Here's one thought:  EE as a power supply resource.  Now that the region is no longer energy-constrained, has its value diminished?  How do resource planners view EE? 

Here is a second idea:  Regulatory prudence of EE compared to a power plant.   What “proof” is needed for recovery of EE?  How does that compare to the “proof” needed for recovery of power plant costs?  Why are they different? 

Perhaps something about Outcome Based Codes? This kind of energy code is fairly new in Seattle and we're trying to support it with our programs. I'm not sure what the status of this is for other utilities.

PSE has been involved in a new Multifamily air sealing project, where we have made some major breakthroughs using teamwork from the beginning of program design. This project will likely be a great topic for the NW Exchange

We could talk about how we are achieving and quantifying energy savings in the multifamily sector presents a number of challenges. The impacts of shell measures have a greater variance in multifamily buildings than their single family counterparts; individually metered tenants, who move out more frequently, complicates potential evaluations; and improvements are generally paid for by building owners, who don’t typically yield the cost savings because the utility bills are paid by tenants. PSE has approached the challenge of understanding shell measure savings by starting a pilot program with a single implementation contractor and hired an evaluator in the early stages of implementation to define a project implementation and data collection methodology that would best support evaluation efforts by identifying and addressing challenges during implementation. Multiple evaluation options were considered in the first phase of the project and the recommended approach has been carried out with promising results. The program records detailed data from pressurization tests, which are not only conducted before and after insulating and air sealing the buildings, but they are also collected at each phase of implementation to assist in understanding interactive effects of multiple shell measures. Presenting this topic as a panel discussion will allow us to describe how the implementation and evaluation team meet regularly with the program managers to provide real-time feedback and interim results, and it presents the value of working with an effective team from the start of a project.

David__

Here are a few ideas for topics:
1) Is there much of a market for Demand Response here in the Pacific Northwest?
2) How can Efficiency and Demand Response programs be "married" to leverage effectiveness in both areas?
3) What will the 7th Power Plan look like? (or, if it's too early for that, what will it look at?)
4) With declining marginal costs for natural gas, what will that mean for EE programs?
5) BPA started allowing measure bundling for cost-effectiveness (commercial lighting); is that trend -- moving away from measure-by-measure cost effectiveness tests to project-by-project cost effectiveness -- that we can expect to continue (and expand)?
6) What have we learned from the first couple in-region "pay for performance" pilots?
7) How are efficiency programs treating "monitoring based commissioning" and what kind of uptake are they finding?

If you need more ideas, I could probably come up with some more.  But, let's start with those seven.

Thanks,

Curt

I received some ideas from Evergreen Consulting's Roger Spring:

1. C&I Lighting Topic- a real life update on LED's - applications (before and after) where the quality of the fixture, pricing and other attributes are working extremely well where maybe 12 months ago, things were not quite aligned yet. (Dawn Doberenz on panel?)
2. Utility program examples of how to motivate market actors to increase the quality and kWh savings for each project they complete both from within the region and outside the region. 
3. Leveraging market actors to "cross-sell" C&I energy solutions

This one is from Sharon Kegley at PSE:

