ACEEE Session Preview: Resource Innovations Shares What’s Next in Energy Efficiency

From grid flexibility and equitable electrification to community engagement and commercial building performance, the conversations shaping the future of energy efficiency are happening at the 2026 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, August 2 to 7 in Pacific Grove, CA.

Multiple RI experts will take the stage to share real-world experience, practical strategies, and actionable insights for improving efficiency, affordability, and resilience. Whether you're looking for lessons from successful pilots, innovative planning frameworks, or research that can strengthen program design, these sessions offer ideas you can put into practice.

Don't miss these sessions featuring RI's experts!

Panel 7, All Sessions: Market Transformation

Featuring: Stacey Hobart, Moderator

• August 4 | 8:30–10:00 a.m. and 10:30–12:00 p.m.
• August 5 | 8:30–10:00 a.m. and 10:30–12:00 p.m.
• August 6 | 10:30–12:00 p.m.

Join Stacey Hobart as she moderates discussions exploring the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping market transformation. Across multiple sessions, industry leaders will share insights and practical strategies ranging from Building Performance Standards to workforce development to accelerating market adoption of emerging technologies. 

Panel 4, Session 1: Les Misér-Energy: Targeting for Performance

“From Energy Speak to Owner Speak: Communicating the Value of Commercial Building Upgrades”

Featuring: Alex Opipari on August 3 at 8:30–10:00 a.m.

Commercial buildings represent a significant opportunity for energy savings, but successful programs require more than technical solutions—they require an understanding of how building owners make investment decisions. This session shares research from interviews and focus groups that explores what motivates commercial building owners, how they think about efficiency investments, and how programs can better engage them.

Key takeaways:

• Insights into how commercial building owners evaluate energy efficiency investments
• The key factors that influence decision-making across different building types
• Best practices for communicating with building owners to increase program participation
• Research findings to help shape more effective commercial energy efficiency offerings

Panel 5, Session 1: Scaling Energy Solutions in Tribal and Rural Communities

"From Underserved to Advocate: Learning from Historically Non-participating Communities"

Featuring: Erin La Voie on August 4 at 8:30–10:00 a.m.

High-need, historically underserved communities often face barriers to participating in energy efficiency programs—from limited awareness and affordability challenges to landlord-tenant issues and, most importantly, trust. This session highlights how the Home Energy Upgrades Pilot successfully reached an underserved rural community through trusted local partnerships. Attendees will learn how a community-based approach helped overcome barriers, increase participation, and deliver meaningful results.

Key takeaways:

• Findings from the Home Energy Upgrades Pilot and energy-saving opportunities identified
• Best practices for engaging community partners
• Insights into participant barriers, motivations, and successful outreach strategies
• Lessons to help strengthen future program design and improve outcomes for underserved communities

Panel 6, Session 1: Flex Appeal: Next Generation of Demand Flexibility

"Locational Demand Response: Where Are We and What’s Next"

Featuring: Elizabeth Font on August 4 at 8:30–10:00 a.m.

As electrification drives load growth, utilities are facing localized capacity constraints across the distribution system. This session explores how locational demand response (LDR) can help defer costly infrastructure upgrades and what it takes to move beyond pilot programs to broader implementation. Attendees will gain practical insights into barriers to scaling LDR, hear lessons from programs with real operational experience, and learn actionable strategies for planning, valuation, and implementation.

Key takeaways:

• The essential elements of successful locational demand response programs
• Lessons learned from utilities with operational LDR experience
• Near-term actions utilities can take to support planning and valuation
• Why institutional change is the key to unlocking greater grid flexibility and reducing costs for ratepayers

Panel 7, Session 2: Thinking Outside the Box on Affordability: How to Manage the Cost of Energy Upgrades

"Scaling Electric Cooking Through Equity-Centered Market Transformation: Lessons From a 120V Battery-Equipped Induction Pilot"

Featuring: Clarissa Kusel on August 4 at 10:30–12:00 p.m.

Electrifying cooking in existing multifamily buildings—especially affordable housing—can be challenging due to limited electrical capacity. This session explores how innovative 120V battery-equipped induction ranges are helping overcome those barriers, making electrification more accessible without costly electrical upgrades.

Key takeaways:

• How 120V battery-equipped induction technology can expand electrification opportunities in existing multifamily housing
• Real-world lessons from a successful pilot, including resident engagement, multilingual outreach, and implementation best practices
• Insights into everyday cooking patterns that demonstrate the technology's reliability on existing 120V circuits
• How pilot findings can inform utility programs, incentives, and market transformation efforts

Panel 6, Session 1: Rate Expectations: Emerging Utility Tariffs and Rates

"Balancing Energy Affordability and Grid Resilience Under Performance-Based Ratemaking"

Featuring: Anna-Elise Smith on August 5 at 8:30–10:00 a.m.

As utilities work to improve reliability and resilience while managing customer costs, transparent investment decisions are more important than ever. This session explores practical approaches to evaluating distribution system investments under performance-based regulation, drawing on real-world experience from Connecticut's Reliability and Resilience Frameworks. Attendees will gain real-world insights into prioritizing grid investments through transparent, customer-focused evaluation methods.

Key takeaways:

• A practical framework for categorizing and evaluating distribution system investments
• How affordability assessments and resilience analyses can support investment decisions
• Lessons learned from implementing one of the nation's most advanced reliability and resilience frameworks
• Why not every grid investment should be justified through a traditional cost-benefit analysis—and what utilities can do instead to ensure transparency and accountability