Summing it Up: The National Action Plan’s New Program Impact Evaluation Guide

Nikolaas Dietsch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Steven R. Schiller, Schiller Consulting, Inc.

Keywords

Abstract

A key recommendation under the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (Action Plan) is to "Make a strong, long-term commitment to implement cost-effective energy efficiency as a resource." (NAPEE 2006) To support this recommendation - and to address the need for a guidance document that fosters best practices for evaluation and promotes consistent evaluation practices - the Action Plan developed a Model Energy Efficiency Program Impact Evaluation(NAPEE 2007). The Guide synthesizes previously disparate information on program evaluation into a single resource that builds on existing project protocols - such as the IPMVP and FEMP Guidelines - to address program evaluation. The resulting document provides an overview of industry-standard approaches for evaluating the energy, demand, and emissions benefits of efficiency.

The primary use for the Guide is to help entities that are getting started with efficiency programs to establish a structure for calculating the savings resulting from their facility (nontransportation) energy efficiency programs. Specific "issues of special interest" are also addressed in the Guide, including: co-benefits, persistence of savings, and uncertainty. Another factor differentiating the Guide is a clear explanation of how emission factors can be calculated and applied to energy savings to determine avoided emissions. Potential consumers of the Guide include program designers and evaluators employed by cities, states, utilities, companies, and other entities positioned to run programs. By describing a set of best practices and consistent procedures and terminology, the Guide can help these entities adopt, assess, and improve their efficiency programs.