The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) today announced its commitment to the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency and its pursuit of energy savings and environmental benefits through electric and natural gas energy efficiency. NAIMA has a strong history of promoting the broad benefits of energy efficiency and sustainability through insulation in buildings, including the environmental, social, health and economic benefits. The recommendations of the Action Plan are:
1. Recognize energy efficiency as a high priority energy resource.
2. Make a strong, long-term commitment to cost-effective energy efficiency as a resource.
3. Broadly communicate the benefits of and opportunities for energy efficiency.
4. Provide sufficient, timely, and stable program funding to deliver energy efficiency where cost-effective.
5. Modify policies to align utility incentives with the delivery of cost-effective energy efficiency and modify ratemaking practices to promote energy efficiency investments.
“NAIMA and its members have a long-standing commitment to support efforts that promote and implement energy efficiency, such as the National Action Plan,” said Kenneth D. Mentzer, NAIMA president and CEO. “We appreciate the opportunity to be part of a broad, coalition-based effort to develop a specific, action-oriented plan to achieve energy efficiency and the resulting environmental benefits through the electric and natural gas utilities. Our industry supports this effort in both spirit and through a direct commitment of resources.”
NAIMA’s commitment includes:
• Continued sponsorship of the DSIRE database, which lists state and local incentives for consumers and businesses to implement energy efficiency measures and renewable energy. NAIMA will work closely with any utility involved in the Plan to promote its programs through this database. To access the energy efficiency incentives in the database, visit www.SimplyInsulate.com or for the full database, go to www.DSIREusa.org.
• Sponsorship of training programs on its 3E Plus™ Insulation Thickness software program, which calculates the energy, environmental and economic savings from adding the proper levels of process insulation in an industrial facility. For more information on 3E Plus, visit www.PipeInsulation.org
• Sharing of information from a series of research studies it conducts with the Harvard University School of Public Health that quantifies the public health benefits from improved energy efficiency in new and existing homes.
• Advocacy of full funding for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 especially in the areas of tax incentives for builders and consumers to improve the efficiency of buildings, programs for building energy efficiency codes and standards and encouraging compliance above the minimum levels, industrial energy use, state energy programs, and public information and education initiatives.
• Participation in appropriate stakeholder groups formed by members of this action plan group and others.
• Working with utilities, state energy offices, regional energy efficiency alliances and others to deliver educational programs and materials that encourage the proper levels of thermal insulation in buildings and provide detailed information on proper installation of these materials.
