APPRISE conducted survey research to support process and impact evaluations of Alliant’s residential energy efficiency programs. The programs included Appliance Recycling, Direct Load Control, Home Energy Audits, Residential Prescriptive, New Home Construction, and Energy Awareness and Education. The surveys were designed to support program development and improvement.

Columbia Gas implemented a portfolio of Demand Side Management (DSM) programs in 2009 for its residential and small commercial customers. The residential programs include a Residential Home Performance retrofit incentive program and a rebate program for customers who purchase programmable thermostats and energy-efficient showerheads. APPRISE is conducting a process evaluation of these programs to help refine the programs and improve program effectiveness. The evaluation research includes document review, analysis of program statistics, interviews with Columbia Gas managers and staff, interviews with program implementers, and participant and nonparticipant surveys.

APPRISE is working with a team to assess the performance of thirteen residential and small business energy efficiency programs offered by the Consolidated Edison and Orange & Rockland utility companies. The evaluation will assess how each energy efficiency program is operating and make recommendations for improvements to the implementation process. Specific information gathered via program participant and non-participant surveys will include participant satisfaction, effectiveness of program marketing and delivery, barriers to participation, satisfaction with measures offered, and satisfaction with trade ally training programs.

Vermont has a number of energy programs that make important contributions to reductions in electricity usage in all sectors and reductions of fossil fuel usage among low-income households. However, Vermont is missing important opportunities for energy savings because there is a program gap with respect to fossil fuel usage by households that are not low income and fossil fuel usage in the commercial and industrial end use sectors. This 2006 memo presents the status of energy usage in Vermont, describes existing programs, and discusses opportunities for future programs.

EPA initiated Energy Star programs to reduce pollution by accelerating the adoption of new and underutilized energy-efficient technologies. In this evaluation we conducted surveys with home builders and home buyers. We conducted a home builder mail survey with participating Energy Start builders on their satisfaction with services received through the program. The survey also collected information to assess the impact of the program on the behavior of home builders. In the home buyers survey, we collected baseline and follow-up information from a sample of Energy Star home buyers and a comparison sample of other new home buyers. We obtained energy billing data for responding households and developed estimates of energy savings resulting from the Energy Star Homes Program.

The Energy Star HVAC Program works to overcome barriers associated with the purchase of higher efficiency replacement HVAC equipment in the residential market. EPA works with HVAC equipment manufactures, distributors, dealers, utilities, and financial institutions to overcome the market barriers. In this evaluation, we conducted in-depth interviews with all participants in the HVAC program, including trade associations, utilities, finance partners, manufacturers, regional distributors, dealers, and consumers.

APPRISE was a subcontractor on the evaluation of the Massachusetts Energy Star Lighting Program. This statewide program provides incentives for residential customers to purchase ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products. APPRISE conducted telephone surveys with comparison residential customers in South Dakota to assess the market effects of the program.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities manages a portfolio of energy efficiency programs. These programs include the Residential HVAC, Residential New Construction, Energy Star Products, Commercial and Industrial New Construction, Commercial and Industrial Retrofit, Combined Heat and Power, and Customer On-Site Renewable Energy. As part of a comprehensive evaluation of the portfolio of programs, APPRISE conducted an evaluation of the Residential New Construction Program, known as the NJ Energy Star Homes Program. Under this program, builders receive incentives to develop homes that are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than a standard home. APPRISE conducted research to update how estimates of the program's energy savings are made and to estimate actual program energy and demand savings from 2001 through 2006. The research included a survey with Energy Star homebuyers and non-participating homeowners and analysis of electric and gas energy usage data for these households.

Under New Jersey restructuring legislation, all utility DSM programs are implemented through a statewide utility collaborative. The New Jersey RNC Working Group was responsible for designing a statewide RNC program to encourage builders to construct and home buyers to purchase energy-efficient homes. APPRISE staff directed the RNC Baseline Study, including surveys with market actors to assess awareness of and attitudes toward RNC programs, and the development of Residential New Construction statistics and information on the Affordable Housing market.

The goal of NYSERDA’s ENERGY STAR Homes Program is to implement and promote an enhanced version of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program in New York State. The program provides technical assistance and targeted financial incentives to residential builders and income eligible homeowners to encourage the adoption of energy efficient design features and the selection and installation of energy efficient equipment. APPRISE conducted survey research to support NYSERDA’s market characterization research for the Energy Star Homes Program (ESH) in 2008. APPRISE gathered information from homeowners who purchased an Energy Star Home and homeowners who purchased a non-Energy Star Home to examine their views, experiences, and perceptions on a variety of topics related to program participation. APPRISE also surveyed home builders who participated and homebuilders who did not participate in the ESH to assess their views, experiences, and perceptions on a variety of topics related to program participation. APPRISE conducted additional surveys with participating homeowners, non-participating homeowners, participating builders, non-participating builders, and formerly-participating builders to supplement energy-savings estimates and provide information on potential program free-ridership and spillover effects.

NYSERDA’s Energy Star Products Program (NYESP) seeks to increase sales of residential energy-efficient appliances, lighting, power management, home electronics, heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment. The goals of the program are to increase the supply of products through partnerships with retailers, manufacturers and distributors and to create demand for high-efficiency and ENERGY STAR products through increased consumer awareness and understanding of the ENERGY STAR label. APPRISE surveyed recent purchasers and appliance retailers of refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, or room air conditioners and assessed the purchases, sales, availability, attitudes, and awareness of Energy Star products.

NYSERDA's Green Jobs - Green New York (GJGNY) Program provides New Yorkers with access to energy audits, installation services, low-cost financing, and pathways to training for various green-collar careers. Evaluation activities are designed to assess the effectiveness, progress, and outcomes related to the program and to provide recommendations for program refinement. APPRISE is conducting surveys with program participants and non-participants to develop a comprehensive understanding of current and emerging markets and to provide baseline data to enable NYSERDA to define, deliver, and evaluate programs for these target markets.

NYSERDA's Home Performance with Energy Star (HPwES) Program provides low-cost training to contractors and financial incentives to homeowners to help improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock in New York. APPRISE conducted survey research to support NYSERDA’s market characterization research for the program in 2008. APPRISE's research gathered information from homeowners who received a Comprehensive Home Assessment from a participating BPI certified technician to examine homeowner views, experiences, and perceptions on a variety of topics related to program participation. APPRISE also surveyed program participating and non-participating contractors to examine contractor views, experiences, and perceptions on a variety of topics related to program participation. APPRISE also completed the HPwES Impact evaluation, and conducted surveys of homeowners and contractors to supplement program Net to Gross savings estimates.

NYSERDA conducted a market characterization study of the lighting market in New York to inform a possible Enhanced Lighting Design Program under SBC IV. APPRISE conducted quantitative surveys with retailers, homeowners, and the general population to develop a better understanding of the residential lighting market and identify opportunities for optimizing NYSERDA’s future investments in the lighting market.

APPRISE conducted RDD telephone surveys in NY State, New York City, Ohio, Washington DC, and Houston in 2009 to assess the saturation of CFLs. APPRISE then recruited the RDD survey respondents for in-home audits of lighting fixtures, existing bulbs, and home electronics bundles in the summer of 2009. In the summer of 2010, APPRISE conducted another RDD telephone survey in NY State, New York City, and Houston, and recruited respondents for a follow-up in-home audit. The data are being used by CFL Program staff to identify marketing opportunities and by NYSERDA Evaluation staff to measure program impacts.

APPRISE was a subcontractor on the evaluation of the Rhode Island Energy Star Lighting Program. This statewide program sponsored by National Grid provides discounts for residential customers to purchase ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products. APPRISE conducted telephone surveys with residential customers in Rhode Island to assess the market effects of the program.