Project Documents

Project	Report
Savings evaluation of 2002-03 Oakland Energy Partnership retrocommissioning program	OEP Large Commercial Tune-Up Program Impact Evaluation (PDF) This evaluation determined actual energy and demand savings from the 2002-2003 Oakland (CA) Energy Partners program. SBW studied the Large Commercial Building Tune-up portion of this program, which targeted larger commercial buildings such as office buildings, hotels, colleges, hospitals, and retail customers. The program implementer provided participants with a no-cost engineering investigation and analysis to identify and recommend improvements in building operations, such as control strategies and schedules that increased energy efficiency. The evaluation approach consisted of sampling a significant fraction of implemented measures among the completed projects, then collecting the best available baseline and post-implementation data to support a recalculation of actual savings. Lastly, the evaluation team extrapolated actual savings for the sample to the program population to estimate overall program savings. The study found that energy savings were significantly lower than program goals and claims, that savings may last three to five years, and that improved baseline documentation and measure tracking can improve future evaluations.
Protocol-compliant savings evaluation of California statewide 2004-05 retrocommissioning program Back to top	Impact and Process Evaluation Final Report for QuEST’s 2004-5 Building Tune-Up Program (PDF) This EM&V effort covers QuEST’s 2004-5 Building Tune-Up Program, which retrocommissioned medium and large nonresidential buildings throughout PG&E and SCE service areas. The study assessed energy savings achieved, measured program cost-effectiveness, provided ongoing feedback on program implementation, and assessed overall performance, success, and continuing need for the program. Key techniques and data sources included extensive short-term metering, one-time measurements, field observations, and interviews at sampled projects, as well as telephone surveys. These supported developing and revising engineering calculations and building simulations, so that evaluated savings estimates were consistent with IPMVP Option B. Evaluators also estimated net-to-gross ratios and savings persistence for the program. The study concluded that the program was not cost-effective, primarily because of difficulties recruiting participants, challenges persuading customers to implement measures by the program incentive deadline, and measures that underperformed and thus did not provide sustained savings. Adding the effects of recommended measures that customers implemented after the evaluation deadline could improve cost-effectiveness somewhat. Most participants were satisfied with the program, though there is clearly room for improvement. Further study of this type of program is warranted to better understand program savings persistence, and methods to maintain these savings.
Protocol-compliant savings evaluation of California 2004-05 university-utility partnership program Back to top	Impact and Process Evaluation Final Report for 2004-2005 UC/CSU/IOU Energy Efficiency Partnership (PDF) This evaluation of the 2004-2005 UC/CSU/IOU Energy Efficiency Partnership Program estimated how much energy the program actually saved, as well as how effectively the program functioned. The evaluation allows policymakers to assess the program’s cost-effectiveness and ways to improve similar programs in the future. The Partnership was a collaboration between the two university systems and the four largest investor-owned utilities in California. It achieved savings through retrofits, monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx), and training and education. Participants generally considered the program a success. It achieved its goals of implementing energy efficiency measures and establishing a working partnership framework, although progress in creating a comprehensive energy education program remains incomplete. The program is providing cost-effective savings of 18.7 million kWh per year and 872,000 therms per year and average peak demand reduction of 1.95 MW. It is still uncertain, at this point, whether performance monitoring, implemented through the MBCx projects, will lead to more energy efficient building operation without additional support and follow-up.
Protocol-compliant savings evaluation of all programs in 2006-08 California retrocommissioning portfolio Back to top	Draft Final Report: 2006–08 Retro-Commissioning Impact Evaluation (PDF) This report presents the evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) activities for the Commercial Retro-Commissioning (RCx) High Impact Measure (HIM) for the 2006–08 IOU/CPUC Program Cycle. The evaluation comprised 225 projects from more than two dozen programs offered by the four IOUs. The three analytical components of the evaluation were a (1) gross impact analysis that calculated gross realization rates for individual projects using engineering analysis and building simulation methods, (2) net analysis utilizing the self-report approach to estimate the degree of program influence on decision-making, and (3) investigation of effective useful life (EUL) by examining selected measures from prior RCx programs, to determine if each measure was still in place, operational, and yielding savings.

