The Evolution of Continuous Energy Improvement Programs in the Northwest: An Example of Regional aCollaboration

摘要

The Northwest region is a leader in developing and delivering programs that help industrial facilities integrate energy management into their operations, leading to reduced costs and increased profitability. The goal of continuous energy improvement programs is to enable participating facilities to build and sustain a culture of energy efficiency within their organizations. Strategic Energy Management (SEM), SEM provides a framework and process to establish managing energy as a standard operating procedure. Success in the region has not occurred by accident, but results from close communication, collaboration and learning across energy-efficiency programs and their partners. Using the evolution of SEM programs in the region as an example, this paper describes how the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the Energy Trust of Oregon (ETO) and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) worked together to identify and develop Continuous Energy Improvement (CEI) programs in the region. It describes the SEM concept, how it differs from traditional industrial program design, and important program assumptions and offerings. It describes how BPA, NEEA and ETO learned from each other and adapted NEEA’s CEI initiative over time to meet market transformation, resource acquisition and other program objectives. The paper summarizes current SEM program designs, key lessons learned and next steps. More broadly the paper comments on the strategic value of regional collaboration in the design and delivery of efficiency programs. The opportunity to expand this successful regional effort is also addressed.