Washington, D.C., Jan. 22, 2013 -- The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) today announced the first-ever awards for exceptional efficiency programs that save both energy and water. ACEEE and AWE are recognizing a total of 12 top programs including five exemplary award winners and seven honorable mentions.
The five award-winning exemplary programs are below and can be reviewed on the ACEEE Water-Energy Program Directory http://aceee.org/w-e-programs:
- Southern California Edison: Leak Detection Pilot Program
- Darden Restaurants: Darden Sustainability—15 X 15
- City of Boulder, Colorado: Energy Performance Contracting Program
- Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA): Long Term Sustainability Program
- United Technologies Corporation (UTC): 2015 Sustainability Goals
For the “Exemplary Programs that Save Both Energy and Water Awards,” ACEEE and AWE accepted nominations for programs across the United States, Canada, and Australia and over multiple economic sectors to find the most innovative and comprehensive programs. The five award winners represent different regions of the United States and different models of joint water and energy efficiency programs.
Programs selected for the award were honored for their market penetration and innovation in helping their customers or stakeholders to achieve both water and energy savings through efficiency. The lessons learned by these programs can be found in a new report, Tackling the Nexus: Exemplary Programs that Save Both Energy and Water, released today by ACEEE and AWE.
“The program award winners and honorable mentions demonstrate the innovative ways governments, utilities, businesses, and nonprofits are cost-effectively saving water and energy,” said Mary Ann Dickinson, President and CEO of AWE. “These programs represent a promising start that needs to be nurtured and expanded.”
“Historically, water and energy efficiency programs have generally not worked together but the natural relationship between saving water and saving energy has recently spurred some efforts to collaborate. These awards highlight the huge potential for savings when you combine water and energy efficiency together,” said Steven Nadel, Executive Director of ACEEE.
Programs that save both water and energy are relatively new and not yet broadly understood or appreciated. This report is one of the first in-depth looks at the kinds of programs that are being implemented across the country. “This program review shows that there are many programs delivering real, cost-effective energy and water savings to customers, and working to sustain those savings for years to come,” said Rachel Young, lead author of the report.
The seven honorable mention programs include six “Promising Programs” and one “Sustained Achievement” program.
Honorable Mention: Promising Programs:
- City Of Santa Rosa, California: Ozone Laundry Program
- Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC): Green Home Certification Standard
- The City of Austin: Multifamily Energy and Water Efficiency Program
- Bonneville Power Administration: Save Water-Save Energy Agricultural Energy Efficiency Program
- Denver Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA): Watts to Water
- Town of Windsor, California: Windsor Efficiency PAYS®
Honorable Mention: Sustained Achievement:
- Resource Action Programs: LivingWise
All of the nominated programs, along with hundreds of other programs that save both energy and water, can be viewed in the ACEEE Water-Energy Program Directory at http://aceee.org/w-e-programs.
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