Verification – A case study   Closing the Loop - Integrating Evaluation into Planning  Utility recently developed a policy for programmatic measurement and verification (M &V) in 2011 in addition to conducting evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) of its programs at least once every four years. The purpose for the policy was to ensure M&V occurs not only by traditional EM&V efforts, but also in real time throughout the program design and implementation aspects of the utility’s portfolio of Energy Efficiency Programs. The Utility has had Verification (such as invoice reviews) tasks within their individual program implementation processes, however, due to the new policy, the utility extended the breadth of their verification, designed and centralized  the function in 2011-2012 program years. The Utility established a Verification (V) Team, to serve as an internal Utility resource for verifying equipment installation and site improvements related to energy-savings claims.  An objective of the V Team is to provide an additional level of review in order to substantiate and increase the veracity of Utility reported conservation savings.  One of the biggest challenges for the V Team was integrating a new process to the existing program infrastructure and securing buy-in from the program teams. Another challenge was for the V Team to complete verifications at the sample size requirements determined by actual installations in real-time (i.e., having weekly and monthly sampling requirements to ensure statistical validity). This paper describes the V Team’s new processes for meeting expectations, focusing on the sampling tool developed to manage statistical sampling requirements along with the feedback and reporting process.   The goal of the verification team is to provide independent verification services across all Utility Energy Efficiency programs in standardized, consistent, and documented processes. One of the primary tools the team uses is a sampling tool that helps determine the number of projects that require verification. The tool determines the sample size based on program forecasts at the beginning of the program cycle and adjusted periodically as forecasts change, to provide a statistically adjusted compliance rate based on 90% confidence and 10% precision (one tail) criteria.  This ensures that the verifications performed are statistically valid and consistent across all programs and measures for estimating compliance/error rates.  Utility must also incorporate verification data in real time, requiring automating the process and reviewing compliance rate results to inform program staff and management for continuous process improvement, data integrity, savings validity, and increased program efficiency.

Denis Dubois of Energy Priorities Magazine suggests:

1. Another media roundtable similar to the one we can last year
2. EE technology and behavior change.

From Todd Blackmun of Franklin PUD:

PNNL should be ready to give some kind of report by May on their study of heat pump water heaters in the PNNL test houses. This would be a good thing for everyone to hear about. I know there was some talk about the test houses being part of a tour. I think a detailed presentation of their study and results would be interesting to the group.  

As for a speaker, I think we should hit NEST up again to talk about “Information Based Behavior Change, resulting in energy savings” IE their leaf program and entry in demand response world. Working with utility rebate programs and Franklin PUD & ETO pilot programs. Love or hate NEST no one else has engaged consumers like they have.

From John McLain of Portland General Electric:

Topic #1 – EE and Renewables, a CFO Perspective Operations management needs to learn to speak the language of your CFO and discover tools and methods that help your energy efficiency and renewable generation projects have a better chance of getting approved.  Learn how to express the costs and benefits in terms so that your projects can best compete against other internal funding requests in the capital budgeting process.  There is often a lot more than the basic pay-back-period criteria for project evaluation.  In simple to understand terms and examples, learn about present value, internal rate of return, quantifying non-energy benefits, and other simple methods of highlighting the value of your project. 

Topic #2 – The Role of Energy Education to the Success of EE Programs This short session reviews the feedback from utility customers over a period of five years regarding FREE energy education provided by their utility.  Education Leads to Understanding, Understanding Leads to Action – Utility program managers use incentives like rebates to encourage their customers to participate in spending money to purchase equipment or change production processes to save energy.  Even with these incentives, management and staff often say “NO!  Now tell me more.”  This kind of resistance to change is common, but most often overcome by a simple education or training initiative intended to help management and staff become familiar and knowledgeable enough with new equipment, systems, and related technologies, such that they are more likely to pursue projects to save energy and related environmental resources (e.g., reduce water use and air pollution). 

Topic #3 – When the Utility Customer asks “Where is my User Manual?” Customers expect to find a set of instructions included with their purchase of software, phones, cameras, cable TV services, appliances, automobiles, and even children’s toys.  Some instruction booklets are titled “user manuals” that educate the customer on the wise and effective use of the product or service.  So when a customer signs up for electric or gas services, where is the user manual for the wise and efficient use of energy?  This short session helps you make the case for your utility to create an FREE educational relationship with utility customers that is the equivalent of the user manual.

Topic #4 – The Carbon Footprint & Other Non-Energy Benefits of EE&R Customers, especially business customers, are aware of the role of carbon in climate change.  Energy efficiency and renewable power (e.g. solar panels) are often viewed as having measurable benefits in terms of carbon reduction.  This can be very different for each utility’s mix of resources, or the source of wholesale power purchases from a grid that connects the Western States, Canada, and Mexico.   But there are several other benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Power that can also be strong motivators for a customer to implementing improvement projects and practices.

