Transient voltage surge suppressors are intended to protect connected equipment from voltage surges, but some manufacturers and vendors are still promoting the long-discredited claims that these devices save energy.

New energy-efficiency programs are emerging to short-circuit impending load growth with market transformation. Can education and incentives shape consumers’ purchase preferences or will upstream efforts affect product design before the next hot item hits retail shelves?

Only about a dozen utilities currently have programs for the commissioning of existing buildings. Although these programs can be difficult to build, utilities are achieving cost-effective savings with them and in some cases are seeing dramatic results.