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January 2012
In 2011, we saw a lot of major changes in the demand-side management (DSM) world! We experienced a gargantuan increase over 2010 in utility DSM budgets and goals, and we discovered that the majority of utilities met their 2010 goals. Behavioral programs took North America by storm, making it hard to go to a conference and not attend a behavioral session. Because 2011 was the final year of “traditional” incandescent lamps due to EISA (the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007), many utilities were forced to ponder the future of residential lighting programs. Through it all, E Source has been covering these noteworthy trends in our reports and through our Member Inquiry service. In case you missed out, here are the top five most read E Source Efficiency & Demand-Response Programs Service reports of 2011.
The number one report was 2010 DSM Achievements and Expenditures by Melanie Wemple and Jonathan Nelson. We collected DSM budgets and energy-savings numbers from 2010 annual reports and performed analysis on the top utility energy-reduction achievements. We also included a downloadable spreadsheet with the data. Stay tuned for an analysis of 2011 achievements!
Business Sector–Specific Programs, by Rachel Reiss Buckley, came in second. As a means to more effectively engage specific business types, many utilities are designing sector-specific programs. In this report, we outline the three most common programs: food service, grocery stores, and data centers.
Coming in third is What Does EISA Mean for Residential Lighting Programs? by Alexandra Behringer (@ESourceAlex). This report explains how EISA will affect residential lighting programs, and what the future may hold for these programs.
The fourth most read report was Behavior Counts: Claiming Behavior-Based Savings from Subsidized Energy Manager Programs by Kate Drexler. To address an unresolved problem for many utilities, we describe the methodology employed by three utilities to claim savings from subsidized energy manager programs. Hopefully, this report will encourage other utilities to implement these proven programs.
Finally, DSM Program Performance Metrics, by Melanie Wemple, was the fifth most read report of 2011. Because of ever-increasing scrutiny on DSM programs, new program-performance metrics are being utilized to better gauge program effectiveness. In this report, we highlight three of the less-common performance metrics.
DSM is evolving at a more rapid pace than ever before, and we’re all playing an important role in bringing it further visibility. I’m looking forward to an exciting 2012, with many more innovative ideas for incorporating DSM technologies and behaviors into people’s daily lives!
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