District in 1955 as the first regional air pollution control agency in the country.
The Air District is tasked with regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties that surround San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties.
BayREN
Bay Area Regional Energy Network
The Bay Area Regional Energy Network is a coalition of the Bay Area’s nine counties — a network of local governments partnering to promote resource efficiency at the regional level, focusing on energy, water and greenhouse gas reduction.
BDC
Building Decarbonization Coalition
The Building Decarbonization Coalition aligns critical stakeholders on a path to transform the nation’s buildings through clean energy, using policy, research, market development and public engagement.
BPA
Building Performance Association
Member organization
Represents EE industry
Merger of HPC, HEM, EFN and BPI
BRO
Behavior, Retro Commissioning, and Operational Efficiencies
EE savings, not directly from equipment
Considers impacts of complete solutions
Much of this is related to behavior
BTU
British Thermal Unit
A measure of heat energy
Determine heating capacity or needs
Roughly equal to the heat output of one wooden match
CAEECC
California Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee
Provides a venue for stakeholders to discuss energy efficiency matters under the purview of the CPUC while ensuring transparent access to information and opportunities to get involved.
CAISO
California Independent Systems Operator
Independent grid operator
Load manager for the CA electrical grid
Predicts demand and directs resources across the 26k miles of electrical distribution lines in CA
CARB
California Air Resources Board
Regulatory body
Oversees Air Quality Districts
Responsible for protecting the public from the harmful effects of air pollution
CCA
Community Choice Aggregator
A local government entity that provides consumers an option to IOUs
Provide the public choice over their energy sources
AB 117 passed in 2002 allowing CCAs – also known as CCEs
CCE
Community Choice Energy
A local government entity that provides consumers an option to IOUs
Provide the public choice over their energy sources
AB 117 passed in 2002 allowing CCEs – also known as CCAs
CCS
Carbon Capture and Storage
Process in which stream of industrial carbon dioxide is separated, treated, transported to a long-term storage location
CDA
Comprehensive Design Approach
A unique interdisciplinary approach to housing design
Design to maximize occupants’ well-being, minimize environmental load
CEC
Clean Energy Connection
EFCA Contractor Directory
Our contractor directory allows homeowners to connect with local, vetted contractors with proven expertise and trustworthiness on clean energy and electrification projects.
CEC
California Energy Commission
State agency
Responsible for building codes and enforcement
Located in Sacramento
CFM
Cubic Feet per Minute
A measurement of flow
Quantify volume
Can be applied to liquids and gasses
CFM25
CFM @ 25 Pascals
A reference pressure measurement
Standard pressure reference for Air Duct testing
Allows you to quantify how leaky duct systems are
CFN50
CFM @ 50 Pascals
A reference pressure measurement
Standard pressure reference used for Blower Door testing
Allows you to quantify building envelope (shell) infiltration (air leaks)
CH4
Methane
Natural occurring gas
Main component of Natural Gas
GWP of 28-36
CO2
Carbon Dioxide
Natural occurring gas
Used as baseline in GHG conversations
COP
Coefficient of Performance
Ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to work required
Higher COPs equate to higher efficiency, lower energy consumption, lower operating costs
CPUC
California Public Utilities Commission
State agency
Regulatory body
Provide oversite of investor owned utilities (regulated monopolies). Main office in SF
DER
Distributed Energy Resources
Electricity production and storage from small grid connected sources
Simple term to describe non-utility produced electricity
Renewables, Wind, solar, etc
DER
Deep Energy Retrofit
Categorized as an energy conservation measure in an existing building
Leading to an overall improvement in the building performance
DERM
Distributed Energy Resource Management
Software solutions that control, coordinate a variety of DERs
DERs are energy types such as Solar, Wind, battery storage, amongst others
DOER
Department of Energy Resources
Massachusetts DOER’s mission: develop, implement policies, programs ensuring the adequacy, security, diversity, cost-effectiveness of the Commonwealth’s energy supply
To create a clean, affordable and resilient energy future for all residents, businesses, communities, institutions
DOT
U.S. Department of Transportation
Mission: Deliver world’s leading transportation system
Serving the American people and economy through the safe, efficient, sustainable, and equitable movement of people and goods
DR
Demand Response
Remote control of appliances in response to loads
Third party controls to reduce load during peak demand
A grid loss management tool. Typically controlled by a Utility to reduce loads during high demand periods
EDC
Energy Distribution Company
Responsible for getting electricity from the supplier to your home or business
They own and operate the powerlines, substations and cables that transfer energy
EE
Energy Efficiency
Short for Energy Efficiency
Often used in policy conversations related to EE
EEAC
Energy Efficiency Advisory Council
Guides the progress of energy efficiency ensuring our continuing leadership in implementation, integration, innovation
EER
Energy Efficiency Ratio
Ratio of a heating or cooling system’s output, per hour, in British thermal units to the input in watts
Used to measure the system’s efficiency
EFCA
Efficiency First California
Member organization
Represents EE and Clean Energy Industries