More from John McLain of PGE:

Topic #5 – If I buy green power, I don’t need to do any EE projects.  Really? Utilities often have several marketing programs that each independently ask the customer to sign up for services or incentives.  Customers may perceive that if they sign up for one service, it may preclude them from signing up for others.  This means that in some cases, the utility programs are in competition for the customers participation.  For example, if a customer has signed up for green power program because of their concern for the environment, they may not be receptive to energy efficiency or solar program that promotes saving the environment as a primary benefit.  How can the utility avoid this competition in the mind of the customers or the internal program managers?

Topic #6 – What are the best solutions to reducing your Carbon Footprint? Things are changing regarding choice of fuels for typical home and business operations.  A review of several home heating systems yields insights into how recent advances in the efficiencies of heat pumps and utility generation have changed the assumptions about the age old question “what is the best use of natural gas?”  Whether heating for a home or heating for commercial and industrial uses, the efficiency of heat pump and other heating technologies have improved to the point that future choices of fuels for applications in homes, businesses, industrial operations, and even your car or truck, may be very different in the future, staring now. Topic #7 – Basics of Electricity for Business Professionals The operations terms of managing electricity equipment and systems can often be challenging to business management and staff that pay the electricity bills, but didn’t major in engineering or physics.  Learn from a business major, how to keep up with some of the technical language of energy management and staff when they talk about energy efficiency projects or onsite generation like solar panels.           

Topic #7 – Can we transform the market without transforming the customer? http://www.osti.gov/scitech/biblio/450727 Can we transform the market without transforming the customer? Can we transform the market without transforming the customer? Whatever the condition of a home, the behavior of the occupants is the most powerful determinant of how much energy is consumed. This article discusses specific actions of customers that indicate limited response to energy efficiency and energy conservation suggestions, and consumer education activities which might help. Topics covered include barriers to action; effective intervention, defining low-income energy education, successful programs, behavior and feedback, future directions, coordination of energy education. 1 fig. Authors: Harrigan, M. [Alliance to Save Energy, Washington, DC (United States)]  Publication Date: 1994-01-01 OSTI Identifier: OSTI ID: 450727

Here's a topic and presentation recommendation from folks that have been conducting consumer research around water and showerheads and applying those insights into programs:

Saving Water in the Shower: Negative or Positive to Consumers? What is your immediate reaction when someone tells you to save water and energy in your shower?  Did your brain release some dopamine to signal you to be overjoyed at the thought of saving water in your shower?  Or, did you hesitate while your rational brain thinks less water?  And, less water means not a great showering experience?  Have you saturated the low hanging fruit to adopt water-saving showerheads?  If yes, come learn what other behavioral psychology principles you can use to get more market transformation out of showerheads.  

Recommended Presenters
Sean Abadilla, Puget Sound Energy
Sharing results of a behavioral psychology consumer research and how Puget Sound Energy is applying the findings into promoting efficient showerheads.  

Laura Wilson, Uninex International, EnergizedH20 Showerheads
Attracting consumers to efficient showerheads beyond saving water and energy via product features, packaging designs, and emotional and lifestyle benefit angles.  

Trevor Rasmussen, Colehour Cohen
Using choice, customer reviews and star ratings to surprise and delight, learn from and then move consumers to buy and adopt efficient showerheads.

Presently there are no requirements in the Washington Energy Code  (IECC amended) for third party testing of ducts and/or envelope.  Not sure about Oregon, but California definitely requires third party testing.
In Washington the installer of an HVAC system is allowed to test and verify their own install.  Additionally contractors that provide ancillary services to the builder are allowed to provide envelope testing results.
I am seriously considering a submittal for a code change to our building code council in 2014 requiring third party testing.
Are there folks out there who would like to see third party testing requirements implemented in Washington and or Oregon?  Not sure but would appreciate a discussion on the topic.

