“Get out in the world and meet people where they are.”
Glenn Schatz, Chief Revenue Officer, BlocPower

You may not have heard of NEEP – the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships – but you should hear what their members are saying. Trakref is certainly listening to every word from the NEEP 2021 Summit Sessions about energy efficiency, refrigerant tracking, and refrigerant leak rates. The recent three-day summit highlighted “climate stabilization and resiliency, affordability and equity, economic recovery and growth, and public health and wellbeing,” while celebrating NEEP’s 25 years of partnerships “to accelerate building energy efficiency across the region.”

Why is NEEP so important?

Over 30 % of the Northeast’s total carbon emissions come from buildings. Of course, refrigerants play a key role in this astounding number. As Trakref continually studies refrigerant chemicals, NEEP provides the opportunity to collect all the stakeholders in this universe so we can work as colleagues toward a common goal: reduce emissions from the built environment and determine ozone depletion solutions.

Trakref monitors all the refrigerant management information coming out of NEEP to help our clients with ESG reporting and sustainability audit questions. But there is so much more. Initially, the NEEP 2021 Summit was billed to focus on four main areas:

Climate Stabilization and Resiliency – These discussions centered on preparing homes, buildings, and institutions of all kinds for changing regulations and requirements for environmental sustainability, thereby reducing carbon emissions and providing public safety, protection, and essential services during extreme weather, flooding, and other climate-change related hazards.

Next on the agenda was Affordability and Equity – which focuses on low-income communities. The goal, as stated by panelists, is to support discussions that develop and advance affordable low-carbon resilient housing and building solutions with quality local jobs that reduce energy burdens and improve the quality of life for economically disadvantaged populations.

Economic Recovery and Growth – came front and center as participants discussed increasing workforce capacities, business opportunities, and local employment to rebuild sustainable, healthy, equitable post-carbon communities across the Northeastern United States to lessen our environmental footprint.

Public Health and Wellbeing – especially during a pandemic, became an essential discussion during the Summit. NEEP members discussed providing greater opportunities for all people to lead healthy lives by improving the condition, comfort, energy efficiency, and air quality of homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.

As I mentioned, these topics were the initial launching points of the Summit sessions. However, the main messages to come out of NEEP’s 2021 Summit were:

• Collaboration and Cooperation among stakeholders
• Sharing of information, data, and wisdom
• Finding and using massively available federal funds
• Communication, Communication, Communication
• Relevant, Effective Data Acquisition

Certainly, everyone involved in the Summit mentioned their dedication at different levels to:

• Assisting states and communities in saving energy in buildings
• Motivating the public sector to lead by example
• Opening pathways to zero energy buildings
• Creating healthy, livable environments

But if you watch the videos of the NEEP 2021 Summit sessions, you’ll witness dozens of devoted local and state officials along those in the private sector working toward corporate sustainability, urgently doing the best they can at keeping up with a multitude of responsibilities. Perhaps this is why so many of the panelists stressed the importance of working together. “There is now way to address all these issues from inside our own little bubbles,” said one of the panelists to the agreement of everyone else on the call. “We have to keep talking and sharing ideas that work.”

I’m grateful that NEEP provides “regional tools and resources, stakeholder engagement, peer exchange, training and technical support to assist communities to set and achieve efficiency and carbon reduction goals.” And they do this through “lead-by-example initiatives, high performance and zero energy schools and facilities guidance and tours, building energy rating and performance initiatives, and advanced energy codes.”

Their excellent Community Action Planning for Energy Efficiency (CAPEE) tool, and interactive online platform and technical assistance resource are designed to help small-mid size communities establish and achieve energy and carbon reduction goals. Take a look at the high performance communities webpage for more information.

 

Download The Financial Impact of Refrigerant Leaks

 

 

 

NEEP 2021 Summit Sessions on Youtube:

Day 1

 

Day 2

 

Day 3

 

 

Download The Financial Impact of Refrigerant Leaks

If you’re looking to track your own environmental impact, get in touch with Trakref today. We’re a software corporation that has been in the regulatory compliance software and environmental compliance calendar software space for years. As an environmental software provider, we make sure our refrigerant tracking capabilities are there to not only keep you in compliance, but work toward sustainability goals. Get in touch with one of our Refrigerant Geeks today.