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RTF Quarterly Newsletter: Quarter No. 59 January — March 2025

Contact Laura Thomas, RTF Manger with questions or comments or check out the RTF Website. 

Measure Highlights

Non-Residential Lighting Retrofits Standard Protocol

At its January meeting, the RTF approved updates to the Non-Residential Lighting Retrofits Standard Protocol, which the first iteration of this measure was adopted in January 2015. During this update, the RTF reviewed the current measure, updated market shares, simplified the wattage ratio calculation, proposed changes to fixture and lamp turnover in stock model, and incorporated changes required by state and federal standards. Standards in Washington and Oregon ban mercury in commercial lighting products and in the RTF measure result in an impact to the lamp turnover rate throughout the Plan period, while the 2024 Federal General Service Lamp Final Rule affects the efficacy of LED.

The 2021 Power Plan’s potential for commercial interior lighting is 474 aMW, with commercial exterior lighting representing 34.9 aMW and industrial high-bay lighting (majority HID) is 53.3 aW. The state and federal standards will likely result in a reduced potential for the region in non-residential lighting for the upcoming 9th Power Plan.

The RTF approved the protocol as proposed. Read the January meeting minutes and the presentation in Box.

ENERGY STAR® Ice Makers UES

At its January meeting, the RTF approved updates to the ENERGY STAR Ice Makers UES including updating the category from Planning to Proven This measure has 10.69 aMW of regional potential. The presentation reviewed current models on the market, baseline assumptions, efficiency assumptions, per unit energy savings, incremental cost, market potential, and the proposed category change from small saver to proven.

The proposal sought to update baseline assumptions, useful life, costs, update regional potential, change category to proven, and update the savings shape. The RTF approved as proposed. Read the January meeting minutes and the CAT presentation in Box.

 

ENERGY STAR Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers UES

In March, the RTF reviewed and updated the ENERGY STAR Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers UES. During the meeting, the RTF determined that given the regional potential of 18 aMW and the high uncertainty around the current practice The RTF decided to move the UES to planning and add a research strategy before approving the measure but kept the status as active and set the sunset date for Dec. 31, 2028. The RTF first approved an initial iteration of this measure in July 2017, and it has had 3 aMW of regional potential that would increase to 18 aMW with an update.

In a presentation, CAT recommended adding a current practice mix to the energy savings methodology; keep existing federal standard vs ENERGY STAR savings methodology without relying on product databases; increase number of measure identifiers to reduce savings uncertainty; add HVAC energy interactions and add market cost multiplier.

The RTF approved a motion to add a research strategy looking at market research and what is being purchased. The measure will be brought back at an upcoming meeting for a vote on its adoption. Read the March meeting minutes and RTF CAT presentation in Box.

Commercial Unitary Heat Pump Water Heaters

The RTF in March discussed the existing and potential new Commercial Heat Pump Water Heater Measures. As part of that discussion, the RTF  voted to deactivate the planning UES for commercial unitary heat pump water heaters, as field reports were showing that these units were operating in electric resistance mode and not resulting in reliable savings. Efforts to ensure this equipment saves energy through revised specifications is underway in the region, but in the interim, the RTF has allocated resources to development of Commercial Heat Pump Water Heating Commissioning measure which would cover this size of commercial water heater. This Commissioning measure will allow the region to ensure that commercial heat pump water heaters achieve energy savings.  

Non-Measure Work

Data Centers

To better understand the growing energy needs of data centers in the Pacific Northwest, their existing equipment energy demand, and energy efficiency and demand response opportunities, in 2024 the RTF contracted with DNV to perform a market characterization study. Results were presented at the January 2025 RTF meeting.

The study analyzed trends and patterns in recent energy consumption among various classes of data centers – from small server closets up to hyperscale facilities – as well as barriers and potential opportunities to improving energy efficiency and demand response in the Northwest. Despite limitations on available market information, the researchers gleaned insights into the number of facilities currently operating, estimates on the current electricity consumption, large facilities’ costs of ownership in the region and nationally, among other data and analysis.

The results from the study indicated that existing energy efficiency measures are common practice particularly for the mid- sized, large, and hyperscale data centers, since efficiency is typically prioritized in the design of the facility. The RTF will continue to explore and assess potential opportunities to support small and embedded data center energy efficiency.

While demand response is gaining traction within the data center industry recently, barriers exist including the fact that some hyperscalers with facilities in multiple regions already move workloads across data centers in response to power prices and other factors.

Technical strategies to shed or shift loads are available in most data centers, and pilot projects from national laboratories, Amazon, and Google have demonstrated that data centers of various size types can shed or shift loads. Read the meeting notes from the January 2025 RTF meeting and review the presentation.

Resiliency Valuation

The Council in its 2021 Power Plan directed the RTF to investigate the potential methods for quantifying the value of energy efficiency measures for building resilience. In 2022, the RTF contracted Apex Analytics to study how weatherization measures can support buildings to better withstand long duration power outage events. As part of the study, a tool was developed to estimate the monetary value of resilience, based on the ability of a weatherized building to maintain temperature and avoid the need a back-up generator. This tool provides a first-of-its-kind approach to determining a value for the resilience impacts of energy efficiency.

The first part of this study determined that the resilience benefits from energy efficiency measures can be quantified, particularly by using a cost-based valuation approach though some uncertainty still exist.

At its February meeting, the RTF heard an update on this work and reviewed the results. The resiliency valuation for weatherization measures will be incorporated into the Council’s upcoming Ninth Power Plan. The RTF uses the 2021 Power Plan’s analysis for cost-effectiveness until the Ninth Plan is approved. Read the February meeting notes and presentation. More information and analysis about this study is available on the RTF website.

Subcommittee Roundup

Regional HVAC experts met in August to discuss residential ductless heat pumps (air source heat pumps) ahead of upcoming measure updates. The group discussed many topics including: the need for a minimum HSPF2 or quality requirement, pre-charged equipment that could be user installed versus requiring refrigerant certified technicians, and O&M costs.

 

Measure Updates Approved in Q2

  • Extend the sunset date for Connected Thermostats UES to September 30, 2025 and change the status to Under Review.
  • Extend the sunset date to April 30, 2025 for the Commercial & Industrial Fans UES measure.
  • Approve the ENERGY STAR Ice Makers UES as presented, and update the category to Proven, keep the status as Active, and set the sunset date to January 31, 2030.
  • Approve the Non-Residential Lighting Retrofits Standard Protocol as presented, and keep the status as Active and set the sunset date to January 31, 2027.
  • Extend the sunset date to October 31, 2025 for the Commercial Secondary Glazing Systems UES.
  • Extend the sunset date to November 30, 2026 for the Commercial Connected Thermostats UES.
  • Extend the sunset date to October 31, 2025 for the Irrigation Hardware Upgrades UES.
  • Extend the sunset date for the High Efficiency Residential Central Air Conditioning UES to August 31, 2025.
  • Approve the ENERGY STAR Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers UES as presented, and update the category to Planning, add a research strategy, keep the status at Active, and set the sunset date to December 31, 2028.
  • Deactivate the Commercial Unitary Heat Pump Water Heaters UES.

 

Upcoming at the RTF

In the next quarter the RTF will discuss:

April

  • Commercial & Industrial Fans UES
  • Residential Air Purifiers UES

May

  • Residential Heat Pump Water Heaters UES
  • Consumer Heat Pump Water Heaters in Commercial Applications UES
  • Ductless Heat Pumps One to One UES

June

  • Duct Sealing Single Family UES
  • Duct Sealing Manufactured Homes UES
  • ENERGY STAR Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machines UES
  • Anti-sweat Heater Controls UES