I would just like to “second” Todd Blackmum's (Franklin PUD) idea to look at some of the heat pump water heater research coming out of Pacific Northwest Laboratory's lab home testing facility.  I also wanted to mention efficient windows and window attachments as another topic area.  We, at PNNL, have been testing low-e storm windows and we also have some testing results for highly efficient (R-5 triple-pane) windows during heating and cooling seasons here in the northwest, which could be of interest to Efficiency Exchange participants.  For various reasons, windows and window attachments have not garnered much attention recently in the utility EE world; however, our most recent whole home testing is showing that low-e storm windows, in particular, are proving to generate significant heating and cooling savings at a fairly low cost making them an effective retrofit measure for existing homes and buildings.  With so few retrofit measures that would be considered "affordable" by residential community, this topic may be worth revisiting. . . 

Two topics: 1) Advancing codes through program design; 2) How utilities are addressing avoided cost changes or changing programs based on CE changes? 3) Commercial data center opportunities.

I'd like to see a follow up panel on the development and co-existence of Smart Grid and EE. It's a nice follow up to some of the technology focus we saw last year.

1.      Accessible Evaluation

How to effectively engage program staff in the evaluation process to produce more timely, meaningful, actionable, higher value results.  PSE has implemented a Gate Review for all impact evaluation processes and we look forward to discussing the topic with other utilities.

I just listened to a DOE SEE Action webinar today on how the EIA forecasts future energy efficiency, and energy intensity and conservation. And LBNL presented on its new study of what customer funded energy efficiency programs are projected to be through 2025.  Both interesting.  Would be good to hear both of these presentations with a focus on what they assume for the 4 NW states.  LBNL contact is Ian Hoffman or Chuck Goldman.  EIA contact is Erin Boedecker. LBNL has state by state data but EIA uses census regions (OR WA CA West).

I saw a great presentation on how high efficiency buildings may not achieve projected efficiency due to design flaws and operator error.

I'd like to see a session on where we are at in our thinking on behavior based programs. (Surprise, surprise!) Who still needs to know what? Are we getting any closer to feeling comfortable with them? Or have they taken us as far as they can in terms of measurable savings and should use them for other purposes like growing the customer headroom for other demand side management programs?

I noticed that building codes have been mentioned a couple of times, which brings to mind DOE's newly developed Utility Estimation Tool (version 1.0)  (available at http://www.energycodes.gov/resource-center/utility-savings-estimators), which is designed to help utilities estimate savings from both commercial and residential buidling energy code implementation.  Seems like this (Efficiency Exchange) would be a good venue to take a little closer look at this tool.

Here is what is stated on the website:  These estimators were developed by the Building Energy Codes Program (BECP) to help utilities estimate potential energy savings from increased compliance with energy codes using well-understood definitions of compliance, and provide easily understood results that can be compared across several utilities or several segments within utility coverage areas, or aggregated to the national level.

Tier 2 APS IR Measure is Here!  Exploring the Pursuit of Consumer Adoption
The Tier 2 Advanced Power Strip with the infrared sensor has a provisional RTF savings of 300 kWh! 

How about a session to learn more about the intelligent Tier 2 APS IR product?   What is the ideal non-activity time period to shut down the electronic equipment?  How can we help customers install the product properly and keep it installed?   The session could provide insights to the consumer behaviors and the pilots that are being tested taking into consideration product design and promotion, long-term usage, and direct-install, retailer, and self-install delivery methods.  

Potential Expert Subject Matter Presenters
Jon Lanning, TrickleStar
Arthur Zhang, CalPlug
???

I propose to hold a breakout session to discuss how we can deepen energy savings from high-savings measures by leveraging the synergy between behavioral and technical savings potential. We could use the DHP measure as a case study. The session would consist of some short presentations on the technical and behavioral determinants of savings for DHPs and then an interactive working session to generate ideas.

I would like to suggest a topic about how On-Bill Financing (OBF) helps businesses invest in comprehensive energy efficiency projects. We’ll share results from commercial program projects that use on-bill financing, and why this method is so effective for increasing energy savings. Our outcomes, for the grocery market segment, show an increase in total average energy savings per project by more than 300 percent as compared to projects completed without using OBF.