Project

Report

Savings evaluation of 2002-03 Oakland Energy Partnership retrocommissioning program

OEP Large Commercial Tune-Up Program Impact Evaluation (PDF)

This evaluation determined actual energy and demand savings from the 2002-2003 Oakland (CA) Energy Partners program. SBW studied the Large Commercial Building Tune-up portion of this program, which targeted larger commercial buildings such as office buildings, hotels, colleges, hospitals, and retail customers. The program implementer provided participants with a no-cost engineering investigation and analysis to identify and recommend improvements in building operations, such as control strategies and schedules that increased energy efficiency. The evaluation approach consisted of sampling a significant fraction of implemented measures among the completed projects, then collecting the best available baseline and post-implementation data to support a recalculation of actual savings. Lastly, the evaluation team extrapolated actual savings for the sample to the program population to estimate overall program savings. The study found that energy savings were significantly lower than program goals and claims, that savings may last three to five years, and that improved baseline documentation and measure tracking can improve future evaluations.

Protocol-compliant savings evaluation of California statewide 2004-05 retrocommissioning program

Impact and Process Evaluation Final Report for QuEST’s 2004-5 Building Tune-Up Program (PDF)

This EM&V effort covers QuEST’s 2004-5 Building Tune-Up Program, which retrocommissioned medium and large nonresidential buildings throughout PG&E and SCE service areas. The study assessed energy savings achieved, measured program cost-effectiveness, provided ongoing feedback on program implementation, and assessed overall performance, success, and continuing need for the program. Key techniques and data sources included extensive short-term metering, one-time measurements, field observations, and interviews at sampled projects, as well as telephone surveys. These supported developing and revising engineering calculations and building simulations, so that evaluated savings estimates were consistent with IPMVP Option B. Evaluators also estimated net-to-gross ratios and savings persistence for the program. The study concluded that the program was not cost-effective, primarily because of difficulties recruiting participants, challenges persuading customers to implement measures by the program incentive deadline, and measures that underperformed and thus did not provide sustained savings. Adding the effects of recommended measures that customers implemented after the evaluation deadline could improve cost-effectiveness somewhat. Most participants were satisfied with the program, though there is clearly room for improvement. Further study of this type of program is warranted to better understand program savings persistence, and methods to maintain these savings.

Protocol-compliant savings evaluation of California 2004-05 university-utility partnership program

Impact and Process Evaluation Final Report for 2004-2005 UC/CSU/IOU Energy Efficiency Partnership (PDF)

This evaluation of the 2004-2005 UC/CSU/IOU Energy Efficiency Partnership Program estimated how much energy the program actually saved, as well as how effectively the program functioned. The evaluation allows policymakers to assess the program’s cost-effectiveness and ways to improve similar programs in the future. The Partnership was a collaboration between the two university systems and the four largest investor-owned utilities in California. It achieved savings through retrofits, monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx), and training and education. Participants generally considered the program a success. It achieved its goals of implementing energy efficiency measures and establishing a working partnership framework, although progress in creating a comprehensive energy education program remains incomplete. The program is providing cost-effective savings of 18.7 million kWh per year and 872,000 therms per year and average peak demand reduction of 1.95 MW. It is still uncertain, at this point, whether performance monitoring, implemented through the MBCx projects, will lead to more energy efficient building operation without additional support and follow-up.

Protocol-compliant savings evaluation of all programs in 2006-08 California retrocommissioning portfolio

Draft Final Report: 2006–08 Retro-Commissioning Impact Evaluation (PDF)

This report presents the evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) activities for the Commercial Retro-Commissioning (RCx) High Impact Measure (HIM) for the 2006–08 IOU/CPUC Program Cycle. The evaluation comprised 225 projects from more than two dozen programs offered by the four IOUs. The three analytical components of the evaluation were a (1) gross impact analysis that calculated gross realization rates for individual projects using engineering analysis and building simulation methods, (2) net analysis utilizing the self-report approach to estimate the degree of program influence on decision-making, and (3) investigation of effective useful life (EUL) by examining selected measures from prior RCx programs, to determine if each measure was still in place, operational, and yielding savings.

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