| Acronym | Full Name | Description | Function | Notes |
| ACEEE | American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| AQMD | Air Quality Management District | |||
| ARRA | American Recovery and Reinvestment Act | |||
| ASHP | Air-source Heat Pump | |||
| BPA | Building Performance Association | Member organization | Represents EE industry | Merger of HPC, HEM, EFN and BPI |
| BPI | Building Performance Institute | Education and training | Certifications | Part of BPA |
| 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 |
| 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 | |||
| CDA | Comprehensive Design Approach | |||
| CEC | Clean Energy Connection | EFCA Contractor Directory | ||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| DERM | Distributed Energy Resource Management | |||
| DOER | Department of Energy Resources | |||
| DOT | U.S. Department of Transportation | |||
| 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 | |||
| EE | Energy Efficiency | Short for Energy Efficiency | Often used in policy conversations related to EE | |
| EEAC | Energy Efficiency Advisory Council | |||
| EER | Energy Efficiency Ratio | |||
| 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 | |||
| EIA | Energy Information Administration | |||
| EIS | Environmental Impact Statement | |||
| EISA | Energy Independence and Security Act | |||
| ELR | Envelope/Enclosure Leakage Ratio | |||
| 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 | |||
| EPRI | Electric Power Research Institute | |||
| ERCOT | Electric Reliability Council of Texas | |||
| FHA | U.S. Federal Housing Authority | |||
| GETs | Grid-Enhancing Technologies | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| GSR | Gas Service Representative | Gas Utility employee | Field technician | Primary responder for Natural Gas related issues |
| GWH | Giga Watt Hours | |||
| 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 | |||
| HERS | Home Energy Rating System | |||
| HPCs | Home Performance Contractors | |||
| 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 | |||
| ISO | Independent System Operators | |||
| IWR | Inches of water column | |||
| KW | Kilo Watt | |||
| KWH | Kilo Watt Hours | |||
| LBNL | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | |||
| LEED | Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design | |||
| LNG | Liquefied Natural Gas | |||
| LP | Liquefied Propane | |||
| MOU | Memorandum of Understanding | |||
| MVA | Mega Volt Amps | |||
| NAHB | National Association of Home Builders | |||
| NATE | North American Technician Excellence | |||
| NCI | National Comfort Institute | |||
| 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 | |||
| NEED | National Energy Education Development | |||
| NEEP | Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships | |||
| NEI | Non-energy impact | |||
| NIST | National Institute of Standards and Technology | |||
| NRDC | National Resource Defense Coalition | |||
| NREL | National Renewable Energy Laboratory | |||
| NZE | Net Zero Energy | |||
| 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 | |||
| PRV | Pressure Relief Valve | |||
| 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 | |||
| REN | Regional Energy Network | |||
| RFG | Green Hydrogen | |||
| RFI | Request For Info | |||
| RFP | Request for Proposal | |||
| RGGI | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | |||
| RH | Relative Humidity | |||
| SCE | Southern California Edison | Utility | Electric only | 3 of 4 CA - IOUs |
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| SREC | Solar Renewable Energy Credit | |||
| TEP | Total Energy Pathways | NEEP | ||
| 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 | |||
| UDC | Utility Distribution Company | |||
| USGBC | U.S. Green Building Council | |||
| VEIC | Vermont Energy Investment Corporation | |||
| VPPs | Virtual Power Plants | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 |
