A Northeast United States of America electric and gas Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU) was looking for a new software to evaluate the cost effectiveness (CE) of complex and ever-changing energy efficiency and demand side management programs, as their existing spreadsheet methods of calculation wasn’t meeting their business needs. The utility was highly determined to evaluate the cost effectiveness ‘instantaneously’ during the implementation phase of the project, with every measure taken into account under those programs.
Evaluating Cost Effectiveness using ePLAN, for an Electric and Gas Utility
Using ePLAN, the utility effectively replaced their complex spreadsheet model of evaluation and all the associated cumbersome processes to evaluate the cost effectiveness at various levels, in a single click.
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Industry
- Energy & Renewables
Location
- Northeast USA
Challenges
- Manual duplicate checks, service study correspondence, and agreement signatures.
- Lack of customer data integration
- Longer application turnaround times
Product(s) Used
Enhancements Achieved
- Self-service Distributed Generation Interconnection Portal
- Automated and efficient process
- Faster completion of service studies
Executive Summary
The Situation & Challenge
- To comply with the energy efficiency protocols, the north-eastern TDU offers energy efficiency programs to customers within their service territory.
- These programs involve the installation of energy efficiency measures such as insulation, room air conditioners, high efficiency lighting, variable frequency drives, high efficiency boilers, and more.
- Prior to the implementation of these programs, the utility evaluates the cost effectiveness of measures, programs and portfolios using an excel based calculator. The utility maintains separate models for electric and gas programs.
- Every year, the utility creates a copy of the model for the new program year; also, to mitigate input assumptions and model parameter changes, new copies are created within a program year.
- The process was cumbersome for the utility to keep the right copy (version) of the model with correct parameters and input assumptions. Eventually, the performance was slow, due to a large volume of measure and program data had to be processed.
- In addition, the utility looks to evaluate the cost effectiveness of the efficiency programs during all the phases: planning, implementation (for every measure and project implemented) and evaluation.
The utility chose ANB Systems’ product, ePLAN, a web based framework which can be used in conjunction with the tracking system eTRACK (flagship product of ANB Systems, Inc. to manage, track and report energy efficiency and demand response programs) for their cost effectiveness evaluation purposes in all program phases. The utility trusted ANB’s experience and successin providing turnkey solutions to meet their diverse business challenges related to energy efficiency program management,tracking and reporting.
ePLAN - A Simple Solution to Evaluate CE
- Define Your Test
- Evaluate with Ease
- Run Tests in Seconds
- Output Assumptions & Results
- View in A Dashboard
- Web Based
- Role Based Security
- Integrate with eTRACK
Using ePLAN, the utility effectively replaced their complex spreadsheet model of evaluation and all the associated cumbersome processes to evaluate the cost effectiveness at various levels, in a single click. It also helps to calculate the total costs of the program to the utility on a ‘per kilowatt’, ‘per kilowatt hour’, or ‘per mmbtu’ basis; levelized over the life of the program. Further, the instantaneous evaluation helped the utility to make quick and informed decisions with respect to program or measure adjustments for improved overall performance.
About ANB Systems, Inc.
ANB Systems is a leading technology platform provider in the US energy industry. Commencing our journey in 1997, we have built state-of-the-art software product suites for managing retail energy services, energy efficiency programs, and demand-side management operations. Be it revenue augmentation, growth, cost reduction or operational efficiency, we
leverage our hundreds of person-years of hands-on IT-consulting experience in addressing the business challenges of retail/
wholesale energy and energy efficiency service providers.
Our Other Products
eTRACK, a unified technology platform for tracking and reporting on energy efficiency and demand response programs.
Retail Energy Desk (ReD), a robust productivity tool for wholesale and retail energy service providers for data and operations
management.
