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UPDATED!
Plugging the Plug Load Data Hole
November 5, 2012 | Updated: May 8, 2013
Plug loads are huge energy hogs, but it’s often difficult to find comprehensive and reliable data on how different plugs loads use energy. To solve this problem, we’ve compiled hundreds of results from a wide range of plug load reports into a single spreadsheet.
Content type: Data Resource | Document ID: TAS-DR-1 | Author: Essie Snell
UPDATED!
Can Smart Thermostats Rise from the Ashes of Their Programmable Predecessors?
September 26, 2012 | Updated: April 29, 2013
The latest wave of thermostats are designed to deliver everything traditional programmable thermostats couldn’t. With powerful communications capabilities and on-board smarts, these smart thermostats can offer much more to both utilities and consumers.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: TAS-F-2 | Author: Lee Hamilton
Plug-In Electric Vehicles
September 25, 2009 | Updated: April 15, 2013
Commercial sale of production-line plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) commenced in 2009 and will increase steadily in the coming years. This resource guide covers PHEV performance, benefits, and limitations, and discusses the potential challenges they pose for electric utilities.
Content type: Resource Guide | Document ID: TAS-RG-20 | Author: Dan Greenberg, Bryan Jungers
The Set-Top Box Energy Soap Opera
Telecom Industry Strives to Improve with Energy Star
March 6, 2013
A recent agreement between 15 major pay-TV providers and consumer electronics manufacturers promises to help make energy-guzzling set-top boxes a little more efficient, but leaves some big savings opportunities on the table.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-65 | Author: Essie Snell
Help Me Make My Windows More Efficient!
February 28, 2013
There are a wide range of approaches to making windows more efficient, and it can be difficult to know which is best for a given situation. To provide some guidance, we've created a handy decision tree to quickly point you in the right direction.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-67 | Author: Essie Snell
Packaged Cooling Technologies Selection Matrix
December 13, 2012
To ease the challenge of sorting through the myriad of packaged cooling equipment options, we’ve created a spreadsheet that provides a quick, high-level overview of data needed to evaluate equipment, such as efficiency and capacity levels, pricing, applicable sectors, and links to test reports.
Content type: Data Resource | Document ID: TAS-DR-2 | Author: Peter Criscione
Help Me Pick a Water Heater!
November 7, 2012
With all the new water heater technologies on the market, it can be tough to narrow down the best options. To help alleviate this problem, we've created a handy decision-making flow chart to quickly point you in the right direction.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-61 | Author: Essie Snell
Filling the Efficiency Gap with the Hybrid-Optimized Tankless Water Heater
September 17, 2012
With significantly higher efficiencies but similar costs to incumbent water-heating technologies, hybrid-optimized tankless water heaters have the potential to change the face of water heating in residential and small commercial applications.
Content type: Tech Brief | Document ID: TAS-TB-2 | Author: Mary Horsey
Great Minds Think Electric: Highlights from the 26th Annual Electric Vehicle Symposium
August 28, 2012
The electric vehicle (EV) has finally come of age. Or at least, that’s what EV industry insiders are all abuzz about.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-55 | Author: Bryan Jungers
Summer Energy-Saving Tips for Residential Customers
July 30, 2012
Do you have a list of energy-saving tips for the summer that we can share with our residential customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-60 | Author: Lee Hamilton, Spencer Sator
Saving Energy with Shade Trees
July 26, 2012
What's the energy impact of planting shade trees around homes?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-59 | Author: Essie Snell
Residential-Scale Water Heaters
July 3, 2012
Residential-scale water heaters are widely used in homes and small commercial buildings and represent an immense source of energy consumption. We look at the different options currently available, along with barriers and opportunities for utility demand-side management and demand-response programs.
Content type: Resource Guide | Document ID: TAS-RG-29 | Author: Essie Snell
Can Freezing Water Bottles Really Save Energy?
