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ICF International is a leader in designing and implementing
effective and innovative demand side management strategies,
including energy efficiency, demand response, and peak
load management. Our thorough understanding of utility
objectives and customer needs enables us to help energy
companies, governments, and commercial clients worldwide
to manage energy consumption and peak demand.
Energy Efficiency
Design of Public Benefits Programs
for Residential Disadvantaged Customers in New Orleans
and Arkansas. ICF International was contracted by Entergy-New Orleans and Entergy-Arkansas
to develop a public benefits fund and market-transforming,
energy efficiency programs for the city of New Orleans,
Louisiana. ICF International developed programs for all rate
classes at varying levels of incentives and participation.
The centerpiece of each project was a program to benefit
disadvantaged residents who had been adversely impacted
by hikes in natural gas and electricity prices. ICF International
designed three delivery mechanisms for public benefits
programs, which used a combination of weatherization and
energy efficiency upgrades, and consumer education. These
delivery mechanisms were designed to enable disadvantaged
customers to afford their energy bills. These programs
were designed to piggyback the
U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance
Program (WAP), and when possible, to leverage federal program
dollars. Further, the program design included funding for
improvement measures not covered under WAP. Entergy was
so pleased with the success of this project that the company
hired ICF International to do a second, identical program
for its service territory in Arkansas.
China Energy Efficient Air Conditioner
Program. ICF International,
in collaboration with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
supported the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
China’s
State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC), and the China
Energy Conservation Association (CECA) to develop a multiyear
work plan for transforming the market for room air conditioners
in China. This assistance involved designing a series of
steps to identify and demonstrate high-efficiency technologies,
conduct outreach to the manufacturing community, and increase
demand for energy-efficient products. This final work plan
formed the core of a China proposal to access Global Environment
Facility (GEF) grant funds to assist in targeting air conditioner
end-use efficiency.
Small Commercial Full-Service Pilot
Program for Pacific Gas & Electric
Co. (PG&E). Under contract with PG&E,
ICF International has designed and is implementing the "Small
Commercial Full-Service Pilot Program." This market transformation
pilot program will test several innovative strategies for
providing energy efficiency services to PG&E's small
commercial customers. The concept establishes "auditor/broker" entrepreneurial
businesses to provide a full range of energy efficiency services
to small business owners. The services include methods for
targeted marketing, facility energy auditing, financing opportunities,
a referral network of energy equipment vendors and installation
contractors, and construction management. Acting as the representative
of the business owner, the auditor/broker wraps specification,
installation, and financing into one well-defined package,
significantly reducing the "hassle factor" and time commitments
of the business owner.
Regional U.S. Energy Efficiency Programs. ICF International has more than 100 experts supporting state and
regional initiatives in New York, New England, California,
and Texas. Our staff develops successful energy efficiency
and market transformation programs for our regional clients
including NYSERDA, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships,
the New Jersey Utilities, Consolidated Edison, National
Grid, California Energy Commission, and Oncor. Our experience
is broad and covers commercial lighting, residential and
commercial new construction, LED traffic signals and streetlights,
HVAC, and residential lighting, windows, and appliances.
ICF International staff performed market assessments and barrier
analyses, and designed programs to reduce barriers that
inhibit market penetration of energy efficient products
and services.
International Energy Efficiency in
Commercial Buildings. ICF International
supported the U.S. EPA to design a new international program
to promote the efficient operation of commercial office
buildings. We continue to support implementation of this
program internationally using on-line energy management
tools and information resources to encourage the use of
"low-cost" and "no-cost" measure
to improve the efficient use of energy in existing buildings.
ICF International developed a set of "best practice" guidelines
to identify and prioritize key improvements to maximize
efficiency impacts.
Demand Response
Load Reduction Monitoring and Verification
Services. ICF International provides turnkey services monitoring
and verification services related to an innovative load reduction
initiative implemented by Consolidated Edison (Con Edison)
in 2004. ICF International ensures that the vendors provide
the promised load reduction though the installation of energy-efficient
technologies (e.g., lighting, HVAC). Our staff conducts pre-installation
and post-installation inspections of each site to verify
existing equipment to be replaced and that the new equipment
was installed. Our staff also performs quality control inspections
on a post-installation basis to ensure the accuracy of the
inspections. ICF International is building a master database
management system to track each of the sites, aggregate load
reduction achieved by each of the vendors, and produce reports
requested by Con Edison for internal use and for use by the
New York State Department of Public Service and other regulatory
agencies. In addition, ICF International will represent this
program on Con Edison’s behalf at external and internal
meetings, and conduct annual program evaluations.
California Energy Commission. ICF International
designed and implemented the Small Commercial and Industrial
(C&I) Demand Responsiveness (DR) Program
in 2002 and 2003. The program provided financial incentives
for customers, with loads of between 50kW and 200kW, to
install intelligent meters and energy control systems.
ICF International designed all program materials, recruited
customers, provided customer assistance, paid incentives,
and managed verification protocols. A total peak load reduction
of over 24 MW was achieved through 17 projects implemented
by 14 customers at 1,037 sites.
Program Development and Evaluation
Program Support for New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority (NYSERDA). ICF International
is providing program design and implementation support
to NYSERDA for a number of high profile energy efficiency
programs. Our support includes providing technical and
programmatic staff to manage a variety of energy efficiency
market transformation programs throughout the state of
New York. The work involves coordinating closely with state
and local government officials, utilities, energy service
companies, electrical contractors, chambers of commerce,
and industry associations. ICF International has demonstrated
its ability to bring key stakeholders together, influence
decision makers, and bring about critical market changes
and improvements. ICF International's support to NYSERDA encompasses
high quality, energy efficient commercial lighting; residential
new construction; high quality, energy efficient LED traffic
lights; combined heat and power applications; high quality
street lighting; and energy-efficient transformers.
California Energy Commission's Cash for
Kilowatts Program. ICF International
is providing program design and management to the California
Energy Commission in implementing a major component of
the Cash for Kilowatts Peak Load Reduction Program, a statewide
initiative funded by California taxpayers under Senate
Bill 5X. The Small Commercial and Industrial
(SC&I) HVAC and Lighting Demand Response Program provides financial assistance
to SC&I electricity customers to upgrade or install hardware and software
with electric load curtailment capabilities. Customers can reduce their electric
bills by reducing peak demand charges, as well as their cost of energy usage.
Improving energy performance also helps prevent future blackouts.
Thailand Cleaner Production for Industrial
Efficiency (CPIE). ICF International
created a program
to stimulate the widespread adoption of cleaner production
(CP) techniques by industry
in Thailand, and to build the capacity of national and
local government and other organizations to provide CP
services on an ongoing basis for the Asian Development
Bank. ICF International worked in partnership with the Pollution
Control Department to design and implement the CPIE Program,
an innovative voluntary program aimed at reducing industrial
energy consumption, water use, and wastewater discharge
by a target of 20 percent among industries that participate
in the program. We coordinated with over 1,200 industrial
enterprises and worked closely with 400 of them.
Labeling and Voluntary Programs
TXU Electric Delivery ENERGY
STAR Homes Program. ICF International has provided
program development and marketing support for the TXU Electric
Delivery ENERGY STAR Homes Program since 2002. ICF International
is responsible for all aspects of the program, including
developing strategies, implementing activities, conducting
public education and outreach, managing three ad partnerships,
and developing a multimillion dollar advertising campaign.
ICF International’s
strategic approach to transforming markets has resulted in
a significant increase in the construction of high performance
homes while surpassing the utility’s energy savings
goals. The program has recruited more than 84 homebuilders
who have constructed and sold more than 34,000 ENERGY STAR
qualified homes in the TXU Electric Delivery service territory
since 2002. These homes delivered more than 69.4 MW and 74
million kWh of energy savings for the utility. The program
has been awarded the EPA’s Utility Partner of the Year
Award for Leadership in Energy Efficiency in 2002 and 2003
for successfully advancing the transformation of the Texas
housing market and increasing awareness of ENERGY STAR qualified
homes.
