Go West ... and East, North & South!
American author Horace Greeley's famous quote is certainly appropriate for Johnson Consulting Group these days. Katherine has not only been crisscrossing the country during the summer, her fall travels will take her even further to Europe and Asia. But no matter where our work takes us, we hope everyone enjoys the changes that the autumn brings.
Dr. Katherine Johnson, President
|
|
West - to Idaho, Colorado and Seattle
Idaho Power Company Low-Income Program Evaluations
Johnson Consulting Group, assisted by Gregg Eisenberg of Eisenberg Energy, is wrapping up two low-income program evaluations for Idaho Power. Idaho Power's Weatherization Assistance for Qualified Customers (WAQC) has been providing weatherization services to needy IPC for 24 years.
More recently, Idaho Power began offering a new program, Weatherization Solutions for Eligible Customers, This program serves customers whose household incomes are between 175 percent and 250 percent of the Federal poverty level. This provides a chance to participate for residential customers who are financially unable to participate in cost sharing involved with other residential energy efficiency programs. This program is designed to serve customers are just slightly over income qualifications for WAQC but are living in similar housing stock where energy savings are greatly needed. The Weatherization Solutions Program is similar to the WAQC, but it is implemented by four private contracting firms who work either as a division of a Community Action Partner (CAP) agency (contractor) or as a separate LLC entity owned by a CAP which does not leverage any additional weatherization funding.
Overall, these program evaluations illustrated the success that Idaho Power is having in reaching the poorest customers in its service territory through this program combination-and is certainly a program design worth emulating in other jurisdictions.
|
|
|
Colorado Partners
in Energy Savings (PIES) Evaluation and Planning Activities
 Johnson Consulting Group, together with Apex Analytics and Mesa Point Energy, will be conducting a comprehensive program evaluation of the four natural gas utilities' energy efficiency programs. This collaboration, named Partners in Energy Savings (PIES), has been working on delivering coordinated energy efficiency residential and commercial programs to natural gas customers throughout the state.
In addition to the program evaluation, which will wrap up towards the end of 2013, we will also be providing program planning and design assistance focusing specifically on custom, energy education, and direct install programs as a way to increase overall energy efficiency installations throughout the state. |
East (Turkey) - Really East
Katherine, accompanied by her daughter Emily, also made a trek to Antalya, Turkey to present at the first annual "International Congress of Energy Efficiency and Energy Related Materials". This conference, held at the Limak Limra International Hotel & Resort, included participants from across the globe to share insights on not just technologies but also strategies to enhance energy efficiency program delivery. (http://www.enefm.org)
Katherine shared strategies for on-bill financing programs, which sparked interest among the scientists and researchers who were looking for ways to market
 their energy efficiency technology breakthroughs. The topics covered a range of subjects including renewable energy, energy conservation, economic and environmental issues, and developing materials for sustainable energy including hydrogen storage, PV cells, and batteries for electric cars.
In addition to the conference, Katherine and Emily did manage to take a few vacation days and visit the ancient ruins of the nearby cities dating back to 690 B.C. Unlike most historic venues, visitors can actually climb into the ancient theatres, walk through the ruins of ancient baths and explore the ports dating back to ancient Western civilizations of the Sumerians, Hittites, and the Phoenicians-not to mention the Greeks and Romans.
We managed to climb up 800 meters (straight up) to see the Chimera, visit the Turkish ports of Olympos and Phaeslis in addition to exploring the wonderful sights of Istanbul. It was an action-packed get-away, and Emily is already planning her return visit to the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia.
|
North (Chicago - okay, Midwest)
In August, Katherine presented her paper on "Coast-to-Coast: An Update on On-Bill Financing Program Strategies" at the 2013 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference (IEPEC) in Chicago. This paper, co-written by Phil Degens, Energy Trust Oregon, Lucia Nixon, Efficiency Maine Trust, Antje Flanders, Opinion Dynamics Corporation and Philippe Dunsky, Dunsky Energy Consulting, summarizes the successful practices and lessons learned from financing programs around the country from two separate process evaluations focusing on emerging strategies and "best practices." It is based on the findings from two separate process evaluation activities completed in 2012: a literature review and in-depth interviews regarding successful practices for Efficiency Maine Trust's PowerSaver Program and a comprehensive process evaluation conducted for Clean Energy Works of Oregon.
