beyond buildings: how to incorporate behavior modification into whole-house energy upgrade programs
DESCRIPTION
Presented by Rebecca Brown at the Behavior Energy and Climate Conference, November 18-20 in Sacramento, CA. Rebecca, program manager for BKi, reviewed a growing body of data, including original research comparing modeled and actual utility bill savings, indicating that whole-house energy efficiency programs do not adequately address occupant behavior.”TRANSCRIPT
Efficiency PAYS®Learn How On-Bill Can Work
Western Municipal Water DistrictSeptember 11, 2013
Beyond Buildings:How to Incorporate Behavior Modification into Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change ConferenceNovember 20, 2013
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
What’s missing from the current whole-house incentive program landscape?
• Behavior! Plug loads!• While space conditioning and water heating
upgrades are essential, other end-uses comprise nearly half of total energy use in California homes• Successful feedback/behavior programs exist
(e.g., in California: Opower, SMUD HER), but interventions aren’t integrated with whole-house efforts
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
BACKGROUND: California energy efficiency goalsHow much do we need to save in the residential sector?
0
20
40
60
80
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
Ann
ual b
illio
n kW
h
Ann
ual b
illio
n th
erm
s
*
**
***
* Source: KEMA, Residential Appliance Saturation Survey (RASS) for California, 2003 and 2009. http://websafe.kemainc.com/rass2009/** Source: Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan (2011) http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Energy+Efficiency/eesp/*** Among IOU and REN programs, Jan 2010-Aug/Sep 2013. Source: http://eega.cpuc.ca.gov/
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
BACKGROUND: Where is energy used in California homes?
2003 2009
Otherend-uses38%
HVAC/H2O heating
62%
Other end-uses46%
HVAC/H2O heating
54%
Source: KEMA, Residential Appliance Saturation Survey (RASS) for California, 2003 and 2009. http://websafe.kemainc.com/rass2009/
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
BACKGROUND: Where is energy used in California homes?
kWh therms total BTUs0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
8%
3%19%
8%
4%
6%
5%
5%
3%
4%
22%
9%
9%
4%
6%18%
7%
11%6% 8%
39%
25%
42%
26%
Miscellaneous
TV, PC, and office equipment
Pools and spas
Lighting
Laundry
Dishwasher and cooking
Refrigerators and freezers
Water heating
Space cooling
Space heating
% o
f ene
rgy
use
Source: KEMA, Residential Appliance Saturation Survey (RASS) for California, 2003 and 2009. http://websafe.kemainc.com/rass2009 /
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
BACKGROUND: Predicted savings vs. realized utility bill savings in California’s whole-house programs
0% 20% 40% 60%-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
f(x) = 0.455484998735329 x + 0.0495354347433176R² = 0.0659180923866806
Modeled savings
Util
ity b
ill s
avin
gs
Source: BKi analysis of Energy Upgrade California EnergyPro models vs. actual PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, and SMUD utility bills
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
BACKGROUND: What measures are included in current California whole-house incentive programs?
Measure Home Upgrade PG&E Advanced SCE/SoCalGas Advanced SMUD
HVAC equipment ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓Water heating equipment ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Envelope measures ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Pool pumps ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓Screw-in lighting ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗Plug loads ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗Thermostat settings and otherbehavior-based approaches
✗ ✗ ✗ ✗
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
Every home needs a unique savings plan
Similar annual energy bills ($)BUT
Different consumption patterns
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
Guide users to the best path for savings
Smart meter disaggregation
Referral to Whole House
Program
HVAC efficiency:• Cooling > 8BTU’s/sf/hdd• Heating > 4BTU’s/sf/hdd• Occupant owned SFR
Phone consultation
Idle Mode exceeds 400W
Energy reduction recommendations and usage tracking
Update of monthly interval
data
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
An example: Range of idle load by house size
Minimum
Average
Maximum
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
Policy and program design recommendations
1) Expand definition of “whole house” to include plug loads and lighting• Include behavior feedback/recommendations among
“measures”• Behavior has greatest impact on plug loads & lighting, but
operational settings on HVAC & DHW is also important• “Behavior” includes decision to purchase efficient appliances
& equipment
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
Policy and program design recommendations
2) Sell multiple levels of upgrades under a single program umbrella• Utilities currently operate loosely-integrated patchwork of
incentive programs• No- and low-cost behavior changes are a first an ongoing step
to achieving deeper savings• What about energy use attribution? We need to move beyond
current paradigm of energy savings firewalls between programs
• Measure actual energy use via automated utility meter analysis; identify which measures contributed to what savings via disaggregation
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
Policy and program design recommendations
3) Incentivize realized energy savings in addition to asset improvements• Customer rebates can be tied to both physical upgrade and
actual energy use reductions• Emphasizes the importance of behavior and operational
settings, contributes to sustained savings
Beyond Buildings: How to Incorporate Behavior Modificationinto Whole-House Energy Upgrade Programs
Policy and program design recommendations
4) Continue to quantify magnitude and persistence of energy savings from behavioral measures• Build on wealth of existing studies and incorporate findings
into cost-effectiveness tests• Build and advocate for analysis techniques that allow
attribution of behavioral savings within a comprehensive upgrade program