Was a chapter of EFN – which merged into BPA in 2019
EFN
Efficiency First National
Member organization
Represents EE
Merged with 3 other organizations to form BPA
EGIA
Electric & Gas Industries Association
An industry-leading nonprofit organization helping contractors achieve success through education, training, services, tools
EIA
Energy Information Administration
Collects, analyzes, disseminates independent impartial energy info to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and environment
EIS
Environmental Impact Statement
Document, under USA environmental law required by the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act for certain actions “significantly affecting the quality of the human environment”
An EIS is a tool for decision making
EISA
Energy Independence and Security Act
EISA reinforced the federal energy reduction goals in Executive Order 13423 & introduced more aggressive requirements
Three key provisions: Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, Renewable Fuel Standard, Appliance/lighting efficiency standards
ELR
Envelope/Enclosure Leakage Ratio
The area of an orifice that would produce the same amount of leakage as the building envelope at the reference pressure
In climate zone 2 the ELR must be 5 Air Changes per Hour or less, tested at 50 Pascals (ACH50). In climate zones 3 and 4 the ACH50 must be 3 or less
EM&V
Evaluation, Measurement, and Verification
Incentive program analysis
Used to determine effectiveness of incentives
Often used after a program has been in operation to determine effectiveness
EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment
EPRI
Electric Power Research Institute
Delivers independent, objective thought leadership, industry expertise to help the energy sector identify issues, technology gaps, and broader needs that can be addressed through effective, collaborative research and development programs
Collaborates with more than 450 companies in 45 countries, driving innovation to ensure the global public has clean, safe, reliable, affordable, equitable access to electricity
ERCOT
Electric Reliability Council of Texas
Serve the public by ensuring a reliable grid, efficient electricity markets, open access and retail choice
FHA
Federal Housing Administration
Part of the USA Department of Housing and Urban Development, provides mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA-approved lenders
FHA mortgage insurance protects lenders against losses; because lenders have less risk, they can offer more mortgages to homebuyers
GETs
Grid-Enhancing Technologies
Set of technologies designed to allow existing grid infrastructure to transport more electricity
Most common: dynamic line ratings (DLRs), advanced power flow controls, and topology optimization
GHG
Green House Gas
Gas that contributes to global warming
Identify gases causing global warming
CO2 ia s GHG, Methane and many others are too
GMP
Grid Modernization Plan
Focuses on development of new architectural concepts, tools, technologies that measure, analyze, predict, protect, control the grid of the future
Enabling the institutional conditions for more rapid development and widespread adoption of these tools and technologies
GPM
Gallons per minute
Measurement of the volume of fluid moved over time
Measure flow of liquids
Typically used in reference to water but applies to all liquids
GSHP
Ground-source Heat Pump
Building heating/cooling system that uses a type of heat pump to transfer heat to or from the ground
Takes advantage of the relative constancy of temperatures of the earth through the seasons
GSR
Gas Service Representative
Gas Utility employee
Field technician
Primary responder for Natural Gas related issues
GWH
Giga Watt Hours
Unit of energy representing one billion (1,000,000,000) watt hours, equivalent to one million kilowatt hours
Gigawatt hours are often used as a measure of the output of large electricity power stations
GWP
Global Warming Potential
A scale used to compare impacts of GHG gasses
Used to measure impacts on ozone layer
CO2 has GWP of 1, Methane GWP 28-36,
GWSA
Global Warming Solutions Act
Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, (Assembly Bill 32), is a CA State Law that fights global warming
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions from all sources throughout the state by establishing a comprehensive program
HERS
Home Energy Rating System
Program is designed to identify, fix issues, recognize areas for improvement, and compare the energy efficiency of California’s homes
HERS Index is the industry standard for measuring a home’s energy efficiency
HPCs
Home Performance Contractors
Contractors committed to clean energy initiatives, including electrification and home performance services
HPSH
Heat Pump Space Heating
Using a heat pump to provide heat
Electric heating option
Most efficient way to heat building
HPWH
Heat Pump Water Heating
Using a heat pump to provide hot water
Electric water heating option
Most efficient way to heat water
IAQ
Indoor Air Quality
A measurement of particulates and other factors
Used as a metric to determine health impacts of indoor air
Humidity, ventilation, particulates, combustion by products, off gassing, are all factors that affect IAQ
IOU
Investor Owned Utility
Regulated Monopolies
Provide Natural Gas or Electricity
There are 4 IOUs in California
IR
Infrared
Spectrum of light. Outside the range of human vision
IR cameras can be used to see heat
Often used as part of an Energy Audit
IRA
Inflation Reduction Act
IRA will make a historic investment in domestic energy production and manufacturing, and reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030
ISO
Independent System Operators
Independent organization for electric grid operations, market facilitation for certain electric markets, and bulk electric system planning
