Energy Efficiency and Demand-Side Management Flashcards

Which sector typically accounts for the largest share of total U.S. energy consumption, making it a major target for efficiency programs?

Answer: Industrial

The industrial sector is the largest energy consumer in the U.S., accounting for roughly one-third of total energy use, making industrial efficiency improvements critical to national energy goals.

What is cogeneration (combined heat and power, CHP), and how does it contribute to energy efficiency?

Answer: A system that simultaneously generates electricity and useful thermal energy from a single fuel source, achieving higher overall efficiency

CHP captures waste heat from electricity generation and uses it for heating or industrial processes, achieving overall system efficiencies of 60–80% compared to ~33% for conventional power plants.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, which provision directly supports energy efficiency upgrades in residential homes?

Answer: The High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA) provisions offering rebates for heat pumps and insulation

The IRA included HEEHRA-based rebate programs offering up to $14,000 per household for energy-efficient appliances such as heat pumps, insulation, and electric panel upgrades.

What role do Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) play in utility demand-side management?

Answer: They provide a long-term roadmap for meeting electricity demand using a mix of supply-side generation and demand-side efficiency resources

IRPs require utilities to evaluate demand-side resources—such as efficiency programs and demand response—alongside supply-side options when planning how to reliably and cost-effectively serve customer load.

A manufacturing plant reduces its peak demand charge on its electric bill by staggering the startup times of its large motors. This strategy is an example of:

Answer: Load management or peak shaving to reduce demand charges

Staggering motor startups reduces the simultaneous peak kW draw, lowering the demand charge on the electricity bill without reducing total energy consumption—this is load management or peak shaving.

Which of the following best defines 'Energy Use Intensity' (EUI) and its typical units in the United States?

Answer: Total annual site energy consumption divided by gross floor area, expressed in kBtu/ft²/year

EUI is calculated as total annual energy use (in kBtu) divided by the building's gross floor area (in ft²), giving kBtu/ft²/year—lower values indicate better energy performance.

What is the significance of the 'rebound effect' in energy efficiency policy?

Answer: Efficiency gains are partially offset when lower energy costs encourage increased energy use

The rebound effect (or Jevons paradox) occurs when efficiency improvements reduce the cost of energy services, leading consumers to use more of those services and partially eroding expected energy savings.