Households and businesses across the Northwest are helping the region to reach greater energy efficiency by participating in the Home and Commercial Energy Metering Studies.
Please note: The safety of study participants is of utmost importance. The COVID-19 pandemic is being closely monitored to determine whether field activities are possible and can continue. However, although field activities may stall, recruitment activities may continue. Please read the FAQs on the sidebar for more information and don't hesitate to reach out if you have additional questions.
Why participate in the studies?
Study participants will help the region become more energy efficient. In fact, by participating in the Home and Commercial Energy Metering Studies, you can help regional utilities and energy efficiency organizations continue to make strategic investments in energy efficiency that benefit all Northwest consumers.
Other benefits include helping regional utilities to keep rates lower, accurately forecast and plan for future energy supplies, and maintain reliability of electric service at times of peak electricity demand.
How to participate in HEMS:
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and its partners Evergreen Economics, kW Engineering, and Michaels Energy are seeking households that participated in the Residential Building Stock Assessment to join a follow-on study, the Home Energy Metering Study (HEMS). This study will measure energy use by appliances in homes throughout the Northwest. No personally-identifying information will be released.
Households participating in the study are eligible for $200 for the visit to install metering equipment in your home.
The study will use three different types of equipment:
- Energy monitors. We will install energy monitoring devices to capture how much electricity your appliances are using at a given time.
- Temperature sensor. We’ll also use temperature sensors so we can measure the temperature inside your home, and for some appliances (heat pump).
- Data hub. We’ll also set up a hub that will store the meter data and send it to our secure servers using our own cellular data plan.
Additional Questions? Contact Evergreen Economics at 1-833-971-4367 or HomeEnergyMeteringStudy@evergreenecon.com
How to participate in CEMS:
NEEA and its partner DNV are currently seeking businesses to participate in the Commercial Energy Metering Study (CEMS). This study will measure energy use by businesses throughout the Northwest. Firms that participated in the Commercial Building Stock Assessment are welcome to join this study, but it is open to any managers or owners of commercial buildings that would like to help energy efficiency in the Northwest. No identifying information will be released.
There are various incentives for customer participation:
Incentive Package: The study offers a monetary incentive of $500 for each participant who commits to the five-year study. Incentives are paid on an annual basis at $100 per year. Participants may customize how those incentives are received (e.g., as one, $100 cash gift card or as split incentives (e.g., four $25 cash gift cards that can be issued to employees/tenants/building managers etc.) and/or a donation to a predefined list of charities.
Customized Report Package: Instead of the monetary incentive, customers may opt for a customized report at the conclusion of the study. This report will segment customer energy use and provide a dashboard of how usage changes seasonally. For a point of reference, the report will include comparisons with similar buildings and their performance metrics from the study.
Data Meter Package: For customers who can’t accept a monetary incentive, the research team can provide each customer the option to retain the meter after the study and obtain the license to use the energy monitoring software. Upon completion of the study, customers will have access to the trend data for their business. They have the option of keeping the installed meter and accessing the software (participants will be responsible for license extensions). Participants will be provided an opportunity to participate in a webinar to learn how to use the software.
Additional Questions? Contact DNV at 707-205-5502 or at CEMS@dnv.com