ENERGY STAR Product Specification Development
and Product Testing. ICF International has supported
EPA in the development of more than 20 ENERGY STAR labeled
products since 1992. We helped develop the specification
for the very first ENERGY STAR qualified computers, continued
working with EPA to launch other products, including homes,
and rolled out new specifications recently for telephony,
ceiling fans, and commercial food service equipment. ICF International gathered and analyzed product, market, and energy
data, including basic product design and the application
of energy-efficient technologies, consumer purchasing habits,
product use patterns, distribution methods, market challenges
and opportunities, and unit volumes and market share of
products.
China Capacity Building for Energy
Efficiency Labeling. ICF International
provides support to the U.S. EPA in delivering institutional
and program strengthening assistance to China’s
national energy efficiency label. In carrying out this
assistance, ICF International staff work closely with China’s
Center for Energy Conservation Products (CECP) and other
members of the EPA capacity building team, including the
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. ICF International’s
support to the CECP labeling program has included assessing
overall program design and performance, identifying priority
areas for building additional capacity and institutional
development, assisting CECP in managing its program effectively
within emerging minimum standards and information labeling
frameworks, and collaborating directly on promotion activities
designed to increase the value of the label to key stakeholders
including consumers and manufacturers. ICF International’s
assistance to CECP also has included coordinating tripartite
meetings between Selo PROCEL, CECP, and U.S. ENERGY STAR
program staff, to develop a shared understanding of key
challenges facing national energy efficiency labeling programs.
Future activities may also include efforts to harmonize
energy efficiency performance levels for certain labeled
product categories in Brazil, China, and the United States.
Television (TV)-Focused Savings Analysis and Development
of Performance Levels for PROCEL. ICF International,
in coordination with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
is providing consulting services to PROCEL’s
energy efficiency labeling program through a project
with U.S. EPA. The project was designed to expand PROCEL's
suite of labeled products and refine its performance levels
development process. We provided hands-on training on energy
and financial savings analysis, and technical support in
the development of performance levels for televisions. Tasks
included development of a TV labeling strategy; a week-long
training in Brazil on conducting product, market, and energy
analyses; and planning/hosting a PROCEL representative’s
trip to Washington, D.C., for meetings with EPA and CECP,
and attendance at the American Council for an Energy Efficient
Economy (ACEEE) Market Transformation Symposium and ENERGY
STAR Awards Ceremony.
PROCEL/EPA Workshop on How to Design and Implement
a Successful Program for a Voluntary Energy Efficiency
Seal. ICF International staff in Brazil and the United
States organized a one-day seminar/workshop that brought
together representatives of government agencies, electric
utilities, equipment manufacturers, and retailers from
all regions of Brazil to discuss ways to strengthen and
promote the PROCEL energy efficiency labeling program.
On the day before the workshop, ICF International also organized
a training event that brought U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR experts
to Brazil to share their experience with counterparts at
PROCEL.
ENERGY STAR Partnership in Residential, Commercial, and
Industrial Markets for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Since
the early 1990s, ICF International has provided support to
the ENERGY STAR program (and its predecessor, Green Lights).
ENERGY STAR's mission is to help businesses and individuals
protect the environment through superior energy efficency.
In the residential market, ICF International's ENERGY STAR
Support Team works with builders across the country to
increase their profits and customer satisfaction by promoting
and educating consumers on the value of an energy-efficient
home. In the commercial and industrial markets, ICF International
works with Fortune 500 corporations and industry specific leaders
to develop and implement a strategic approach to energy management
in their organizations. Our firm has presented at industry
conferences, and collaborated with industry experts and
associations, as well as developed hundreds of program materials
that educate
and train consumers, engineers, front-line employees, and
executives on how to uncover, implement, and communicate energy-efficient
opportunities and accomplishments. In addition, ICF International
has developed tools and resources to help identify and quantify
cost-effective improvements. We leverage key influencers, utilities
and program sponsors, lenders, service providers, stock analysts,
and industry associations, to help ENERGY STAR gain
wider acceptance.
ENERGY STAR Product
Labeling Program for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy. ICF International
provides implementation and outreach support to EPA's ENERGY
STAR Product Labeling Program. These programs are designed
to educate residential and business consumers about how
ENERGY STAR labeled products can help reduce air pollution
and save money on utility bills. From residential HVAC
to televisions and VCRs, ICF International's work includes
strategic planning; outreach
and training for
manufacturers, distributors, and other interested parties;
program material development (e.g., marketing mailings, program
updates, newsletters, brochures/fact sheets, and tool kits);
new partner recruiting; and assisting EPA in the development
of new program specifications. ICF International also maintains
contact information for program participants and product databases
of ENERGY STAR compliant products and equipment.
