Energy Efficiency ≠ Rotisserie Oven
“Set it, and forget it!” is a fantastic approach to convenient kitchen appliance design, but energy efficiency programs that lack the buttons and knobs to make adjustments in the implementation process may result in the program equivalent of a burnt crust and frozen center. To succeed in the kitchen, a good cook develops a process for quality assurance. Programs working to optimize energy efficiency should do the same.
When designing an energy efficiency program, best practices include developing integrated feedback mechanisms and control points which can modify program details in response to changes in market demand, resource availability, and other hard-to-predict factors. This is particularly true when launching an initiative in a new area, or with a new technology, in markets that are not well-established or are nonexistent. Even when working with existing businesses and a robust infrastructure of professionals, introducing new codes and standards can painfully disrupt established procedures. Regardless of the particular market sector and/or lead agent, programs of all flavors can benefit from strategic program design methods such as integrated Quality Assurance (QA).
QA is often seen as an approach that ensures “you get what you pay for,” but this view overlooks the vastly superior outcomes that result from a QA system that provides a program’s staff with regular and transparent feedback. Procedural reporting systems should do more than monitor that minimum levels of eligibility are being met. In a kitchen, no one would argue the importance of verifying that internal food temperature reaches legally safe levels – this is basic QA, but it doesn’t guarantee that the final product will be anything a person would want to eat. In an energy efficiency program, basic QA will only validate a program’s compliance. By taking QA to the next level, you can also collect more market-relevant information to gain insight into the real-world impacts of key program details. This sort of well-integrated quality assurance can be the taster’s spoon in the Energy Efficiency kitchen.
For those that missed the October 26 TAP webcast hosted by Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, the presentation, “Quality Assurance for Residential Retrofit Programs,” has recently been added to the archives of past trainings. Technical Assistance services regarding Quality Assurance systems may also be accessed through the Solution Center website.
Whether your energy efficiency program is just getting started, or is a veteran program that has decades of experience, the best efforts at optimization grapple with the dynamics of uncertainty and change in a quickly evolving environment. If you take your program beyond “Set it, and forget it,” and build it around an intelligent, adjustable design, you will be rewarded with regular feedback on how the program is performing and ways in which it can best adapt to meet constantly evolving energy efficiency requirements.
Please, post a comment to the Blog sharing your thoughts or experiences on programs in your community that are aimed at improving energy efficiency.
Content for this Blog post courtesy of Nick Lange, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation