EE Prog Design

Energy Efficiency Program Design & Implementation

Energy Solutions’ mainstay consulting practice has been the design, implementation, and strategic marketing of energy efficiency programs. Our efforts have included prescriptive and customized rebate programs across residential, commercial and industrial sectors.  We’ve targeted a variety of market actors including:

  • Downstream Customer Programs
  • Upstream & Midstream Programs
  • Local Government Programs

Energy Solutions' design and implementation experience extends to numerous efficiency measures, including: commercial lighting retrofits, boilers, water heaters, computer monitors, televisions, commercial and residential HVAC, ductless HVAC technologies, evaporative pre-cooling, and commercial clothes washers.  We provide comprehensive program design, management, and implementation services starting from technology assessment and market research, through marketing and management, to final reporting and quality assurance.

Downstream Customer Programs

Energy Solutions’ Downstream Customer programs focus on installation of energy efficiency measures for utility customers.  These programs facilitate adoption of efficiency measures by providing education and incentives to individuals or businesses for use on their homes and facilities.

PROJECT: LightWash

Energy Solutions worked in conjunction with over twenty water utilities and three major California utilities on the innovative LightWash Program to provide cost-effective energy, demand and water savings.  The Program provided incentives for the installation of energy- and water-efficient commercial clothes washers along with lighting and boiler incentives across northern and southern California.

The Program integrated the marketing and processing of water utility and energy efficiency rebates to achieve economies of scale and to simplify participation for customers and trade allies. This innovative approach lowered the barriers of entry to numerous water agencies, allowing the water and electric utilities to jointly achieve significant water and energy savings.

Upstream & Midstream Programs

Upstream and midstream programs provide incentives to retailers, distributors or manufacturers who stock and sell high efficiency equipment.  These programs focus on engaging the upstream market actors to accelerate the introduction and sale of more efficiency equipment to the larger downstream market.  Providing incentives upstream enables the utilities to influence a large portion of the total market through fewer communication points while impacting the greatest number of purchase decisions.

PROJECT: Business & Consumer Electronics

Energy Solutions’ Business and Consumer Electronics Incentive Program goes beyond Energy Star, guiding consumers, manufacturers and retailers to the highest efficiency electronics on the market.  The Program promotes the sale and installation of high efficiency electronic products such as televisions, computer monitors, and desktop computers.  Financial incentives are provided to participating retailers and equipment manufacturers, such as Best Buy, Walmart, Dell, Costco, and HP, for the sale of qualifying products.  The Program has been effective in changing the mix of electronics on store shelves and what is offered to retailers.

PROJECT: Upstream HVAC Incentive Programs

Energy Solutions provides design and implementation services for SCE, PG&E, and Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Upstream Commercial HVAC Incentive Programs.  These programs annually deliver millions of dollars in incentives to HVAC distributors for their promotion and sale of HVAC equipment that exceeds program efficiency requirements.  The programs provide distributors the business case to increase inventory and sales of high efficiency package and split heat pumps and air conditioners, chillers, and ductless systems.  See the Upstream HVAC Distributor Rebate Programs Case Study for more details.

Local Government Programs

Energy Solutions’ local government programs provide targeted scoping, design, financing, oversight, implementation, and quality assurance assistance to local governments and agencies for energy efficiency retrofit projects.

PROJECT: ABAG Energy Watch Program

As program developer and implementer, Energy Solutions served over 70 local government agencies and completed over 300 energy efficiency projects for the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Energy Watch Program.  Program services included utility energy assessments, lighting and HVAC audits, mechanical controls audits, computer power management support, lighting retrofit installation services, energy policy expertise, and rebate assistance.