Targeting residential efficiency programs based on the drivers of demand

In regulated markets, utilities are required to implement programs that result in a reduction of their customers' energy consumption. In competitive markets, utilities have a strong incentive to build customer loyalty by helping their customers understand and manage energy consumption. In either case, there is large value to be gained by a utility by understanding why some customers use more energy than others for certain appliances. Building on energy usage data, PARC's EE-Scope is an analytics tool for utilities to design, target, and evaluate residential energy efficiency incentive and rebate programs. Leveraging physics modeling and comparative statistics, EE-Scope metrics show the likely structural and behavioral reasons why some consumers use more energy than others for certain appliances. With EE-Scope, utilities can offer the right incentives to the right customers, boosting customer service and achieving energy savings at a lower cost than existing random or first-come first-serve offerings. We will show examples of how the tool works and discuss the R&D framework.