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Implementing a Resource Conservation Manager Program at Puget Sound Energy

Panel: Commercial Buildings: Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

Authors:
Bill Younger, Puget Sound Energy
Lori Moen, Puget Sound Energy
Ted Brown, Puget Sound Energy
Bobbi Wilhelm, Puget Sound Energy

Abstract

Building operations staff have long recognized the potential of reducing energy costs and usage by focusing on improvements to operational and maintenance (O&M) practices. Although many large customers can benefit from these actions, financial obligations, time and staffing constraints, and reluctance to change institutionalized practices can create significant barriers to implementation. Utility companies have traditionally focused efficiency programs on installation of capital measures to help customers reduce consumption, leaving responsibility for operational and maintenance measures to the facility operators. Recognizing that O&M practices not only affected the persistence of savings of installed efficiency measures but also represented additional untapped savings potential for most customers, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) expanded its commercial and industrial energy efficiency programs to provide financial and technical assistance to customers to improve O&M practices, and attribute energy savings to behavioral and operational based programs. Puget Sound Energy's Resource Conservation Manager (RCM) Program is designed to obtain energy savings through behavioral changes, operational improvements, facility maintenance, and utility cost and usage accounting in large commercial organizations. Energy savings are achieved by providing portfolio customers with the resources needed to fund a position that focuses on mitigating the customer's use of natural resources, including electricity, natural gas, oil, propane, water, sewer, garbage and recycling. It is the intent of this paper to provide information regarding the RCM program design and offerings provided by Puget Sound Energy.

Paper

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