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October 1, 2018 by Claire Cowan
How can the Midwest be better? Energy efficiency insights from the Northeast
As Energy Efficiency Day approaches on Friday, Oct. 5, we reflect on the ways Wisconsin, the home of our headquarters, can learn from our more progressive neighbors who are making energy efficiency a priority. Our expert, Claire Cowan, director of program design and delivery, now resides in the northeastern state of Maine. Claire gives you a look into the energy efficiency potential available to another state with a similar climate to Wisconsin. More
September 15, 2018 by Jeannette LeZaks
How do we engage small businesses in deeper energy savings? Seventhwave research team finds out
Are lighting savings the best we can do for small business customers? Seventhwave research says no. Our research team dug into the Minnesota small business market and found diverse savings opportunities. These savings will help Minnesota programs pilot holistic savings in small buildings. Seventhwave can build these measures into the design of our own small business offerings. More
September 11, 2018 by Scott Hackel
Building systems integration: trends, complications and where we’re headed
A couple of years ago, my team conducted a research project investigating how to reduce the energy use of office plug loads. Among the solutions we tested, one option was a power strip with an occupancy sensor. It shut off your monitors and other gadgets when you were away from your desk. Many buildings we investigated also had occupancy sensors controlling the lighting in the same office space. One of the offices we tested had yet a third occupancy sensor network – and CO2 sensors to control the HVAC system in some spaces. More
September 7, 2018 by Elizabeth Schroeder
Happy National Drive Electric Week!
September 8-16 is National Drive Electric Week! National Drive Electric Week is an annual celebration and outreach campaign, with the goal of increasing awareness of the benefits and widespread availability of electric vehicles (EVs). More
August 23, 2018 by Steve Kihm
Increasing risk can reduce regret-- Implications for energy policy
On the path to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, we will have to make decisions that have uncertain outcomes. In other words, they involve risk. Newer technologies might not work well—or they might work better than expected. Customers might not embrace home automation—or they might use it in ways we haven’t even imagined. More
August 21, 2018 by Robin Lisowski
Beneficial Electrification: What and Why?
In our 2018 Energy Outlook, we pointed to several emerging trends that are likely to shape our work in the future—including a cleaner grid, local focus, a growing energy storage market, and heat pump technology for space and water heating and cooling. While these developments are exciting on their own, the combination is indicative of a fundamental transformation of the power sector. More
August 9, 2018 by Steve Kihm
Investor value creation, utility stock prices and clean energy policy
If regulators want to steer utility investment toward renewable, sustainable resources, and away from carbon-emitting types, they can apply basic investor value creation concepts when implementing policy. The key consideration is the size of the gap between two rates of return: (1) the profit rate utilities earn, and (2) the minimum threshold return that investors require. More
August 1, 2018 by Alyssa Spiel and Elizabeth Schroeder
Understanding Your Home's Systems
Humans have been building homes for thousands of years. However, until fairly recently, we didn’t have the knowledge or technology to understand their inner workings. A home is much more than a simple structure; when it doesn’t work properly, materials and energy are wasted, occupants can feel uncomfortable, and conditions can even be unsafe or unhealthy. More
May 8, 2018 by Alyssa Spiel and Elizabeth Schroeder
Understanding Electric and Natural Gas Charges
You likely glance at your energy bill each month, but do you really understand what you’re reading?
Utility bills can be confusing, as they tend to contain many abbreviations, numbers, and miscellaneous charges that most customers are unfamiliar with. While all utilities display information a bit differently, we decoded the sample energy bill below as an example. See the image and corresponding explanations for more details! More
January 19, 2018 by Elizabeth Schroeder
What's Next in Energy Efficiency? 6 Trends to Watch in 2018
WECC is proud to champion and deliver innovative energy initiatives. Along this journey, we are often inspired by other industry leaders who develop technologies, policies, and business models that foster a prosperous and sustainable energy future.
As we look ahead to 2018 and beyond, several emerging industry trends are likely to shape the nature of our work here at WECC. Read on to discover how the way we use and create energy will continue to change this year. More