June 25, 2012
We’ve heard that packing empty freezer space with filled water bottles will reduce energy consumption. Is there any truth to this?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-58 | Author: Essie Snell
Update on Appliance Efficiency Standards
May 22, 2012
This 25-minute video highlights some of the key findings from a report recently released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Appliance Standards Awareness Project entitled “The Efficiency Boom: Cashing In on the Savings from Appliance Standards.”
Content type: Tech Brief | Document ID: TAS-TB-3 | Author: Katie Elliott
How to Find an LED to Meet Your Needs
April 19, 2012
How can we help our customers sort through all the choices and hype to find light-emitting diode (LED) products that meet their household needs?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-51 | Author: Ira Krepchin
Heat Pump Water Heaters: They’re Baaack!
January 26, 2012
Residential heat pump water heaters are in the midst of a significant resurgence and have the potential to save consumers substantial amounts of energy if they are installed and used correctly.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-53 | Author: Essie Snell
Ah, the Life of an LED
December 5, 2011
We see lots of claims about long life for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). How do manufacturers determine those lifespans?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-46 | Author: Ira Krepchin
Will the Rare-Earth Metals Crunch Hurt Fluorescent Lighting Programs?
November 18, 2011
What's going on with the prices for fluorescent lamps? How can we keep rising prices from bankrupting our fluorescent lighting programs?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-53 | Author: Lee Hamilton
Reducing Swimming Pool Heat Loss
June 24, 2011
What are the primary energy losses from swimming pools? Do you have any recommendations for eliminating those losses?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-32 | Author: Leland Keller
Moisture Control in Building Envelopes
May 24, 2011
Many different strategies have been employed to mitigate excessive moisture in the building envelope, with applicability and effectiveness varying by region, season, building characteristics, and type of construction.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-32 | Author: Bryan Jungers
A Turbine in Every Yard
April 18, 2011
I’ve seen a number of companies marketing small wind turbines to residential and small business customers. In applications where they make sense, what are the life-cycle costs?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-40 | Author: Bryan Jungers
New Climate-Control Specifications Support Utility Programs
April 7, 2011
Energy Star is planning to release new specifications for residential climate controls that will make it easier for consumers to save energy by programming the thermostats properly.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-44 | Author: Rachel Reiss Buckley
One Communications Technology to Rule Them All?
March 17, 2011
A white paper from a major manufacturer claims that ZigBee is the best wireless communications technology for smart grid–enabled home area networks. With so many factors to consider, however, is it even necessary to choose a single technology?
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-25 | Author: Essie Snell
Radio Frequency Emissions from Smart Meters
March 4, 2011
Is there evidence that radio frequency waves from smart meters present a health hazard?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: IGS-AskE-37 | Author: Katie Elliott
Wasting Away the Day: Video Game Energy Use
February 22, 2011
Do video game consoles consume enough energy to warrant specific efficiency measures from the utility?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-33 | Author: Essie Snell
Storage Batteries Make Progress
February 10, 2011
Storage batteries have made significant progress over the last half-decade, with improvements in safety, performance, and cost. These improvements could help to promote wider adoption of applications such as plug-in electric vehicles and uninterruptible power supplies.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-29 | Author: Bryan Jungers
Water Heater Lifetime
March 3, 2004 | Updated: January 20, 2011
How does the lifetime of conventional water heaters compare with that of tankless water heaters for residential use?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-TN-2-04c | Author: Peter Criscione
Heating with Gas Versus Electricity
May 31, 2005 | Updated: January 20, 2011
Is it cheaper to heat a house with gas or electricity?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-TN-5-05c | Author: Peter Criscione
Savings from Programmable Thermostats
May 12, 2003 | Updated: January 20, 2011
Do programmable thermostats really save homeowners money on heating and cooling bills?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-TN-5-03 | Author: Peter Criscione
Energy Savings from Home Thermostat Settings
August 19, 2003 | Updated: January 20, 2011
What factors must be looked at to determine the percentage of energy saved from changing a thermostat setting in a residence?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-TN-8-03c | Author: Peter Criscione
