The term market transformation is the strategic process of intervening in a market to create lasting change in market behavior by removing identified barriers or exploiting opportunities to accelerate the adoption of all cost-effective energy efficiency as a matter of standard practice.
In this graph, the lefthand side of the curve is the "emerging technologies" part. New research and inventions pave the way for new (more efficient) products being introduced to the market. A small number of people may buy these products (these are your "early adopters"), but the product doesn't have a large base audience yet. This is where market transformation starts to play a role. Market transformation is the process of getting these new, amazing products to a wider audience. Broadly speaking MT looks to remove barriers and exploit opportunities to get this product to be mainstream. This can be done through programs promoting the product, voluntary standards for the product (Energy Star, for example), etc. The ultimate goal of market transformation is for the product to become standard practice. Codes and standards requiring the level of energy use that the new product uses are examples of a successful market transformation effort.
ACEEE is a central hub in a large-scale, coordinated effort to accelerate the market penetration of more efficient products and practices. Our market transformation activities include:
- Hosting the annual Market Transformation Symposium. This annual spring event brings hundreds of practitioners to Washington, D.C. for two days of presentations and discussions. Participants include policy makers, manufacturers, program planners, implementers, and evaluators and their trade partners.
- Coordinating the Market Transformation Roundtable. The MT Roundtable is an ongoing discussion with key players and stakeholders in the field of market transformation. The Roundtable meets once or twice a year to maintain dialogue on current issues and activities.
- Researching and Publishing Reports on Market Transformation Topics. ACEEE advances the quality of market transformation efforts by researching and evaluating existing programs. We also explore new opportunities for increased MT activity in the residential and commercial sectors, focusing on high-efficiency equipment, proper sizing and installation, and systems approaches to achieving high building performance.
- Assisting other organizations to meet their goals. ACEEE provides analytical and other support for groups like the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and various regional initiatives such as the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP), the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), and the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP).
- Residential retrofits. We are screening, evaluating, and developing creative approaches to the challenge of helping consumers save energy in their own homes, by linking energy efficiency to other values, such as comfort and aversion to risk.
Together, this program plan is a balanced approach, exploring new directions, and helping the people who build and operate energy efficiency and market transformation programs in the field.
