Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
all customer classes, designing and delivering efficiency programmes that
optimise budgets, and ensuring that those programmes deliver results with
the goal of creating a sustainable, aggressive national commitment to energy
efficiency.
Programmes that have been operating over the past decade, and longer,
have a history of proven savings in megawatts (MW), megawatt-hours
(MWh), and therms, as well as on customer bills. These programmes show
that energy efficiency can compare very favourably to supply-side options.
This chapter summarises key findings from a portfolio-level review of many
of the energy efficiency programmes that have been operating successfully
for a number of years. It provides an overview of best practices in the follow-
ing areas:
1. Political and human factors that have led to increased reliance on
energy efficiency as a resource
2. Key considerations used in identifying target measures for energy
efficiency programming in the near term and long term
3. Programme design and delivery strategies that can maximise
programme impacts and increase cost-effectiveness
4. The role of monitoring and evaluation in ensuring that programme
dollars are optimised and that energy efficiency in planning, design
and implementation, and evaluation was derived from a review of
energy efficiency programmes at the portfolio level across a range of
policy models (e.g. public benefit charge administration, integrated
resource planning)
A sustained history of successful energy efficiency programme implemen-
tation summarised and shared the following characteristics:
1. Significant investment in energy efficiency as a resource within their
policy context
2. Development of cost-effective programmes that deliver results
3. Incorporation of programme design strategies that work to remove
near-and long-term market barriers to investment in energy efficiency
4. Willingness to devote the necessary resources to make programmes
successful
Most of the organisations reviewed also have conducted full-scale impact
evaluations of their portfolio of energy efficiency investments within the last
few years. The best practices gleaned from a review of these organisations
can assist utilities, their commissions, state energy offices and other stake-
holders in overcoming barriers to significant energy efficiency program-
ming, and can help to begin tapping into energy efficiency as a valuable and
clean resource to effectively meet future supply needs.
