Category Archives: Analysis

Utility Dive’s Electric Utility Survey Results

Utility Dive surveyed over 500 electric utility execs to reveal what they think are the biggest threats and opportunities facing the industry.

Examples of Findings:

  • “95% anticipate that their utility’s regulatory model will change over the next 10 years, and 57% believe it will change significantly.”
  • “70% of utilities already offer or plan to offer dynamic pricing to customers within the next five years.”
  • “54% of utilities say they face stakeholder pressure to supply cleaner and more sustainable energy.”

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Latest Review of a Software for Tracking Energy Use in Buildings

WegoWise, is one of several IT firms that has created software for tracking energy use in buildings.  Stephen Lacey of Green Tech Media argues that Wego Wise  has one of the most creative ways to present energy use data that is being collected in their database of buildings. Visualizing Building Efficiency is a new website setup by WegoWise that is designed to help individuals “visualize building efficiency”.  A few of the visuals that Stephen Lacey explores are:

  • Savings from a toilet retrofit look like a toilet flushing
  • Building energy use intensity looks like a flock of birds
  • Regional energy consumption differences look like a rubber band

See more examples.

 

“Energy Efficiency and Technologies in America’s Cities”- USMayors.org

“Whether it is deploying LEDs and other state-of-the-art lighting technologies, retrofitting public and private buildings or installing new solar energy systems, these priority activities are examples of how mayoral leadership is changing energy use in our cities. And, the findings in this survey also demonstrate how mayors and cities are adapting to changing conditions and partnerships, while still leading the nation on its energy and climate challenges.”– Tom Cochran

Summary of survey results:

  • 29% of cities choose LED/energy-efficient lighting  as the energy technology receiving top priority in their cities within the next two years.  Solar systems and building retrofits are second at 19%.
  • In 45% of surveyed cities- the City operating budget &

    City capital improvement program are “

    How Cities Expect to Finance Their Top Priority Technology”

  • 71% of the cities say that the utilities are the “most important partners in deploying new energy technologies”
  • 84% of cities say budget/funding constraints pose the “Most Significant Challenges in Advancing Energy Efficiency and Conservation”
  • 36% of cities have developed a “Comprehensive Energy Plan”
  • 40-50% of cities creating programs for residents and business for “Engaging the Local Community on Climate Activities”

Click to access 0122-report-energyefficiency.pdf

For Better or for Worse? Empirical Evidence of Moral Licensing in a Behavioral Energy Conservation Campaign

” The results show that residents who received weekly feedback on their water consumption lowered their water use (6.0% on average), but at the same time increased their electricity consumption by 5.6% compared with control subjects. Income effects can be excluded. While follow-up research is needed on the precise mechanism of the psychological process at work, the findings are consistent with the concept of moral licensing, which can more than offset the benefits of focused energy efficiency campaigns, at least in the short-term.”

By Verena Tiefenbeck, Thorsten Staake, Kurt Roth, and Olga Sachs 

LLNL US Estimated Energy Use in 2011

LLNL US Estimated Energy Use in 2011

According to the chart rejected energy is a greater percentage than energy services and of the rejected energy looks like the energy industry should be targeting transportation and industry sectors.  LLNL

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Results from NYSERDA’s Multifamily Performance Programs: Getting 20% Reduction in Multifamily Buildings

“This preliminary analysis of the first 17 project to complete the Multifamily Performance Program is a small snapshot of the data that will eventually be generated by the program, but it illuminates some key trends – the uniform over-prediction of energy savings of mid-high rise buildings in the New York City area, the consistently strong performance of low-rise buildings located upstate, and the overall trend across building types and locations of over-prediction of electric savings. The over-prediction of electric savings is significant and warrants further inquiry, especially in light of the results of NYSERDA’s previous multifamily program, AMP, which also observed significant over-prediction of electric savings.”–ACEEE report from 2010