ISOs were created to facilitate competitive wholesale electric markets
IWR
Inches of water column
A measurement unit for measuring static pressure; a key metric for determining how much resistance air must overcome in order to reach the area it’s supposed to heat or cool
Excessive static pressure will prevent an HVAC from operating as efficiently or effectively as it should
KW
Kilowatt
A measure of 1,000 watts of electrical power
KWH
Kilowatt Hours
A kilowatt-hour is a unit of energy: one kilowatt of power for one hour, equal to 3.6 megajoules
Kilowatt-hours are a common billing unit for electrical energy delivered to consumers by electric utilities
LBNL
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory Managed by the University of California, the nation’s leading public university
Berkeley Lab’s collective purpose is to serve humankind through science
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
The most widely used green building rating system
LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement
LNG
Liquefied Natural Gas
Natural gas that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport
It takes up about 1/600th the volume of natural gas in the gaseous state
LP
Liquefied Propane
Also known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) propane is a clean-burning alternative fuel
It is the world’s third most common transportation fuel, behind gasoline and diesel, and is considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992
MOA
Memorandum of Agreement
Legal document describing a business partnership between two parties that have agreed to cooperate to meet an agreed objective or complete a project
MOAs establish common legal terms for a conditional agreement where the transfer of funds for services are anticipated
MOU
Memorandum of Understanding
Document that describes the broad outlines of an agreement that two or more parties have reached
MOUs tend to be used for simple common-cause agreements which are not legally binding
MVA
Mega Volt Amps
Measure of active and reactive electrical power equal to one million volt-amperes
Equal to 1000 Kilovolt-Amperes
NAHB
National Association of Home Builders
NAHB is a Federation of state and local home builder associations
140,000 NAHB members: 32% are home builders/remodelers, 68% work in related fields: subcontracting, sales & marketing, financial services
NATE
North American Technician Excellence
Nation’s largest non-profit certification organization for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians
NCI
National Comfort Institute
Organization that provides heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical contractors with a focused offering of services and tools to help them improve their businesses
NEBs
Non-Energy Benefits
Secondary benefits from EE upgrades
Support EE as having more value than dollars saved
Typically these are – Comfort, Health, Durability, Safety, IAQ, etc.
NECEC
New England Clean Energy Council
Voice of businesses building clean energy hub in Northeast USA; includes Northeast Clean Energy Council (nonprofit member organization), NECEC Institute (nonprofit for industry research, innovation, policy development, communications initiatives)
NEED
National Energy Education Development
1980 National Educational Program that currently encompasses a curriculum portfolio of 100+ teacher and student guides designed to engage and teach teachers and students about energy
NEEP
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
Non-profit founded in 1996 to accelerate energy efficiency in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states
One of six Regional Energy Efficiency Organizations (REEOs) funded, in part, by US Department of Energy to support state efficiency policies and programs
NEI
Non-energy impact
An additional benefit (positive or negative) for participants in energy efficiency beyond the energy savings gained from installing energy efficient measures
NIST
National Institute of Standards and Technology
One of the nation’s oldest physical science laboratories, founded in 1901 and now part of the US Department of Commerce
To promote US innovation, industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, technology that enhance economic security, improve quality of life
NRDC
National Resource Defense Coalition
Works to safeguard the earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends
Global coalition of 3,000,000 members and online activists with 700 scientists, lawyers, policy advocates working to ensure the rights of all people to the air, the water, and the wild
NREL
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
National laboratory of the US Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC
Advances the science and engineering of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and renewable power technologies and provides the knowledge to integrate and optimize energy system
NZE
Net Zero Energy
A building that balances its energy needs with energy produced from renewable, zero-emission sources
PA
Pascal
A measurement of pressure
Used by many building diagnostic tools
The pressure a pad of butter applies to a table. Metric equivalent of PSI
PG&E
Pacific Gas & Electric
Utility
Natural Gas and Electricity
1 of 4 CA – IOUs, Largest utility in the country
PLMA
Peak Load Management Alliance
Nonprofit organization founded in 1999 as the voice of load management practitioners
Currently includes 155 member organizations: private & publicly owned utilities, technology companies, energy & energy solution providers, equipment manufacturers, research & academic organizations, consultants
PNNL
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a leading center for scientific discovery in chemistry, data analytics, and Earth science, and for technological innovation in sustainable energy and national security.
