Past Projects:

Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Developed and presented a day-long workshop on Demand-Side Management Technology Workshop on Motors and Variable Frequency Drives. This workshop provided participants from energy organizations with an overview and demonstrations of current motors and VFDs technologies. JCG will be conducting additional workshops sponsored by Basin Electric and Western Area Power Administration on motors, VFDs, and geothermal heat pumps.

Bonneville Power Administration: As a subcontractor to Summit Blue, Katherine completed a series of in-depth case studies featuring marketing best practices targeting residential, commercial, industrial, and specialized markets. These case studies were integral in assisting BPA in developing a strategic marketing plan

Colorado Springs Utilities:  Completed an economic, market, and technical potential study for this municipal utility to determine the feasibility of developing a geothermal heat pump incentive program targeting residential and commercial customers. This work included conducting economic tests to quantify the benefits to the customer and the utility from offering this program, as well as to determine the current competitive market conditions.

Consortium for Energy Efficiency:  Assisted in refining and deploying EPA ENERGY STAR^® Purchasing Tool Kit targeting state and local government procurement officials. Wrote case studies highlighting effective strategies used by municipal governments to adopt energy efficient equipment.

Consumers Energy: Helped  this rural electric and gas utility develop a portfolio of energy efficiency programs that will enhance its services to its customer base. Her responsibilities include developing business cases to help target the utility’s activities appealing to dual-fuel contractors and developing residential “whole house” program. 

Edison Electric Institute: Katherine authored four in-depth profiles on utility strategies to cope with the rise of the new "at risk" customer. These case studies and white paper were presented at the Annual AGA/EEI Customer Service Meeting, Orlando in March 2009; link to the paper/case study.

EPA ENERGY STAR^®:   Refined the EPA’s ENERGY STAR^® Purchasing Tool Kit targeting state and local government procurement officials. She also wrote case studies highlighting effective strategies used by municipal governments to adopt energy efficient equipment.

Delta Montrose Electric Association (DMEA):

• Light Bulb Fund Raiser –  Developed and implemented ENERGY STAR^® program to encourage home and business owners to purchase over 3,000 CFLs from community non-profit groups at $5 each during a two-week campaign with the groups keeping $2 as a fund raiser.  Completed a comprehensive market assessment and literature review of lighting trends in the residential market. The project included developing a financial analysis of energy efficient lighting for residential applications

• Geothermal Heat Pump Marketing –  Consulted in development of award-winning, integrated geo heat pump marketing program for residential and commercial customers to include: 30-year financing with extended warranty and rate lock; 2) Geo Comfort Club with quarterly newsletter and annual dinner; 3) Joint utility-contractor promotion with lead generation, design/proposal standards and post-install commissioning for comfort/quality assurance.  Designed and implemented customer satisfaction surveys to measure the customer satisfaction and determine areas for improvement in its strategies to promote geothermal heat pumps. Prepared case studies based on customer interviews and developed and evaluated various marketing materials and outreach programs.

• Strategic Planning- Assisted in designing and prioritizing DMEA’s energy efficiency services portfolio including identifying key goals, objectives, staffing levels, and tactical action plans.

Department of Energy (in partnership with Innovologie): Assisted in a comprehensive analysis of the Commercial Building Sector, identifying key trends in market development, consumer attitudes and behaviors that will influence how commercial buildings operate. This ground-breaking study identified the likely effects that improvements in communications, technology, and materials will have on how various commercial segments use commercial building space. This report has major implications for energy usage and consumption characteristics. It is currently being updated with interviews of chief energy stakeholders and decision-makers throughout the commercial buildings market.

Edison Electric Institute:  Strategic consulting for new product and service development. Developed an affinity marketing program for vendors specializing in the residential and small commercial markets and led the development of their marketing plan.

GeoPowering the West (in partnership with U.S. Department of Energy and Western Area Power Administration):  Developed and presented a webinar to help staff at small-to-medium utilities calculate and articulate the value of geothermal heat pumps based on their utility’s load objectives and new/existing home market opportunity, evaluate alternative utility program offering “best practices” and “lessons learned”, Identify low/no cost information and program development resources and develop a “Go to Market” Program Plan Outline for presentation to senior management.  All webinar registrants will receive a “Geo Heat Pump” report with an updated introduction and listing of geothermal program tools and resources, as well as a “Geo Heat Pump Utility Value Calculator” and Geo Heat Pump Program Opportunity.