The key takeaways from this paper focused on the barriers to successful on-bill financing program, including the complicated communications processes required to develop a successful program (see the figure below) as well as the need to convey the program benefits in easy to understand terms that focus on customer benefits rather than just energy savings.
|
|
Fun Stuff
We work hard -and we play hard. Check out some of the highlights from our latest adventure in Turkey.
Click on the following link for some pictures of our adventures- including our ascent to the Chimera. Adventures in Turkey for Katherine and Emily
 On a very personal note: October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, but it is
a year-round battle for too many women (and men). Please consider continuing
to donate to this worthwhile cause year round -- because for too many the
fight continues. (Link to American Cancer Society
Breast Cancer donation webpage.)
|
|
Shutting Down Seattle - Closing Plenary at AESP
The closing session of
AESP's Fall Conference was an interactive audience experience. Katherine moderated this lively session featuring expert panelists in implementation, evaluation and policy. Mike Messenger from Itron, Rich Barnes from DNC KEMA and Carmen Best from the California PUC, fielded a range of questions focusing on "Big Data" trends, marketing innovations and even a bit of future forecasting at this closing session on Oct. 2, 2013.
 The session featured a question and answer session allowing conference attendees to ask questions on a variety of critical topics that bedevil all of us in the energy efficiency and demand response industry. The questions, ranging from program marketing to cost- effectiveness analysis, provided some thought-provoking responses. So much so, that AESP will be continuing the conversation is a Brown Bag featuring these same panelists on October 29, 2013.
|
South (Arkansas - Things are Heating up in the South)
In August, the Public Service Commission (PSC) approved the Technical Reference Manual (TRM) Version 3.0 for use in the EM&V activities for the next program year. This TRM update reflects the most current information available on energy savings estimates for both residential and commercial measures used in Arkansas' prescriptive programs.
The update was completed in less than six months, due in large part to the hard work of the Parties Working Collaboratively (PWC), the EM&V contractors, program implementers, and IEM team members Jim Bradford and Mike Frischmann.
In early September, the PSC also issued Docket 13-002 Order No. 7, which provided guidance on additional activities that the PWC will be working on to improve Arkansas' energy efficiency program portfolio in the next three-year program cycle. To learn more about the Arkansas PSC's plans, check out the following link highlighting a recent presentation that Commissioner Honorable made at the
Arkansas continues to be on the forefront of the Southeast in its renewed commitment to offering comprehensive, cost-effective energy efficiency programs.
|
Johnson Consulting Group is also competing for one of 12
Main Street Mission Grants from Chase. These grants help small businesses give back to their communities in both terms of hiring local talent as well as providing additional goods and services. If we win, not only will I invest in additional training opportunities for my staff, including AESP classes, but I will also be able to offer them some real "big-time" corporate benefits, like health care. I would also provide some much needed funding to sponsor a low-income weatherization program for Senior Citizens in my home town of Winter Park Florida... Because as much as we all have, it is even better to give back to our communities in ways that truly matter.
But to qualify, I need help from all of you --- my friends, fans, and colleagues. We need at least 250 votes on Facebook by November 15, 2013 in order to qualify for the grant. So, please vote and encourage your Facebook friends to do as well. Thanks for your support- and will keep you posted on our progress. Fingers crossed!
|
|
Where in the World
is Dr. KJ?
* Nov 12 Winter Park Utility Advisory Board
Meeting, FL
* Dec 5 &10 Christmas in the Park & the Utility
Advisory Board Meeting, Winter Park, FL
* Dec. 12 AESP Brown Bag: How EM&V Ramp-Up
Has Impacted Arkansas Energy Efficiency
Efforts
*Jan. 27-30, 2014 AESP National Conference,
San Diego, CA
|
|
Quick Link
Johnson Consulting Group Website
Click on the link above to view a list of our
other publications, services, and clients.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
