Evaluation work is important.

It’s a necessary practice to inform both program planning and program improvement. It’s important to plan and to look back to document and improve program performance.

As we know from the ACEEE Scorecard, the Northeast region is top-ranking in energy efficiency. And, while it may go unsung, program evaluation in the region is similarly stellar. Some examples of note:

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?”

This post was written by Jeremy Eddy, Managing Director/V.P. of Opinion Dynamics, as part of its membership in NEEP’s Allies Program.

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...

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.

Fellow energy enthusiasts, I have some innovations to share with you! But, before I do, a couple of questions:

Let me provide a bit of background before discussing some recent advancements.

Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution? You know, you’ve wanted to do something like eat healthier, become the next “Biggest Loser”, or lift increasing amounts of weight in your workout. You do well at the outset; powered by excitement and engagement. After several months, though, you discover that your willpower starts to fade. This is, of course, one of the main challenges of continuous improvement efforts – despite...