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Efficiency Beyond Widgets: C&I Behavioral Program Options
February 7, 2012
This review of behavioral program options for the commercial sector helps demand-side management program managers view the lay of the land for programs that focus on changing how people think about and use energy, rather than on installing efficient devices.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EDRP-RB-22 | Author: Dulcey Simpkins
NEW!
Making Backup Generators Pay Back
January 26, 2012
What are the costs associated with natural gas and diesel backup generators for commercial applications? Under what conditions can we expect a reasonable payback on that investment?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: CEMC-AskES-14 | Author: Bryan Jungers
NEW!
Heat Pump Water Heaters: They’re Baaack!
January 26, 2012
Residential heat pump water heaters are in the midst of a significant resurgence and have the potential to save consumers substantial amounts of energy if they are installed and used correctly.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-53 | Author: Essie Snell
NEW!
Can Smart Meters Make Prepaid Work for You?
How AMI Breaks Down Barriers to Prepaid Programs
January 23, 2012
Prepaid metering with advanced metering infrastructure is a win-win situation: Customers get convenience and control and utilities get increased customer satisfaction and decreased collection costs. This report explores the prepaid programs of four U.S. utilities.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: IGS-RB-12 | Author: Sarah Fiebiger
SMB Segmentation: Your Customers and Employees Will Thank You
January 9, 2012
Utility marketers will learn the direct effect that segmentation has on corporate goals – customer satisfaction and program participation – and the indirect effect that it can have on employee engagement.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: BCO-F-1 | Author: Jenny Field
How Efficient Are New Homes in California?
January 5, 2012
A study examined 40 single‑family and 40 multifamily units (apartments and townhouses) that were built under the 2005 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Buildings. Data showed that the homes often didn’t perform up to code.
Content type: Tech Brief | Document ID: CEC-TB-62 | Author: Ira Krepchin
Repository of Publicly Available Technical Reference Manuals
January 3, 2012
Where can I find a repository of demand-side management (DSM) deemed savings values or other measure-specific assumptions? Is there a national database with this information?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: EDRP-AskES-45 | Author: Todd Camnitz
Air-Cooled Electric Chillers
December 28, 2011
Air-cooled electric chillers can be more attractive in hot, humid climates and certain applications in other climates compared to water-cooled chillers and rooftop units. However, in most of North America, water-cooled chillers are more efficient and have a lower life-cycle cost.
Content type: Resource Guide | Document ID: TAS-RG-28 | Author: Peter Criscione
Don’t Let Fairness Concerns Derail Your Smart Grid Business Case
December 27, 2011
Utilities lack sound intelligence on pricing-program implications for verified hardship customers—those whose households meet some poverty level measure and qualify for bill assistance. Regulators' fairness concerns about pricing programs can be addressed with the strategies outlined in this report. ...
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: IGS-RB-10 | Author: Dulcey Simpkins
Joint Programs Between Electric and Gas Utilities
The Path to Comprehensive and Sustainable Energy Savings
December 22, 2011
By cooperatively leveraging program resources, institutional experience, and respective customer bases, joint programs between electric and gas utilities can reduce delivery costs while maximizing opportunities for customer savings from a comprehensive fuel-blind approach.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EDRP-RB-19 | Author: Jonathan Nelson
Driving Efficiency Action at the Facility Level
December 21, 2011
What are some best practices developed by corporate energy managers to encourage their facility managers to improve the energy performance of their buildings?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: CEMC-AskES-12 | Author: Mary Horsey
Gaining Efficiencies Through Residential Product Bundling
December 19, 2011
Today’s consumers are well accustomed to product bundles, and they expect meaningful value from them. As some utilities try to capitalize on this customer desire, they’re finding that product bundling not only helps meet consumer expectations but also helps achieve program administrator goals. ...
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-12 | Author: Melanie Wemple
New Direct-Drive Motor Technology for Cooling Towers Offers Benefits Over Induction Motors
December 19, 2011
Permanent-magnet motors have been around for years, but recent technology developments have led to promising direct-drive applications for cooling towers.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-46 | Author: Lee Hamilton
Gap and Priority Benchmark 2011
A Survey of Utility Large Business Customers
December 16, 2011
The 2011 Gap and Priority Benchmark surveyed 1,428 large business customers to assess how well utilities and account representatives are satisfying the needs of their business customers, and to identify steps utilities and account reps can take to better serve these important accounts.
Content type: Benchmark Study | Document ID: BAM-BMK-GPB-11 | Author: Kim Burke, Alan Seltzer
Account Management Assessment 2011
Account Management Best Practices
December 14, 2011
Utility business account management groups often gauge their success by customer input, but a comparison to other utilities can deliver more-meaningful information. The 2011 Account Management Assessment provides in-depth, actionable data about account management practices across the utility industry. ...
