Evaluation Measurement and Verification

Sitting in a workshop hosted by NEEP last month, I found myself on a stepping stone towards the reality of the “grid of the future” and enjoying thought provoking presentations and discourse on a seemingly esoteric topic - the role of advanced measurement and verification in grid modernization.

A timer is ticking, and just when you think you know how much time is left until the buzzer rings, you are presented with a new target. An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions need to fall by 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero by 2050.

Vienna, Austria is a city steeped in centuries of history, which includes a mix of conservative tradition and cutting-edge innovation. Last June, tourists were wandering through cobblestone streets, museums and castles, eating schnitzel, and watching the World Cup. I was there too, on the grounds of a 19^th century palace with over 100 participants for the European Evaluation Conference (formally referred to as International Energy Policy and Programme Evaluation Conference).

Welcome to the latest REED Rendering issue, a series of blogs where we bring your attention to interesting trends that we see in the data and the stories behind those trends.

I was driving to work early on a beautiful summery Monday morning, mentally already in the office getting ready for a busy day. As I approached one familiar intersection, there was a different speed limit sign – not the typical “Speed Limit 20” post planted in the ground, but one that said “Speed Limit 20” and, below it, an announcement of my speed – 27 – in flashing lights. It went even further, flashing a message saying “Lower Your Speed”, which I promptly did.

Preparing for workshops, conferences, and public meetings has always been exciting for me; but when I was asked to help suggest topics and give input for a public meeting on a subject on which I had merely skimmed the surface, I asked myself the obvious question- “how could I possibly prepare myself to give a substantial contribution to this meeting?”

Bob Dylan nails what we are experiencing in the energy industry today with the title of his classic ballad, The Times They Are A’Changin’. In that song, he notes “The slow one now will later be fast, as the present now will later be past.” He may as well be singing to evaluators of energy efficiency programs, since evaluators have a lot of experience looking back at the past to explain the present – and also using that information to inform future plans, by the way.

Welcome to the latest REED Rendering issue, a series of blogs where we bring your attention to interesting trends that we see in the data and the stories behind those trends.

Welcome to the latest REED Rendering issue, a series of blogs where we bring your attention to interesting trends that we see in the data and the stories behind those trends.

In New England, it’s starting to look and feel like fall. And the change of season brings with it a change in appetite. As we look around, we see apple and pumpkin spice flavored foodstuffs with more regularity. It’s time for serving up soups, comfort food, and crock-pot based meals.