Achievable Potential
The subset of technical potential that can realistically be achieved, taking into account real-world barriers and assuming the most aggressive program and policy scenario possible.
Adaptation
Adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing environment. Adaptation to climate change refers to adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. State and local governments can engage in various types of adaptation, including anticipatory or reactive adaptation, autonomous or planned adaptation, and adaptation for private or public environments.
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Keeps land in agriculture by paying farmers the difference between the farm value of their property and the market or development value. In return for the incentive, the farm owner must agree not to develop the property either for a specified period of time or in perpetuity.
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent
A metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based upon their global warming potential (GWP). Carbon dioxide equivalents are commonly expressed as "million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCO2Eq)." The carbon dioxide equivalent for a gas is derived by multiplying the tons of the gas by the associated GWP.
Circuit Rider Program
Involves designating one or more people to provide technical assistance to multiple local governments in a given county or region. The circuit rider is then responsible for assisting those communities with a range of planning functions, such as developing comprehensive plans, evaluating and revising codes and development regulations, analyzing policies, and reviewing project proposals.
Co-Benefits
The ancillary or additional benefits of policies that are implemented with a primary goal, such as climate change mitigation - acknowledging that most policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions also have other, often at least equally important, benefits (e.g., energy savings, economic benefits, air quality benefits, public health benefits). Also referred to as "multiple benefits."
Combustion
A burning process that reduces waste volume. In addition to reducing volume, combustors, when properly equipped, can convert water into steam to fuel heating systems or generate electricity.
Complete Streets
Requires agencies to balance the needs of all users-including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit riders, older people, children, and those with disabilities-in the planning, design, and construction of all transportation projects.
Compost
Organic material that can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium to grow plants. Mature compost is a stable material with a content called humus that is dark brown or black and has a soil-like, earthy smell. It is created by: combining organic wastes (e.g., yard trimmings, food wastes, manures) in proper ratios into piles, rows, or vessels; adding bulking agents (e.g., wood chips) as necessary to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials; and allowing the finished material to fully stabilize and mature through a curing process.
Composting
Composting produces a useful product from organic waste that otherwise would have been landfilled. Since these materials are not landfilled, composting helps prevent methane and leachate formulation in the landfills.
Deemed Savings
An approach to estimating energy and demand savings, usually used with programs targeting simpler efficiency measures with well-known and consistent performance characteristics. This method involves multiplying the number of installed measures by an estimated (or deemed) savings per measure, which is derived from historical evaluations. Deemed savings approaches may be complemented by on-site inspections.
Distributed Generation
Small, modular, decentralized, grid-connected or off-grid energy systems located in or near the place where energy is used (e.g., combined heat and power, photovoltaic [PV] panels).
District Improvement Financing
Taps the anticipated benefits of future development (such as increased property tax revenues) to direct tax dollars toward redevelopment districts.
Economic Potential
The subset of technical potential that is economically cost-effective (e.g., as compared to conventional supply-side energy resources). Estimates of economic potential do not address market barriers to implementation.
Energy Performance Contracts
A contract with an energy services company (ESCO) to implement a set of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and/or distributed generation measures that are repaid through the energy savings generated from the project.
Energy Recovery
Energy recovery is the process of obtaining energy from combusted material, including at waste-to-energy combustion facilities and landfill-gas-to-energy facilities. It is often associated with electricity generation, although it can also offset fossil fuels used at industrial sites.
Energy Systems Test
Environmental Revenue Streams
Funding streams created to monetize environmental benefits that can be quantified. For example, carbon offset payments or renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Financing District
Allows private property owners to pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements through a voluntary tax assessment that is tied to the property rather than the owner.
Global Warming Potential
The cumulative radiative forcing effects of a gas over a specified time horizon resulting from the emission of a unit mass of gas relative to a reference gas. The GWP-weighted emissions of direct greenhouse gases in the U.S. Inventory are presented in terms of equivalent emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2).
GWP
Home Energy Rating
Home Energy Rating is an analysis of a home's construction plans and onsite inspections. Based on the home's plans, the Home Energy Rater uses an energy efficiency software package to perform an energy analysis of the home's design. This analysis yields a projected, pre-construction HERS Index. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.nh_2011_comments
Housing Rehabilitation Codes
Take into account that renovation of existing (particularly historic) buildings requires more flexibility in meeting code requirements than new structures. Creating a rehabilitation code makes it easier for developers to reuse existing buildings, thereby saving energy and preserving community heritage.
Impact Evaluation
Quantifies the direct and indirect benefits of a program or project and determines the quantity of energy and/or demand saved.
Incineration
A burning process that reduces waste volume. In addition to reducing volume, combustors, when properly equipped, can convert water into steam to fuel heating systems or generate electricity.
