Measuring full benefits of low-income energy efficiency programs through complementary methodological approaches: A case study

Low-income energy efficiency programs, a dominant concern for socially conscious energy planners since the energy crisis in the early 1970s, now present even more difficult challenges as government involvement is dwindling and the utility sector is rethinking its commitment to the energy efficiency effort. Relying on secondary data, this dissertation employs the case study research methodology to investigate empirically the current state of affairs in evaluation techniques for low-income energy efficiency programs. The thesis explores the approaches taken by nine privately owned utility companies in New York State to design and carry out cost-effective low-income energy efficiency services. One of the key objectives of this study is to show the advantages and disadvantages of each of the nine programs by taking into consideration the evaluation methods that were applied to gauge their performance. The dissertation highlights the importance of careful planning and implementation of low-income energy conservation programs with strong institutional support and their assessment and optimization through rigorous evaluation methods capable of capturing the full range of costs and benefits of such programs. The findings suggest that, given the potential for substantial social and economic benefits that low-income energy efficiency programs can achieve, programs should be expanded so that these benefits can be more fully realized, particularly within the context of a deregulated utility sector. It is the general conclusion that the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of energy efficiency program concepts and methods should inform energy planners in their evolving roles in the field as the knowledge base continues to develop