As a program implemention contractor and consulting firm working closely with NEEA, the Oregon HB 2801 committee, software vendors, the RTF, and other market actors, I propose a panel discussion on The Future of Residential Home Energy Scoring in the Northwest. Contributors could include Fluid/CLEAResult, NEEA (Efficient Homes and Building Codes), ODOE, The Energy Trust, WSU Energy Program, and Earth Advantage Institute.
 Topics for discussion could include:
    -The case for modeled scores 
    -Applicability to code compliance
    -Existing tools and types of scores

What are the Realities of Market Transformation and Socket Saturation in the Northwest?

BPA’s analysis of the recent Residential Building Stock Assessment cites 32% efficient lamp socket saturation in their region with areas for targeted high change-out potential. EISA is rolling out and the baseline is shifting to efficient lamps but halogen is taking the place of incandescent products on the retail shelves.  Lighting specifications are being designed to protect consumers from making bad choices though no utilities are doing consumer preference market research to find out what consumers really care about. Consumers report substantially more efficient lamps installed when surveyed than what is verified in their homes.

Recommended Speakers

Mark Voykovic, Home Depot

Retail picture of the products selling on the shelf, how consumers are voting with their wallets, and 5 star reviews of LED products on homedepot.com

Joel Smith, Puget Sound Energy

Using emotion and storytelling to help LEDs climb past the market adoption plateau we have seen with CFLs and identifying the consumer research needed to accomplish market transformation.

Laura Wilson, Crank Business Consulting

Outlining behavioral shopping principles that are driving the success of products in general and niche program interventions in efficient lighting.

I propose a topic on communicating the value of energy efficiency. 

Our energy efficiency world is increasingly getting more media attention, is of greater interest to policy makers and we are looking to attract more customers and repeat customers. With audiences that may be less familiar with energy efficiency, what is the best way to improve their understanding of the value of energy efficiency? With customers (new and repeat), does communicating the value and benefit influence their participation? To appeal to these audiences, we can communicate about a variety of benefits and it’s more than just what we traditionally think of as non-energy benefits—there’s resource supply, security, economy, workforce development, environment, carbon, others.

What has proven effective in your company or organization for imparting the benefit energy efficiency investments?

We could learn from each other on the complexity of calculating and communicating different benefits, and discuss the importance of communicating these messages given customer and policy maker interest.  

A communications professional could represent the messaging challenges, a planning staff member will discuss complexity of calculating different benefits, and a media representative will keep the topic focused on what would translate well as a message appealing to the public and policy makers.

I would like to propose this presentation topic/summary relating to industrial Strategic Energy Management (SEM) programs in the Pacific Northwest:

Title: Industrial Energy Management and Information Systems (EMIS) Characterization

Summary: Strategic Energy Management (SEM) for industrial owners shows great promise, and the Pacific Northwest has taken a leadership role in establishing program approaches with proven energy savings. There are a number of Energy Management and Information Systems (EMIS) that can support monitoring, tracking, reporting and other SEM program functions, but to date there has been no practical means of comparing the various tools. PECI proposes to present the outcomes of research to [a] define Pacific Northwest SEM program needs around EMIS, and [b] characterize the feature sets of an array of EMIS tools.

A session on customer engagement approaches that leverage Home Energy Monitoring Systems (HEMS).
HEMS have been evolving rapidly in recent years, with an array of tools and feature options, including energy charting, load disaggregation, goal-setting, rewards, competitions, and social media features. These tools show promise for utility programs, but need to be framed within an overall programmatic approach to customer engagement that can deepen utilities’ relationships with their customers while also becoming a platform for robust behavioral savings, retrofits, and DR. In this session, we'd discuss insights relative to program design, marketing, and business intelligence in HEMS-enabled customer engagement programs.

