Heating Up Downstate New York's Weatherization Market
Gita Subramony
Proposal Status
Ready for Committee Review
Username
Gita Subramony
Proposer First Name
Gita
Proposer Email
gita@illumeadvising.com
Proposer Last Name
Subramony
Proposer Job Title
Senior Managing Consultant
Proposed Session Description
This presentation will present a case study of National Grid’s Total Home Comfort Program, which assists customers in downstate New York with weatherization projects to reduce gas usage. The case study will include the implementers’ and evaluators’ perspective and will focus on how current program design and evaluation practices can leverage past learnings from energy efficiency programs to achieve new goals like greenhouse gas emissions reductions and achieving access and equity goals.
Why is this session important?
Increasingly, energy efficiency programs are moving away from strict resource acquisition goals and towards objectives such as building electrification, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reductions, decarbonization goals, and equitable access to clean energy technologies. As the policy goals of these programs shift, program design is adapting. However, meeting these new goals has similar challenges and barriers that previous energy efficiency (EE) programs faced in the past: engaging customers and building contractor networks, among others. How can we use the lessons learned from the vast history of EE program evaluation and implementation to achieve emerging energy policy goals? This presentation will feature National Grid's Total Home Comfort Program, which helps customers weatherize their homes. The case study will showcase the program implementers’ perspective of program design and will also cover evaluation research objectives and the results from the study.
Comments
MAYBE/YES - It would be great
MAYBE/YES - It would be great to hear the lessons learned from weatherization programs from our utilities. This is where a lot of the actual work is happening in existing buildings right now, at a widespread scale. So it will be good to hear lessons learned and how to improve the pogram and the industry capacity. However, I have reservations because we wouldnt want to focus on solutions that keep existing gas infrastructure. We would need to guide this presentation carefully. Perhaps there is someone not from National Grid that could pair with this presentation.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
This presentation will touch on the role program design and evaluation in addressing utility costs and energy affordability through weatherization and how this program in particular is designed to meet policy goals around access to energy efficiency programs.
Learning Objectives
Understand the market for weatherization in Downstate NY
Learn about energy efficiency program design
Examine research methods and findings to help programs expand their reach
Understand region-specific barriers and opportunities for weatherization programs
Has this session been presented before?
No
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 1 - No prior knowledge needed.
NYC 2023 Areas of Focus
Recommended Length
60-minute session
Strongest Content Connection - NYC 2023
Comments about your speaker roster
Our speaker roster bridges perspectives between program implementers and program evaluators.
Reviewer 1
Bayer, Sara
Proposal #
143
Committee Decision
Rejected
MAYBE - I am torn. I don't
MAYBE - I am torn. I don't think the case study is interesting to hear. But I am interested to hear about the leassons learned from other programs so that future programs can build on those. To quickly transition towards a zero carbon society, we need incentives. If this proposal focuses on how we can make future programs more effective, then perhaps it is worth the time. If it is only about the case study with 1 final bullet points about lessons learned, then perhaps not worth the time.