Commercial, Government, and Residential Lighting
Market Transformation Program for California Residential
Lighting and Appliances (CRLAP) Program. In conjunction
with other project team members, ICF International is designing
and implementing a US$25 million, statewide market transformation
program. The program is jointly sponsored by California's
four major investor-owned utility companies: Pacific Gas & Electric,
San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern
California Edison, and Southern California Gas. ICF International's program staff
work directly with manufacturers and national and independent retailers to promote,
develop, and sell ENERGY STAR labeled residential
appliance and lighting products. ICF International provides professional support
to deliver program incentives, coordinate communications activities, and assist
with long-term strategies to achieve market transformation goals. Our primary
activities include working with manufacturers to influence research and development,
developing
cooperative advertising and promotional activities, training sales
staff to increase their knowledge of ENERGY STAR labeled
products, and placing materials that educate consumers about the benefits of
energy efficiency. The program was developed after extensive market research
was performed to assess the U.S. retail lighting and appliance markets.
Program
Support for Northeast Energy-Efficiency Partnerships, Inc. (NEEP). ICF International provides full-service support to NEEP and the Designlights
Consortium (DLC), a regional collaborative
of utilities and state energy agencies promoting the benefits
of high quality, energy-efficient lighting practices and
technologies. ICF International develops training materials
and program curriculum. These materials are designed to
instruct lighting market players on the benefits of high
quality, energy-efficient lighting design and the added
value that higher quality can bring to both customers
and participants' bottom line. In addition, ICF International
designs customized
training, markets to and recruits seminar
participants, manages all site logistics, conducts the
training seminars, and provides results from in-seminar
evaluations to NEEP for use in future program development.
New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA)
New York Energy $martSM LED Traffic Signal Program. ICF International conducted an outreach program that aimed to increase
the awareness and market acceptance of LED traffic signals
for NYSERDA. The program included a roundtable to bring manufacturers,
municipal traffic professionals, regulatory policy makers,
and utility representatives together that accomplished two
goals: 1) discussion of strategies to overcome market barriers
for installing the technology, and 2) education of market
actors to the benefits of LED traffic signals. Under this
program, ICF International developed a unique Life Cycle Cost
(LCC) tool that included utility rate schedules, performed
outreach education to market actors, developed demonstration
projects, and implemented a public relations campaign. ICF International has conducted outreach to 83 municipalities and
17 manufacturers under this effort.
ENERGY STAR Residential Light Fixture Program. ICF International assisted the U.S. EPA in designing and developing
the ENERGY STAR Residential Light Fixture Program to promote
the introduction and sale of energy-efficient lighting
equipment to the residential market. The program targets
indoor and outdoor light fixtures intended for residential
use. ICF International has performed outreach to recruit manufacturers,
train retailers, build recognition, and refine target messages
for consumers. ICF International is providing technical support
to the program to answer inquiries from program partners
and other interested parties. We analyzed the lighting
industry to develop the most cost-effective, successful
market transformation approach. Key motivators and incentives
were developed for the target audiences, including consumers,
specifiers, manufacturers, dealers, distributors, and retailers.
New Jersey Public Utilities Residential Lighting
Program. In support of the New Jersey electric
and gas utilities, the ICF International team was selected
to design and implement New Jersey’s residential
lighting, appliance, and window market transformation program.
ICF International was responsible for developing three training
sessions, one
for each product category, as well as a train-the-trainer
session. ICF International trained the field staff in the
program who would be visiting the retailers and conducting
training for sales associates. Throughout the program,
ICF International cultivated and maintained relationships
with manufacturers and retailers and led the national retailer
and manufacturer account recruitment efforts. Additional
responsibilities included developing point-of-purchase
(POP) materials and other marketing materials, writing
and distributing a monthly program newsletter, maintaining
a toll-free information line, assisting with the special
events, and planning and conducting a torchiere turn-in
event. In addition, ICF International helped coordinate the
New Jersey activities with EPA’s
national ENERGY STAR campaigns.
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