EIS-enabled Commercial Program Design
Successes and lessons learned in developing and implementing utility programs that use Energy Information Systems (EIS) as tools to improve program cost-effectiveness and customer engagement. How do we most effectively pair the EIS technology with a program design that drives to project implementation?  Particular focus would be given to case studies in the small to medium business market, and how EIS can help these programs become more cost-effective. 

Increasingly, in Residential single and multi family buildings, governments and certification programs are insisting on designed and commissioned ventilation systems.  Unfortunately, added ventilation comes at the expense of giving back some of our energy savings from efficiency measures.  If we are forced to give up a portion of our savings, shouldn't we design our requirements around actually improving Indoor Air Quality and preventing building durability issues? 

I propose a discussion on how to satisfy the intent of ventilation requirements while simultaneously giving up a predictable amount of savings and achieving confident results.

Focusing on IAQ and building durability failures over simply ventilating homes.

One of they key ways our region captures savings over time is through the adoption of codes and standards that are more stringent with each cycle of adoption. Simultaneously, we develop market transformation and energy efficiency programs that count units installed and UES per install. One of the downsides, introduction and incentivization into the market place does not guarantee that installation of measures are achieving desired results.

Program designers lean on checklists, specifications and QA to satisfy this disconnect.

I propose a session looking at non EE approaches that can be taken in New Construction for single and multi family residences.  This would be designing with a focus on:

Training: code, manufacturer specs, best
Motivation: value proposition to homeowners and market stakeholders, contractor channel
Quality: quality control techniques by installers, quality assurance by programs and feedback loops that connect back to training and motivations.

One of they key ways our region captures savings over time is through the adoption of codes and standards that are more stringent with each cycle of adoption. Simultaneously, we develop market transformation and energy efficiency programs that count units installed and UES per install. One of the downsides, introduction and incentivization into the market place does not guarantee that installation of measures are achieving desired results.

Program designers lean on checklists, specifications and QA to satisfy this disconnect.

I propose a session looking at non EE approaches that can be taken in New Construction for single and multi family residences.  This would be designing with a focus on:

Training: code, manufacturer specs, best
Motivation: value proposition to homeowners and market stakeholders, contractor channel
Quality: quality control techniques by installers, quality assurance by programs and feedback loops that connect back to training and motivations.

I propose a session highlighting some important non-residential evaluations in the region, such as these two examples:  

BPA non-res lighting and custom programs:  BPA operates energy efficiency programs and offerings in the commercial, agricultural and federal sectors, including Energy Smart Industrial and Energy Smart Grocer.  This portion of their overall portfolio accounts for over half of their total achievements. In the past 10 years, BPA has only conducted one impact evaluation for a portion of this portfolio. Therefore, BPA has made it a priority to conduct a comprehensive impact evaluation to assess and provide constructive feedback about key elements of the portfolio, as well to ensure for regional stakeholders that the savings claimed by BPA and its public power utilities are, on the whole, reliable, available and documented. Our presentation will discuss the rationale, evaluation approach, and early results from this important effort. (Possible presenters: Lauren Gage--BPA, Carrie Cobb--BPA, Michael Baker--SBW Consulting).

Puget Sound Energy Resource Conservation Manager program: This program achieves energy and other utility cost reductions for large commercial/industrial customers through behavioral changes, O&M improvements, and other relatively low-cost actions spurred on by dedicated RCMs. The RCM program represents an important future direction in comprehensive, behavioral-based energy savings. Evaluating such programs is also a critical arena. Our presentation would discuss the methodology, findings, conclusions, and recommendations from a just-completed impact and process evaluation. The impact evaluation’s combined top-down / bottom-up approach provided a clear sense of where RCM savings comes from, as well as areas of continuing uncertainty, and shed light on the problems inherent in assessing and quantifying RCM actions, as well as potential solutions to these issues. (Possible presenters: Ryan Lambert or Jim Perich-Anderson, PSE; Bing Tso, SBW Consulting).

