Data-Driven Energy Efficiency: How Energy Information Systems Can Improve Programs

Energy Information Systems (EIS) are software tools that store, analyze and display energy use data. Many EIS show promise for supporting nonresidential utility energy efficiency programs. The value to customers and utilities has two central themes: 1. Traditional methods for administering energy efficiency programs can produce good results but typically require significant manpower and skilled engineering resources. EIS can bring automation and analytics to improve cost-effectiveness of programs. 2. EIS promotes ongoing engagement of customers by giving them easier access to their data, a key benefit to utilities that drive toward customer satisfaction goals and deeper energy savings. Vendors see EIS opportunity in the commercial market, through utility programs and selling directly to owners and property managers. As utilities and EIS software providers are better able to work with large amounts of data and assemble useful information from this data, utility programs have been deploying pilots to test the cost-effectiveness of this application of EIS to program designs. In a recent study, the Consortium for Energy Efficiency documented over 40 commercial energy management programs and pilots that have incorporated EIS in some way (CEE, 2013). This paper includes background on EIS including a characterization of system capabilities. The paper clarifies the rationale for using EIS in programs, focusing on the importance of the integration of resources and support to act on the volume of data and information provided by the tools. We present six pilots that integrate EIS in various program designs, and then conclude with overarching lessons learned