http://www.neec.net/news/local-data-aggregator-delivers-low-cost-savings-utilities
Local Data Aggregator Delivers Low Cost Savings to Utilities
March 25, 2015
NEEC member, Seinergy LLC, is celebrating its third year in operation and over 2.5 million kWh in documented energy efficiency achievements. At only $11/MWh, Seinergy’s documented energy efficiency savings might be the lowest cost resource available to utilities – half the cost of savings from NEEA, compact flourescent lamps or commercial lighting programs.
Seinergy is the only regional aggregator of residential efficiency data, documenting site-specific, customer-adopted upgrades. In addition to providing claimable kWh (to I-937 utilities), Seinergy’s data delivers insights to enhance customer service and inform conservation potential. The savings that Seinergy documents are included in utilities’ Conservation Potentials Assessments and are qualified for I-937 savings, as confirmed by Commerce Advisory Opinion 2013.002 (issued 6/13).
Despite the success of utility programs, Seinergy estimates that 50% of qualified residential space heating projects do not utilize rebates and therefore remain untracked. The most common reasons these jobs occur without utility funding include time restrictions, lack of customer awareness, using a non-utility-registered contractor, or situations where home occupancy is in transition, such as foreclosures or rental property turnovers.
Seinergy seeks to document and validate these savings. For example, when a homeowner insulates their attic without using a utility rebate, Seinergy prepares a paper trail and energy savings calculations for the affected utility. All Seinergy savings are calculated using regionally accepted prescriptive savings values (aka “deemed” or “unit energy savings”) from the Regional Technical Forum.
In 2012, Seinergy Founder Bob Gunn, started pursuing these savings because he saw the potential opportunity and nobody else was tackling the problem. According to Bob, Seinergy’s 2.5 million kWh to date is just the tip of the iceberg. Looking forward, Seinergy sees new opportunities in other emerging sectors that will offer even less expensive savings for utilities.
