Research & Data

In Q2, we deepened each of our five key initiatives — Residential Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs), High-Performance Windows, Commercial Luminaire-Level Lighting Controls (LLLCs), Next Gen Rooftop Units, and the Minnesota Advanced Energy Codes Partnership — with new milestones, deeper market engagement, and growing partnerships. 

This report provides strategic insight and information on contractor awareness and perceptions, sales insights, thoughts on customer perceptions, business challenges, and resource and training needs.

This report provides strategic insight and information on specifying processes and preferences, experience and familiarity with LLLCs, and resource and training needs.

This report contains strategic insight and information around perspectives and experience with heat pump RTUs, perspectives and experience with ERVs, and resource and training needs.

The ASHP State of the Market Report provides a current and comprehensive view of heat pump market actor perceptions in Minnesota. The report includes valuable data about contractor experience with and opinions on heat pumps, sales insights, challenges and benefits, training needs and resources, customer installation decisions and processes, heat pump impacts, customer satisfaction, and more.

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) and Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) contracted with Resource Innovations and A2 Efficiency to conduct this analysis. A project committee — comprising NEEA, CEE, Resource Innovations, A2 Efficiency, and Nicor Gas (Nicor) — was formed to define the research scope and modeling methodology. 

2025 is off to a great start for Minnesota’s Efficient Technology Accelerator (ETA). In the first few months of the year, the team made big strides — launching new efforts, strengthening connections, and setting the stage for what’s shaping up to be an exciting year. Take a look at what we’ve been up to in Q1.

In 2024, Minnesota’s Efficient Technology Accelerator (ETA) laid the groundwork for market transformation efforts that will accelerate the deployment of emerging, energy efficient technologies in the state. In our first annual report, we highlight key programmatic accomplishments in line with our program theories of market change and the barriers and opportunities identified during extensive market research conducted in the first year.

The ETA team has continued to make inroads as we work to accelerate adoption of residential air source heat pumps (ASHPs), High-Performance Windows, commercial Luminaire Level Lighting Controls (LLLCs), and High-Performance Rooftop Units. Read more on the newly-published ETA Q4 2024 Report.

The Market Transformation Plan is the culmination of the program development stage, during which extensive research and planning is done to prepare the initiative for market launch. The purpose of this plan is to summarize key contextual information, lay out the basic program logic and desired end state that informs our market strategy, and present the fundamental market support activities necessary for success.