Publication | August 4, 2017 by
Statewide commercial behavior segmentation and potential study
A recently completed CARD research project led by ILLUME Advising addressed the barriers small businesses face in reducing energy consumption. It estimated the achievable potential energy and bill savings of behavior-change approaches for small businesses in Minnesota. For 10 measures and six business segments studied in Minnesota, the research team estimated total achievable savings of 245.7 million kWh, or enough to power nearly 23,000 houses for a year, and 7.8 million therms, or enough to heat nearly 12,600 houses in the winter. More
Blog | June 23, 2017 by Elizabeth Schroeder
ACEEE Utility Scorecard: Trends and Findings
Earlier this month, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released their first-ever scorecard of utilities in the United States. The scorecard reveals which utilities are leading the way in energy efficiency programs, and identifies areas for improvement. More
Blog | June 5, 2017 by Elizabeth Schroeder
It's World Environment Day!
Did you know? Today is World Environment Day, the United Nations' most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our planet! The initiative began in 1974, and has evolved into a global platform for public outreach that is celebrated in more than 100 countries. More
Blog | April 10, 2017 by Elizabeth Schroeder
Leading by Example
As a business focused on saving energy for our clients and their customers, it’s important for us to lead by example! We’re committed to making our own headquarters as sustainable as possible, and have made some great strides in the past year. More
Publication | March 1, 2017 by
Commercial roof-top units in Minnesota: characteristics and energy performance (supplement document)
RTUs are used in more than one third of U.S. commercial buildings, the highest of any cooling equipment type. Why? They are reliable and have a low capital cost, as well as established service and distribution networks. There is anecdotal evidence, however, that these systems operate inefficiently. To validate or refute this evidence, we conducted a multi-level field study sponsored by Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.
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Publication | March 1, 2017 by
Commercial roof-top units in Minnesota: characteristics and energy performance (final report)
RTUs are used in more than one third of U.S. commercial buildings, the highest of any cooling equipment type. Why? They are reliable and have a low capital cost, as well as established service and distribution networks. There is anecdotal evidence, however, that these systems operate inefficiently. To validate or refute this evidence, we conducted a multi-level field study sponsored by Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.
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Publication | October 20, 2016 by
Manufactured homes study
The manufactured home market offers an affordable housing option—and sometimes the only option—for many would-be homeowners. Residents of manufactured homes (also known as mobile homes) are more likely to be low-income than residents of other single-family homes, and energy costs may comprise a larger portion of their monthly expenses. We conducted a large-scale field study of Minnesota’s manufactured homes to identify energy savings potential and help inform energy efficiency programs that will save residents money. More
Publication | October 1, 2016 by
Impacts of office plug load reduction strategies
Slipstream, along with the Center for Energy and Environment and LHB, conducted a field research study to demonstrate and measure savings from potential plug load reduction strategies in office buildings. We also characterized the types of devices and baseline usage in those offices, and documented occupant acceptance, operational issues and the cost-effectiveness of reduction strategies.
This study was funded by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.
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Publication | October 1, 2016 by
Power down, power off
This fact sheet was developed as part of a commercial plug load study funded by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.
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Publication | September 13, 2016 by
SGIG consumer behavior study: Minnesota Power AMI behavioral research pilot (Phase 2)
Minnesota Power is a winter peaking investor-owned electric utility with ~145,000 customers in its ~26,000 square mile service territory that covers central and northeastern Minnesota. The utility's Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) project includes a two-phase consumer behavior study.
The first (Phase One) evaluates customer acceptance to various forms and timing of information feedback about electricity consumption, while the second (Phase Two) evaluates customer response to a TOU rate with a CPP overlay. More