EM&V Forum

The Council’s EM&V Forum

Evaluation to Build Back Better

Wednesday, February 2, 2022
9:30 AM – 2:00 PM + Optional Networking 2:00 – 2:40 PM
Online Event

The Council’s EM&V Forum brings together EM&V, data science, and implementation professionals from across the energy efficiency, demand response, and DER communities to explore critical technical topics that are essential for addressing California’s clean energy policies. This year’s theme is Evaluation to Build Back Better. To that end, we will be taking a deep dive on four important and timely topics:

Evaluating DE&I initiatives
Measuring performance for near-term reliability efforts
Measuring Total System Benefits for long-term success
Making NMEC processes work

Please join EM&V practitioners, implementers, utilities, and regulators for this unique opportunity to help shape our state’s efforts as we continue tackling the effects of climate change.

Agenda:

Panel #1: Evaluating DE&I Initiatives
There is a renewed focus on ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) as California and the federal government implement a number of decarbonization and clean energy initiatives. As DE&I efforts come more into focus, it is important to understand how various progress metrics are being developed with DE&I considerations. This panel will explore new and emerging EM&V activities to better understand how recent state and federal climate and clean energy efforts are integrating with DE&I priorities.

Angie Ostaszewski, Ameren Illinois
Gomathi Sadhasivan, DNV
Moderator: Stacia Dreyer, Opinion Dynamics

Panel #2: Measuring Performance for Near-Term Reliability Efforts
The devastating effects of climate change (epic wildfires, prolonged droughts, intense heat storms) have taken our power grid to the brink of collapse over the past few years. Even before this time DR programs has always been counted on to help alleviate our grid challenges. But the issue of measuring performance, both in advance of DR events and after they have occurred, has always presented analytical challenges. That fact can’t be more true today as we increasingly look to DR to help to maintain a stable grid as we combat the effects of climate change. This panel will dive into a number of efforts in the DR EM&V space aimed at modernizing how we measure a priori and ex post DR performance.

Carmen Best, Recurve
Collin Elliot, Verdant
Erik Lyon, California Energy Commission
Beth Reid, Olivine
Moderator: Jennifer Chamberlin, Cpower

Panel #3: Measuring Total System Benefits for Long-Term Success
During 2021, the CPUC reformed its approach to energy efficiency programs to better align with reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and support customer equity and long-term energy grid stability. The so-called Total System Benefits (TSB) metric focuses on setting EE goals that maximize long duration GHG reductions and grid benefits, transitioning away from setting goals based on savings of kilowatt-hours, kilowatts, and therms. But what exactly is TSB and how will we ultimately measure it from a pre and post perspective? Do we currently have the tools in place to properly value TSB? The purpose of this panel is to explore these and other questions as the CPUC looks to the 2024 EE business plan filings to begin requiring program administrators to use TSB as the common metric for setting goals and assessing performance.

Ryan Bullard, Southern California Edison
Eric Cutter, E3
Coby Rudolph, California Public Utility Commission
Moderator: Amul Sathe, Guidehouse

Panel #4: Making NMEC Processes Work
As a result of Assembly Bill 802 (signed into law in 2015), energy efficiency projects are encouraged using normalized metered energy consumption (NMEC) measurements as the basis to determine EE project savings. The CPUC has established rules for how to measure pre- and post-NMEC savings. As those rules get tested in the marketplace, stakeholders have discovered issues that necessitate modifications to those rules. The CPUC currently has an ongoing stakeholder process in place. The purpose of the panel is to explore the key issues and learn how a stakeholder-driven process is leading to important modifications and enhancements to many of those rules.

Michelle Vigen, Common Spark Consulting
Moderator: David Jump, kW Engineering

Lighting Round: What have we learned and where do we go from here?
Moderated by CEDMC Executive Director Greg Wikler with perspectives offered by moderators from Panels 1-4.

Virtual Networking with Breakout Tables (Optional)

Join us to talk about today’s EM&V Forum! You will be randomly placed into groups of 4 attendees via Zoom virtual tables. Each virtual table will shuffle after 10 minutes so you can network with more people without having to navigate a large group. Plus all who attend the networking session will be entered to win a prize! You must attend using Whova, click Speed Networking, and then Grab a Seat:

Ticket Pricing:

Member: $95

Non-Member: $135

IOUs/CCAs/Govt: FREE

Non-profit: $50

HOW TO VIEW THE FORUM:

We are using the Whova platform to share the video feed for this event. After registering, please download Whova BEFORE the event to check functionality, see the agenda, times, speaker bios, and network with attendees. The Zoom meeting will play INSIDE the Whova platform for a more interactive experience. There is no specific Zoom link, you will login to Whova and see the video meeting there.

➢ DOWNLOAD LINKS: View the Forum via this DESKTOP download link, and for viewing on your phone, go to the Apple App Store or Google Play and use this MOBILE download link.

➢ UPDATES: We will email updates and Whova login directions before the event. Download the Whova app or our website for up-to-date conference information: https://cedmc.org/events/emv-forum/