Welcome to the E Source blog! Our staff will share insights and observations about life at E Source, our events, our research, and other fun stuff.


The Problem with Residential Energy Disaggregation Tools

June 23, 2016 | Essie Snell
Buyer beware! The idea behind energy disaggregation is straightforward: take a single source of data on energy use and apply software algorithms to identify the constituent components based on their unique energy-use signatures. Unfortunately, the accuracy of these products remains highly variable.

Beat the Heat: Letting Your Full Digital Potential Shine to Encourage Safety and Savings This Summer

June 22, 2016 | Sarah Howie
What do safety, energy efficiency, and fun have in common? They're the primary themes of utilities' tips and tricks campaigns this summer. Check out a few exciting and effective examples of websites, digital ads, and social media posts that I hope will inspire your summer efforts.

World’s Best Dad: How Utilities Can Use Social Media to Help Celebrate This Father’s Day

June 9, 2016 | Sarah Howie
Father's Day is around the corner, and utility brands have tapped into the holiday spirit in all kinds of creative, heartfelt ways. Is your Father's Day strategy ready to go for this year? Check out high-engagement examples from 2015 to help spark your creativity!

Claiming the $100 Billion Prize with Electric Vehicles

June 2, 2016 | Michael Shepard
Utilities are improving their marketing of electric cars, but they may be relying too much on the auto industry to boost awareness. A four-part series explains how utilities can take advantage of the benefits EVs provide, why they need to act soon, and how to motivate the car dealers.

Make a Good First Impression with Self-Service Moving Offerings

May 17, 2016 | Luke Currin, Keenan Samuelson
Utilities can make a great first impression on customers who are starting service at a new home by empowering them to self-serve. Our three-part series on moving self-service offerings provides utilities with CX and marketing insights to effectively design and promote their offerings.

Read It! How to Succeed on Reddit

May 13, 2016 | Jeffrey Daigle
Reddit is a social media channel that can provide wealthy dividends for those who listen. The community on this platform is extremely well engaged, well informed, and honest with its feedback. We provide tips on how to interact with Reddit users for maximum benefit.

Rounding Up Innovation: Residential DSM Style

May 10, 2016 | Beth Fitzjarrald
Looking for the latest and greatest in residential DSM? Aren't we all? E Source rounds up interesting and innovative programs twice each year. Our published report has all the details, but check out this little blog to get some of the highlights on five programs that caught our eye.

Organizational Structure Inspired by Nature

April 28, 2016 | Meredith Ledbetter
At some point in your career you’ve probably been through an organizational restructuring. The classic hierarchical structure delivers mixed results, so design-thinking researchers are turning in part to the natural world to find org structures that work.

What Will It Take to Derive Real Value from Grid Battery Storage?

April 22, 2016 | Bryan Jungers
The hype would have you believe that batteries will solve our aging-grid problem. The missing key in grid storage advancement isn't the storage technology itself, but the effective enabling of the many stacked functions that are needed to unlock the technical and economic benefits of grid storage.

The Joneses Are Going Electric with the Tesla Model 3

April 18, 2016 | Logan Jacobson
With 280,000 people preordering Tesla’s Model 3, electric vehicles might become mainstream in 2017. Tesla, Nissan, and Chevy will all release vehicles with 200 miles of range for $35,000 or less—providing enough range at a low enough price to make going electric tempting for almost anyone.