Attributable effects from information and outreach programs: Net to gross, NEBs, and beyond

David Juri Freeman and Lisa A. Skumatz, Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc. (SERA)

Keywords

non-energy benefits, NEBs, net to gross, NTG, education, outreach, training, attribution

Abstract

Education, outreach, advertising, and training programs provide particular difficulties in evaluation, as they focus on modifying behaviors and purchases rather than directly installing measures. This paper summarizes the results of a literature review of more than 80 studies evaluating strengths and weaknesses of evaluation work on outreach and education programs. Then, the paper presents the results of several applications of advanced evaluation techniques that are being applied to outreach, education, and training programs.

This paper provides the results from detailed net-to-gross (NTG) and non-energy benefits (NEB) evaluations of outreach, training, and education programs, including:

A training and education geared toward commercial architects and engineers;
Two similar programs geared toward residential builders and remodelers;
Residential appliance-related education and outreach programs (Energy Star®); and
An information-based university program.

We provide information from detailed evaluations of the share of energy savings and attributable effects that are due to the program’s efforts (net-to-gross ratio), and the non-energy benefits (NEBs) recognized by participants. These results augment the usual evaluation studies, and provide insights that can guide informational, outreach, and training programs to maximize their effectiveness. The attribution and NEB results provide a fuller picture of the benefits from the program, support more sophisticated benefit-cost analysis, provide direction for maximizing program “bang for the buck”, and help support program decision-making and marketing.