Trends in Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs

Anna Chittum, Research AssociateDan Trombley, Engineering AssociateR. Neal Elliott, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Director for Research

Presented to the Industrial Energy Technology ConferenceMay 20, 2010New Orleans, LA

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

• Non-profit 501c(3) dedicated to advancing energy efficiency through research and dissemination

• 35+ staffers in Washington DC, Delaware, Michigan and Wisconsin

• Focus on end-use efficiency in industry, buildings, utilities, transportation and national/state policy

• Offer conferences and publications• Funding:

• Foundation/federal grants: 41%• Specific contract work: 21%• Conferences and pubs: 34%

Why Efficiency Programs?

Why Industry?

“Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs: Identifying Today’s Leaders and Tomorrow’s Needs” (IE091, Sept. 2009)

• Interviewed 30 industrial EE programs• US & Canada • Public benefit funded• Industrial program managers• New & Established programs• Qualitative survey over phone & email• July 2008 – April 2009

“Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs: Identifying Today’s Leaders and Tomorrow’s Needs” (IE091)

• Secondary data review• Program websites• Consortium for Energy Efficiency• published conferences• prior ACEEE research

Program Types

• Training / education and awareness / general outreach,

• Technical assistance and auditing services,• Prescriptive incentive programs,• Custom incentive programs,• New construction/renovation incentive programs,• Standard performance contracting programs

(also called “standard offer”), and• Other financial assistance programs.

Current Best Practices

• Maintain lasting relationships with customers,• Recognize the need for longer timelines and

flexible services,• Have partnerships in place to learn of new and

expanding businesses,• Coordinate multiple program offerings,• Recognize the importance of behavior,• Help firms understand the non-energy benefits

of efficiency investments, and• Provide follow-through assistance

Trends in Industrial Efficiency

• Energy manager/management programs and employee behavior programs,

• Targeted industry sub sector-specific outreach and program deployment strategies,

• Natural gas efficiency programs, • Coordination of industrial efficiency programs

with regional energy efficiency efforts, • Multi-stakeholder goals,• Custom incentive programs, and• Workforce challenges for programs.

1. Energy management programs and employee behavior programs

• Train in-house energy manager

• Cost share hire / shared hire

• Behavior programs• Necessary, but far from ubiquitous

2. Targeted sub sector-specific outreach and program deployment strategies

• Regional industries

• Dedicated personnel• Familiar face• Industry-specific knowledge

3. Natural gas efficiency programs

•Previously focused on electricity only

•Growing concern over natural gas savings targets

Liquid Fuels31%

Primary Electricity

33%

Natural Gas24%

Other12%

4. Coordination of industrial efficiency programs with regional energy efficiency efforts

• NEEA, SWEEP, SEEA, MEEA, NEEP

• Northwest Food Processor’s Association

• State Energy Offices

5. Multi-stakeholder goals

• Environment •Climate Change

• Energy Security• Economy

•Jobs

• Elec & NG utilities• State Energy Offices• IAC, MEP• Regional orgs• Multi-state collaborative

•Funded by & working with many groups with different goals

6. Custom incentive programs

• More prevalent in mature programs

• More expensive, but much more valuable• Build relationships• Address complex industrial systems

7. Workforce challenges for programs

• Difficult to find qualified staff• Engineering background• Customer Service skills

• Could hamper program expansion

• Limited by public benefit funding

Starting a new Industrial Program

• Get to know your customer,

• Help your customer get to know you,

• The importance of persistence and trust,

• Start with assessments—and build internal capacity to do more,

• Identify internal champions, and

• Don’t overlook small companies.

Future Work

• Data, data, data• EM&V / Standardized data collection• Project data / database• Self-Direct data

• Future survey update

• Self-direct results

Daniel TrombleyIndustrial Engineering Associate

Email: dtrombley@aceee.org

Phone: 202-507-4008

Web: http://www.aceee.org/industry

http://www.aceee.org/store “IE091”