EM&V

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.

These days in the energy world, meters are getting a lot of media exposure. With spot meters, smart appliances, building management systems, utility billing meters, and smart meters (which are also known as advanced metering infrastructure or AMI), the energy industry may start drowning in data. And yet, people are asking: do we have enough?

The Scouts’ motto of “Be Prepared” may be old, but it’s still relevant in today’s world. Prepared for what? Well, the motto means being in a state of readiness for anything that comes along, being willing and able to tackle whatever is needed.

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:

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.

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 information to inform future plans, by the way.

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.