Landfills
Landfills are well-engineered facilities that are located, designed, operated, and monitored to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Solid waste landfills must be designed to protect the environment from contaminants which may be present in the solid waste stream. The landfill siting plan prevents the siting of landfills in environmentally-sensitive areas and provides additional safeguards.
Lease-Purchase Agreements
An agreement that allows public entities to finance purchases and installation over long-term periods using operating budget dollars rather than capital budget dollars by selling property or equipment and leasing it back without a change in occupancy or use.
Main Street Programs
Community-driven efforts to revitalize older business districts based on their unique assets, such as distinctive historic architecture, pedestrian-friendly environments, personal services, local ownership, and a sense of community.
Market Evaluation
Determines changes that have occurred in the marketplace and evaluates how the market is different as a result of the program.
Measured Savings
An approach to estimating energy and demand savings, usually for larger or more complex program strategies. Estimates of energy (and/or demand) savings are calculated using one or more of the following techniques - engineering methods; statistical analyses; computer simulation of system performance; metering and monitoring; and/or integrative methods.
Mitigation
An intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gas emissions.
Multiple Benefits
Participant Cost Test
Compares the benefits of participating in an efficiency program (e.g., savings on energy bills) to the costs of participation (e.g., any increases in up-front costs) for either a "typical" customer or all participating customers in aggregate.
Process Evaluation
Indicates how to improve the structure and delivery of a program or project.
Program Administrator Cost Test
Evaluates the impacts of efficiency initiatives on the administrator or energy system.
Program Potential
The efficiency potential possible given specific program funding levels and designs.
Property Assessed Clean Energy
Allows private property owners to pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements through a voluntary tax assessment that is tied to the property rather than the owner.
PACE
Public Benefits Funds
A pool of resources typically created by levying a small fee or surcharge on customers' electricity rates, which can then be used by states to invest in clean energy.
PBF
Ratepayer Impact Measure Test
Evaluates impacts on customer rates by evaluating changes in utility revenues and operating costs.
Recycling
Turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Collecting used bottles, cans, and newspapers and taking them to the curb or to a collection facility is just the first in a series of steps that generates a host of financial, environmental, and social returns including reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Redevelopment Readiness Certification
Older communities that have lost people and jobs can increase the likelihood of redevelopment by updating codes and development regulations, streamlining their development review process, and making their planning process more predictable. States can support this reform by certifying communities as "Redevelopment Ready," providing a stamp of approval that can attract developers.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.
Reuse
Reuse refers to reusing a product by its original user or someone else without additional processing.
Revolving Loan Funds
A capitalized fund, typically maintained by a state government, that provides low-interest loans for energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy, and distributed generation. As the loans are repaid, they are deposited back into the fund for redistribution as subsequent loans.
Safe Routes to School
Helps states and communities assess bike and pedestrian conditions around schools, and then facilitate the infrastructure and program changes needed to make the routes safer.
Smart Growth
Smart growth covers a range of development, land use planning and conservation strategies that help protect our natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, and more socially diverse. Smart growth development is town-centered, transit and pedestrian oriented, and has a greater mix of housing, commercial and retail uses. It also preserves open space and many other environmental amenities.
Smart Sites
Internet-based program to market land the state has an interest in developing. A "smart sites" database should include meaningful information on site characteristics, as well as federal, state, and local incentives available for redevelopment.
Societal Cost Test
A variation of the total resource cost test that includes monetized effects of externalities benefits and may use a "social" discount rate that is lower than that used in the total resource cost test.
Societal Net Benefit
The result of subtracting the total costs to society of a program or policy from the total benefits to society.
Source Reduction
Source Reduction refers to any change in the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products (including packaging) to reduce their amount or toxicity before they become municipal solid waste. Source reduction also refers to the reuse of products or materials.
Supplemental Environmental Projects
An environmentally beneficial project that an environmental violator voluntarily agrees to undertake in settlement of a civil penalty action.
SEP
System Benefits Charges
A pool of resources typically created by levying a small fee or surcharge on customers' electricity rates, which can then be used by states to invest in clean energy.
SBC
Technical Potential
The theoretical maximum amount of energy use that could be displaced by the technology being evaluated (e.g., energy efficiency, combined heat and power) disregarding all non-engineering constraints.
Total Resource Cost Test
Compares the present value of all costs of efficiency for all members of society compared to the present value of benefits to assess the impacts of a portfolio of energy efficiency initiatives on the economy at large.
Utility Cost Test
Utility Infrastructure Pricing to Support Infill Development
Revising utility pricing and cost recovery structures to reflect the true cost of energy delivery supports development in existing communities. It is less expensive to provide energy service for infill development than to provide service for greenfield sites that require additional power lines. Compact development also consumes less energy per unit.
Walk to School Day
Event to promote physical activity, safety, and concern for the environment that can increase opportunities for students to walk to school and begin identifying the barriers that can make walking to school unsafe.