Content type: Benchmark Study | Document ID: BAM-BMK-AMA-11 | Author: Alexandra Behringer, Sarah Fiebiger
How Utilities Classify Key, Large, Midsize, and Small Business Customers
December 14, 2011
Why is it useful for utilities to designate business customers into size categories, and what criteria are used to make these distinctions?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BMS-AskES-3 | Author: Sarah Fiebiger
QR Code Success Stories
December 12, 2011
What utilities have successfully used quick response (QR) codes, and what metrics do they use to measure success? I’m looking for best practices to integrate QR codes into our marketing efforts.
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: RES-AskES-20 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Structuring Implementation RFPs
A Guide to Maximizing Value from Contractors
December 12, 2011
As utilities ramp up efficiency programs, they often rely heavily on implementation contractors. However, many new contractors lack adequate experience and often require utility training. By strategically structuring the request for proposals, utilities can maximize value from contractors.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EDRP-RB-18 | Author: Alexandra Behringer
Account Management Assessment 2011: Appendix C
December 9, 2011
Appendix C of the 2011 Account Management Assessment is a downloadable PDF of the web-based survey that E Source presented to 37 participating organizations within the utility industry.
Content type: Benchmark Study | Document ID: BAM-BMK-AMA-11_Appendix_C | Author: Alexandra Behringer, Sarah Fiebiger
Ah, the Life of an LED
December 5, 2011
We see lots of claims about long life for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). How do manufacturers determine those lifespans?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-46 | Author: Ira Krepchin
More Than Just a Pretty Picture
Selecting a Smart Grid–Enabled Web Portal Vendor
April 5, 2010 | Updated: December 1, 2011
Many utilities deploying smart grid technologies are considering providing customers with a web portal display of near-real-time energy use to help those customers manage consumption in their homes. We’ve developed a guide to aide you in selecting the right solution for your utility.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: IGS-F-6 | Author: Carol Stimmel, Sarah Weldon
Do You Have What It Takes to Implement a Residential Deep Energy Retrofit Program?
November 30, 2011
As utilities continue to search for new program types that can help them meet demand-side management efficiency goals, residential deep energy retrofit programs are beginning to emerge as one new option. Read what five utilities have learned from their experiences with these programs.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EDRP-RB-30 | Author: Todd Camnitz
Industrial Energy-Efficiency Technologies and Program Strategies
November 29, 2011
To tap the industrial efficiency sector, utilities must identify new technologies and employ more creative and collaborative strategies to deliver customer-focused solutions. We identify underutilized and emerging technologies as well as effective program strategies to help maximize customer uptake.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-50 | Author: Noel Crisostomo - RMI, Ryan Matley - RMI
Communicating Natural Gas Safety
November 29, 2011
What taglines are utilities using to educate their customers about gas safety? Which communications channels are the most effective in getting this messaging out to customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-21 | Author: Rachel Cooper, Melanie Wemple
Will the Rare-Earth Metals Crunch Hurt Fluorescent Lighting Programs?
November 18, 2011
What's going on with the prices for fluorescent lamps? How can we keep rising prices from bankrupting our fluorescent lighting programs?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-53 | Author: Lee Hamilton
Customers Will Care About Smart Meter Data Privacy
November 15, 2011
Our customers have expressed concerns about the privacy of their smart meter data. What can we learn from other industries about the realities of managing and protecting customer data?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: IGS-AskES-29 | Author: Justin Rickard
2011 E Source Utility Brand Strength Survey: Rankings and Drivers
November 14, 2011
To help utilities understand utility brand value drivers and to support the improvement of utility brand image and strength, E Source analyzed data from The Nielsen Company’s 2010 energy-use survey, conducted with more than 32,000 residential customers in the U.S.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: UCS-F-8 | Author: Rachel Cooper, Chuntian Lu, Dulcey Simpkins
The Tao of Setting Rebate Levels
November 14, 2011
Setting rebates for energy-efficiency measures at the optimal level is as much an art as it is a science. This report outlines a set of recommended steps to help utilities determine what the right rebate level is for their measures, given their unique goals and circumstances.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EDRP-RB-17 | Author: Kate Drexler
Using LEDs in High-Bay Cold-Storage Applications
October 24, 2011 | Updated: November 14, 2011
Are light-emitting diodes (LEDs) a good option for high-bay lighting in cold-storage warehouses?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-54 | Author: Ira Krepchin
E Source Energy Management Survey 2011
Reporting Actions and Priorities at the Facility Level
November 4, 2011
In March 2011, E Source held its 18th Annual Energy Management Roundtable in Boulder, Colorado. At the Roundtable, we conducted a survey of the energy managers in attendance. This report summarizes the key findings of the survey.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: CEMC-RB-1 | Author: Todd Camnitz, Kevin Vranes