PRV
Pressure Relief Valve
Safety valve used to control or limit the pressure in a system
Excessive pressure might otherwise build up and create a process upset, instrument or equipment failure, explosion, or fire
PSI
Pounds Per Square Inch
A measurement of pressure
Used to measure pressure
Measures the pressure per square inch in pounds
PV
Photo Voltaics
Solar panels that produce electricity
Site generated power source
Can be used to supply all of the buildings energy needs – see ZNE
REG
Resilient Electric Grid
US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) definition: Ability to withstand and reduce the magnitude and/or duration of disruptive events, which includes the capability to anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and/or rapidly recover from such an event
REN
Regional Energy Network
Network of local governments partnering to promote resource efficiency at the regional level, focusing on energy, water and greenhouse gas reduction
Goal of a REN is to implement and administer energy efficiency programs the current IOUs cannot or do not have the available resources to implement within their service territory
RFG
Green Hydrogen
Hydrogen generated by renewable energy or from low-carbon power
Has significantly lower carbon emissions than grey hydrogen, produced by steam reforming of natural gas
RFI
Request For Info
Common business process whose purpose is to collect written information about the capabilities of various suppliers
Primarily used to gather comparative info to help make a next-step decision
RFP
Request for Proposal
Document that solicits proposals from potential suppliers, often through a bidding process, by an agency or company interested in procurement of a commodity, service, or valuable asset
RGGI
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Cooperative effort among twelve Eastern states to reduce CO2 emissions from power plants within each participating state
Market-based cap-and-invest initiative: within the RGGI states, regulated power plants must acquire one RGGI CO2 allowance for every short ton of CO2 they emit
RH
Relative Humidity
Ratio, expressed in percent, of the amount of atmospheric moisture present relative to the amount that would be present if the air were saturated
SCG
Southern California Gas Company
Utility
Natural Gas
2 of 4 CA – IOUs, Owned by Sempura – Frequently referred to as So Cal Gas
SDBEC
San Diego Building Electrification Coalition
Alliance of community, labor, business, faith, justice, environmental organizations working to advance electrification in residential and commercial buildings
SDG&E
San Diego Gas and Electric
Utility
Natural Gas and Electricity
4 of 4 CA – IOUs, Owned by Sempura
SETO
DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office
An Office of the US Department of Energy working to build a clean energy economy that benefits all Americans
Eleven technology offices work toward the mission: Advanced Manufacturing, Bioenergy, Buildings, Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Solar Energy, Vehicles, Water Power, Wind Energy, and the Federal Energy Management and Weatherization and Intergovernmental programs.
SREC
Solar Renewable Energy Credit
A form of US Renewable Energy Certificate or “Green tag”
The additional income received from selling SRECs increases the economic value of a solar investment and assists with the financing of solar technology
In conjunction with state and federal incentives, solar system owners can recover their investment in solar by selling their SRECs through spot market sales or long-term sales
TOU
Time Of Use
Electric rate structure
Encourages reduced electricity use during peak periods to manage load on the grid
Rates go up during peak grid load, typically 4pm to 9pm
TRC
Total Resource Cost
EE rebate program cost evaluation tool
A formula used to determine the cost effectiveness of EE programs
A TRC of 1.0 = One dollar saved for every dollar spent on running the program
TSB
Total System Benefit
EE – Considers other benefits of upgrades
Used to value all of the savings from EE
Non-energy benefits and avoided costs from not using energy – Negawattts
TXV or TEV
Thermal Expansion Valve
Component in vapor-compression refrigeration and air conditioning systems that controls the amount of refrigerant released into the evaporator
Intended to regulate the superheat of the refrigerant that flows out of the evaporator to a steady value
UDC
Utility Distribution Company
Electric utility or subsidiary of an electric utility that distributes electricity to customers
USGBC
U.S. Green Building Council
Committed to transforming how buildings are designed, constructed and operated through LEED, the green building system with more than 100,000 buildings participating today
VEIC
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
Nonprofit organization, whose mission is to reduce the economic and environmental costs of energy use
VPPs
Virtual Power Plants
Cloud-based distributed power plant that aggregates the capacities of heterogeneous distributed energy resources
For the purposes of enhancing power generation, trading or selling power on the electricity market, and demand side options for load reduction
VRF
Variable Refrigerant Flow
A type of compressor used in heat pump and air conditioning systems
Matches output to load
Much more efficient than single speed or two stage systems
WAP
Weatherization Assistance Program
Program that enables low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient
Funds are used to improve the energy performance of dwellings families in need, using the most advanced technologies and testing procedures available in the housing industry
ZNE
Zero Net Energy
A term for a building that produces as much energy as it uses
Increases resilience and does not rely on 3rd party energy sources
Many ZNE building are still connected to the grid to provide energy when the PV can’t meet all of the buildings needs
