RTF Research and Evaluation Subcommittee Meeting

1. RTF Research and Evaluation Subcommittee Meeting Regional Technical Forum April 15, 2013

2. Some background • RTF developed Guidelines to evaluate the reliability and quality of savings estimates • Past 2.5 years, RTF assessed its database of measures and assigned a status to each • Active: All is good • Under Review: Minor corrections needed • Out-Of-Compliance: Primary research needed • Deactivated: Savings no longer valid • About 1/3 of measures were found to be “Out of Compliance” with respect to RTF guidelines

3. What does OOC entail? • OOC means primary research is required to bring the measure back to an Active status. • Primary research is not covered under RTF budget • Research plan needed to go get data • RTF needs to accept research plan as part of measures/protocols approval process • Research needs to be finished and data analyzed as part of measure moving to “Active” status • RTF Staff likely to aid in analysis

4. Other research plans • Along with measure status, also has category • Proven • Provisional • Planning • Small Saver • Provisional measures/protocols also require research to prove out savings and/or simplified calculation methodology

5. Subcommittee Purpose Two Primary Functions 1. Prioritize OOC and Provisional Unit Energy Savings (UES) measures and Standard Protocols that require research 2. Decide on required research and aid in development of research plans

6. Current List of OOC UES measures

7. Current List of Standard Protocols

8. Marjorie’s Role • Help facilitate this group • Prepare agendas, assist with research plan recommendations to RTF, meeting minutes, ensuring materials are available • Point of contact for incoming research plans • Coordinate with external parties on proposals • Help to decide if proposed plans are appropriate • Present plans to subcommittee • Facilitate decision making process and feedback to proposer • Lead in evaluation scan of utility programs • Outreach to utility stakeholders to identify research activities • Prepare brief descriptions of plans • Help assess upcoming evaluations that may prove valuable to RTF efforts

9. Marjorie’s Role • Coordinate research designs for OOC and Standard Protocols requiring research plans • Help group decide if proposed plans will lead to proven measures down the road • Coordinate with technical subcommittees on research needs and potential presentations • Report back to group on status of research

10. Meeting frequency • No set frequency currently • Likely to depend on groups assessment of OOC and Provisional measure research needs • Sunset dates of measures/protocols • Timely evaluations or program needs • All material will be available on new Subcommittee page: rtf.nwcouncil.org/subcommittees/ResearchEval/

11. Priorities Per Regional Informants

12. Second Tier Priorities

13. Third Tier Priorities

14. Fourth Tier Priorities

15. What’s Not on the List? • What measures are you contemplating? • Ideas respondents offered: • Street and area lighting LEDs • PGE installing this year; said in compliance w DOT spec (light output, dispersion) and approved by OPUC for rate recovery; yet no RTF measure • Industrial process controls • Residential ventilation and air sealing interactions

16. Potential Next Steps • Develop and distribute standardized research template • Highlight what group needs to see in proposal • Provide consistent structure for proposers • Review Anti-Sweat Heater Controls UES measure data gathering plan • Review Lighting Standard Protocol Provisional research plan

17. Contact Facilitator RTF Staff Josh Rushton Rushton Analytics 971.229.1765 josh@rushtonanalytics.com Mohit Singh-Chhabra Ptarmigan Research, LLC 720.310.5490 Mohit@PtarmiganResearch.com Marjorie McRae Research Into Action, Inc. 503.287.9136 Marjorie.McRae@researchintoaction.com