Utility Program & Policy Support

First, AESC conducts integrated audits of customer facilities to identify ways of reducing customer energy use. These audits include extensive on-site technical investigations of customer facilities and processes with the result being an audit report that includes a plan recommending energy efficiency, demand response and self-generation measures. AESC also identifies applicable PG&E incentives and estimate incentive amounts for each measure as part of each audit.

Second, AESC supports the PG&E Non-Residential Retrofit – Demand Response effort, which provides financial incentives to customers for energy savings and load reduction. AESC provides administrative, technical and engineering services to support PG&E’s program management team. AESC reviews project applications and inspects customer facilities to verify installation and proper operation of equipment designed to reduce customer demand and energy use. AESC also provides scheduling, database management and program management support.

The third area of AESC efforts is in support of the PG&E Non – Residential New Construction Demand response effort. AESC reviews customer construction plans and recommends cost effective energy efficiency and demand response measures for customer systems. AESC estimates energy savings and calculates potential incentives for PG&E customers. AESC also verifies the energy savings once all measures have been installed and are operating.

Lastly, AESC supports the PG&E Calculated Energy Efficiency Service, which encourages installation of larger and more complex energy efficiency measures in non-residential customer facilities. AESC assists PG&E customers in designing and evaluating potential energy saving measures for their facilities as well as calculates energy efficiency incentives paid by PG&E incentive programs.

Our program level support has included reviewing the effectiveness of past and comparable programs, preparing program guidelines, gathering stakeholder inputs, creating program forms, estimating tools, procedural documentation and manuals, and providing technical support for program administrators. AESC’s administrative responsibilities include conducting program workshops providing telephone and on-site support for project sponsors, reviewing submitted applications interfacing with program participants to resolve disputes and conducting inspections. AESC developed the concept of the Common Measure to simplify the energy savings calculations and M&V activities for program participants.

As part of this effort, field inspections were made for over 500 SCE customers to verify the operation of equipment installed as part of these incentive programs. The equipment included high efficiency lighting, variable speed drives, injection molders, energy management systems, high efficiency motors and chillers, and miscellaneous process equipment. The customers were interviewed and provided questionnaires that were used to estimate the “Net-to-Gross” ratio of the Programs. AESC calculated the performance parameters for the programs including Gross Impact, Net Impact, Realization Rate, NTG ratio and Designated Units of Measure.

Activities associated with the MFR SPC program are similar to the non-residential program including reviewing the effectiveness of past and comparable programs, preparing program guidelines, gathering stakeholder inputs, creating program forms, estimating tools, procedural documentation and manuals, and providing technical support for program administrators. In both cases, the objective was to encourage energy efficiency by providing savings-based incentives to specific market sectors.

AESC developed the SBSPC program for three California Investor Owned Electric Utilities in 1999 and updated it in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, AESC combined the Small and Large Business SPC programs into a unified statewide SPC program.

AESC’s specific tasks in the SPC programs include creating procedures manuals, preparing application forms and software, developing energy savings calculation tools and formulating the measurement and evaluation requirements and procedures. AESC also added program support by conducting workshops, interfacing with program participants and evaluating program effectiveness.

Energy savings calculation tools were developed by AESC to allow users to quickly and easily estimate the proposed energy savings for many common types of energy conservation measures. AESC created the custom designed SPC application software, maintaining customer data in a project specific database, to simplify subsequent reporting and energy savings tracking efforts. The SPC software provides access to the energy savings calculations tools as well as provides a simple and effective means for the user to create a consistent and acceptable application.

The equipment included variable speed drives, high efficiency motors, and dairy vacuum pump systems. The energy savings calculations were checked and a customer survey was conducted to determine the influence of the SCE program on installation of high efficiency equipment.

Self-generation technologies evaluated included fuel cells, renewable fuel and conventional simple cycle and co-generating power plant technologies. Policy, energy balance and cost effectiveness were analyzed and reported. Recommendations to the CBEE included; program designs for self-generation, eligible self-generation technologies and targeted customer classes and applications.