From 2015–2019, on behalf of utilities and energy efficiency organization co-sponsors across the region, the alliance identified and designed a wide variety of energy efficiency and optimization trainings for industrial utility customers. The centralized infrastructure of these Industrial Technical Trainings (ITT) minimized the administrative burden for utilities by providing a white-labeled, out-of-the-box training to help them connect directly with their customers. These courses were a targeted effort to educate the professionals—including operators, engineers, consultants, and utility staff—who directly affect the largest energy loads in the Northwest.
Our Role in Market Transformation
Innovation:
Through direct coordination with utilities and energy efficiency organizations across the Northwest, NEEA staff developed annual training plans to meet the specific needs of each utility and service area. The alliance then distributed these targeted ITT courses regionwide to provide the broadest—and most cost-effective—coverage possible.
Action:
With a regionwide ITT program that incorporated the needs of co-sponsoring utilities and energy efficiency organizations, NEEA staff set to work to create white-labeled training packages that the co-sponsors could brand and host as their own. Co-sponsors were then able to take advantage of a positive customer touchpoint without having to dedicate the resources
of a full-time employee.
Outcome:
From 2015–2019, ITT empowered more than 750 training attendees with critical market knowledge and an understanding of the value of optimizing industrial system performance. Post-trainings surveys showed high satisfaction with the curriculum, with ITT courses garnering a higher than 97% satisfaction rate.