Session Topics   Submitted by Energy Trust – we can assist with panelist suggestions as well  

Trade Ally  

Energy efficiency programs are relying more on trade allies to support program delivery and achieve cost-effective savings across customer segments and service territories. What is the value proposition for a contractor to participate as a trade ally and what services support their ability to deliver cost-effective savings? Energy efficiency organizations will share approaches to improve trade ally delivery channels by enhancing communications, simplifying program information, developing or refining tools for marketing, financing, reporting, lead generation and training. Methods to streamline the network to focus resources on areas that will produce the most benefit will be discussed, as well as rating systems and network models that increase the quality of installation, service and energy-saving benefit to customers. Trade ally contractors will share their experience.  

Online

Are more of your customers engaging online? Many businesses have responded to this customer preference with expanded online services, tools and communications. Utilities and energy efficiency organizations have a great deal to gain from social media and online engagement, but need to know where to start and what opportunities offer the greatest benefit. Learn how to develop and deploy an online strategy, track and monitor results, develop and design online forms, calculators or other tools, and launch social media campaigns that result in program participation.

Panelists to discuss cost-effective online strategies to engage customers, including use of Facebook, blogs, Twitter and online tools that link to contractors and savings. Participate in a discussion on the transition to online forms and how to navigate some common development challenges such as acceptance of terms and conditions and documentation of transactions.

The Strategies and Needs of End-Users in Northwest Energy Efficiency Programs
I propose a panel comprising a cross-section of end-use customers providing feedback to utilities over their experiences working within and across programs in the region.

End users could come from a broad section of commercial, industrial, or residential users although it would likely make more sense to target per sectors. Within the commercial space, this could comprise energy managers from large grocery, retail, or real-estate management organizations. The panel  could also provide some insight as to how these organizations approach energy efficiency strategies, plans, and processes and would serve to  help utility customers understand the needs of critical end users. We'd be happy to help recruit and/or moderate customers from a swathe of programs to participate in this panel.

I would like to echo Curt Nichols' suggested topic related to the marriage of energy efficiency and demand response or integrated demand side management (IDSM).

This is a topic picking up steam throughout the region, as the relatively nascent demand response movement begins to take shape in the shadow of long established and successful energy efficiency programs. What do the experts say about the impact of DR on EE and vice versa? Can the two efforts coexist? More importantly, does integration make sense, and will it deliver additional value to customers and utilities? And how does the Northwest’s unique situation (EE heavy, DR light) create opportunities and/or challenges related to IDSM collaboration. I believe that a speaker or panel providing thought leadership on this topic, with examples from both outside and within the region, across utility and implementer perspectives, would be interesting and timely for the entire DSM community.    

If this is of interest, I volunteer Brad Davids, the Vice President of Utility Solutions at EnerNOC, as a potential speaker. Brad brings a wealth of knowledge on both sides (EE and DR) of the equation. In his current role, he oversees all of EnerNOC’s utility DR and EE partnerships implementing programs for dozens of utilities across North America, including several in the Northwest. Previously, he held senior positions at Energy Insights, EPRI, Primen, E Source and Puget Energy Services, giving him a diverse perspective across the DSM value chain. Brad is passionate about the potential for IDSM and has first-hand experience with both the challenges and opportunities that come with integrating EE and DR.

#1: Strategic Plans in the Northwest.  NEEA, ETO and SnoPUD are all currently developing five year strategic plans for energy efficiency. Although it may be too late in the calendar to organize a formal panel session on this topic, I would really welcome an informal afternoon session. Potential speakers/coordinators include: Fred Gordon, Ken Canon, Elaine Prause, Jim West, Mary Smith and me.

#2 Energy efficiency financing.  I know this is not (yet) a hot topic in the Pacific Northwest; however, it is a rising theme in California, Hawaii and the Northeast.  Two of the brightest talents in energy efficiency finance happen to live in the Northwest: Aaron Berg at Blue Tree Strategies (Portland) and Mark Zimring of the Nature Conservancy and LBNL (Seattle). They offer clear perspectives on how utilities and regulators can/should step into the energy efficiency finance space.