How Utility Energy Efficiency Programs are Utilizing City Energy Labeling Requirements
This paper was presented at the 2020 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.
Abstract
An increasing number of local governments across the United States are instituting mandatory residential energy labeling requirements when a home is listed for sale. As these residential energy labeling policies are implemented, they create opportunities for local energy efficiency (EE) programs to more effectively identify EE opportunities and improve engagement with homeowners. Local home energy labeling policies, like those in Minneapolis, Minnesota,and Portland, Oregon, produce large data sets with detailed EE information on thousands of homes in thosecommunities. The availability of these new datasets allowsutility-sponsored EE programs to better understand where EE potential exists and can inform creative approaches that motivate homeowners to invest in new EE features. Local EE programs are now able to:
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analyze comprehensive home energy datasets produced by local labeling policies;
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integrate insights taken from these datasets into program design and marketing strategies;
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identify opportunities to address underserved communities;and
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develop targeted customer interventions and personalized program services.
In Minneapolis, the City and CenterPoint Energy developed an Energy Advisor service that identifies recent homebuyers who are most likely to make home energy improvements and provides support for them to complete these projects. In Portland, the City provided Energy Trust of Oregon access to the results of the first 24 months of energy scoring data, yielding analytical insights that resulted in new targeted customer acquisition strategies. The strategies and outcomes derived from these efforts will be outlined in this paper.