Sunday, June 1, 2014

Community Energy Innovations

5/9/12
MIT

Harvey Michaels, energy efficiency strategy project
Goal of 30% efficiency by 2030
7 billion in possible savings
71% energy used in buildings and 55% is natural gas
Transparency - making efficiency visible
Democratization - allowing everyone to play
Collective action - city/community partners
(energy club and energy conference founded to make MIT more demand side)

Brendan McEwan - community partnerships
bmcewen@mit.edu
40-65 million homes need weatherization
0.1% annual national uptake
Meetings are effective to get participation, especially if former customers and contractors are available
Communities can be exhausted
Gender matters - women make the decisions

Ksenia Mokrushina, Dong Wang - cdc sust plan
ksenia@mit.edu
billwang@mit.edu
Neighborhood sustainability plan for viet aid in fields corner
Renter occupied, multi-family, 75% built before 1940
Pre-weatherization barriers - asbestos, faulty wiring...

Genevieve Rose Sherman - microgrids
sherman1@mit.edu
Microgrids distribute energy more efficiently and provide an immediate incentive for greater energy efficiency
Two examples:  Portland, OR ecodistrict and Stamford, CT energy improvement district
Both need a professional operator
CT has addressed some of the regulatory obstructions for microgrids

Amy Stitely - municipal govts in the lead
astitely@mit.edu at MIT Community Innovators Lab
Pittsfield, Northampton, Newton, Somerville, Chelsea and New Bedford, MA cities pledged to reduce carbon emissions leading by example, clearing regulatory hurdles, bringing local knowledge and influence to bear
Cities organized different players and components into a community-based organization which can serve as a concierge for energy efficiency services

Q:  people do energy efficiency usually for other reasons than energy efficiency, identify and use these other drivers?
Funding from energy programs but could be from other benefits and other reasons? 

Jackie Dadakis, clean energy solutions
Eric Mackris, aceee
District organization rather than individual incentive - sherman
Can healthcare own some of the benefits - stately
Link energy efficiency to home rehab and available city aid- ksenia

Editorial Comment:  Links to economic gardening, recycled energy, and robert cialdini

Green and healthy homes chased energy efficiency but now chasing health and safety as better drivers

Lindsay Reul - mapping energy efficiency
lreul@mit.edu
No standard metric to measure efficiency
Few connected energy info with actions
Energy info should not be displayed in isolation
Info + programs + feedback loop

Kate Goldstein, new step living
krg@mit.edu
Audited 100 homes a week and retrofitting 1000 homes a month and mapping them to predict savings and plan next steps

Nikhil Nadkarni - rating home energy performance
nikhiln@mit.edu
Residential energy labels - started in Denmark in 1990 and  now EU wide as well as in NYC, Austin, and Seattle. Pilot program in Springfield.MA now
Austin's compliance rate is around 93%

Elena Alschuler - smart metering in Charlotte
Elena12@mit.edu
Energy consumption determined by multiple stakeholders in an office building
What are the best practices?
63 large buildings, 300 organizations, 20,000 workers with new Duke Energy advanced meters
Building level data and community wide data
97% owner participation
Energy Champions learned and changed behaviors
5/100 office workers changed behaviors
Owners handed off program after installation
Best practices:  explicit participation process essential, organizations need flexibility, programminpits include tools, resources, training, events, mwdia, rewards, incluse new partners like local govt, nonprofits and 

Q:  do labels really work?  What is the action connected to the label?

Q:  what can people now in the field do?
Meet people where they are and give different constituencies the info and tools they need to begin change.  You don't necessarily need shiny new gizmos

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