Enhancing the Value of Evaluation Research for Industrial Energy Efficiency Efforts

Industrial energy efficiency programs are increasingly challenged to deliver greater savings and go deeper into the facility while remaining cost-effective. Given the nature and complexity of industrial projects, however, it is not unusual for program staff to be surprised when Evaluation, Measurement and Verification (EM&V) studies indicate lower than expected realization rates. Furthermore, tapping into deeper and broader savings opportunities requires new intervention strategies that frequently differ from the traditional measure-based approach, adding perceived risk related to the evaluability of the effort. Designing, launching and implementing a program with an evaluation ready mindset can help reduce these risks, improve cost-effectiveness and increase customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, many implementation teams have come to consider evaluators as overzealous auditors or “out-of-touch” academics. This fear, coupled with an insufficient understanding of the purpose, needs, tools and approaches used by evaluators has led to gross inefficiencies and less credible research results, which in turn hamper innovation in program design and delivery. This paper discusses key disconnects between implementers and evaluators and identifies some common problems in industrial program delivery. Using two case studies, the paper illustrates the benefits of using typical evaluation tools and processes (e.g., logic models) and effectively engaging evaluators early in the program cycle.