Hydro One: (Subcontractor to Summit Blue) Leading the process evaluation of its Double Return Process and Impact Evaluation.  Responsibilities include: collecting and assesses the cost data and verifying program assumptions, assesses Hydro One baseline and savings calculations, assessing costs per kW and kWh, and determining program impacts accounting for free ridership, spillover, and measure life and persistence.

MaGrann Associates:  Conducted a comprehensive customer satisfaction study to identify strategies for this building engineering firm to measure and improve its performance among utilities, builders, architects, and engineering firms in New Jersey.

Marathon Water Heaters: Provided marketing support as well as consulting services to enhance its position as a thought leader among utilities desiring to begin or enhance a water heater related demand response program. 

Midwest Energy:  Worked with this rural utility that provides both natural gas and electric services to approximately 40,000 customer throughout Kansas. Developing business cases to support energy efficiency programs in both the residential and commercial markets. See link to article.

Missouri Gas Energy: Johnson Consulting Group and Summit Blue Canada completed a process and impact evaluation of Missouri Gas Energy's natural gas water heating program. This evaluation included quantifying the impacts from both traditional tanked and tankless water heaters, reviewing the program's properietary database, and completing interviews with program staff, contractors, and customers. Overall, this has been a successful program during its first year of operation and has led to significant water and energy savings for Missouri Gas customers.

Montgomery County, Maryland: Updated Energy Design Guidelines as part of a larger county-wide effort to promote energy efficient building practices for all commercial end-use applications. This project included conducting a literature review of current design guidelines from a variety of energy efficiency organizations and creating a workable document that could provide guidance and direction to County employees, vendors, and consultants.

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association:  Developed and presented a “How to Plan and Implementation Home Energy Efficiency” workshop prior to Connect 2007 conference for marketing and communication staffs of electric cooperatives held May 2007 in Miami.

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (in partnership with Summit Blue):  Supervised and completed more than 70 in-depth interviews with trade allies throughout New Jersey. Also summarized the results and provided strategic recommendations for program improvement and outreach.

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (in partnership with Summit Blue): Conducted in-depth interviews with building professionals to measure the overall effectiveness of New Jersey’s residential new construction programs. These interviews were part of a comprehensive multi-year evaluation and helped to identify new ways to provide the building community with the support they need to promote energy efficient building practices.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (in partnership with PA Consulting):  Key project team member in the first state program ever to target local decision-makers. Conducted life cycle costing analysis and energy benefits analysis for local governments. Prepared case studies documenting anticipated savings from program participation. Presented findings to elected officials, technical staff, and end users in various presentations throughout New York State. This project scope has expanded to target large cities, and state colleges and universities, and now includes analyzing the entire “plug-load” of a building to identify energy savings strategies. Ms. Johnson directed 25 projects at locations throughout New York State, including the University of Buffalo. This project has just been renewed for a fourth round which began May, 2006.

New York Energy $mart(SM) Offices (in partnership with PA Consulting):  Developed marketing and awareness campaign to encourage the adoption of energy efficiency strategies in institutional and commercial markets throughout New York State. Developed marketing materials, conducted in-depth research with institutional decision-makers and tracked program implementation rates and estimated energy savings

Northern California Power Agency (Subcontractor to Summit Blue): Thirteen municipal and rural electric cooperatives have contracted to develop and complete comprehensive evaluation, monitoring, and verification plans. Directed  the process evaluation activities at these utilities, which include the City of Palo Alto, Silicon Valley Power, the City of Lodi, City of Redding, and Alameda Power & Telecom.

Pacific Gas & Electric:  As the principal researcher and interviewer for commercial and industrial baseline studies, this study examined the effects of market transformation in motors, HVAC, and refrigeration markets. She has also conducted extensive interviews with Energy Service Companies (ESCos) throughout the United States to determine trends in energy efficiency technologies and likely marketing strategies.

Southern California Edison (in partnership with TecMRT Works):  Provided in-depth analysis of hard-to-reach customers located throughout California. This joint utility sponsored study included a comprehensive mapping analysis, detailed segmentation studies of various ethnic and demographic groups, and action plans describing appropriate vehicles to reach core groups.

Touchstone Energy®:  Developed and presented a “How to Plan and Implementation Home Energy Efficiency” workshop prior to Net and Emerging Technologies conference for key account staff of electric cooperatives held February May 2007 in Orlando.

Western Area Power Administration: Development and deployment of two web-based seminars and two “How to Plan and Develop Demand Side Management Program” strategies and tactics for small-to-medium municipal and cooperative utilities in Western’s service territory.