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

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Blog | September 13, 2016 by Marge Anderson

Four energy engineers walked into a bar...

Actually, it wasn’t a bar. It was a dinner party. After the second local, sustainable micro-brew the truth came out. Shanti Pless from the National Renewable Energy Lab said he enjoyed Slipstream's case study of our "Living Lab" headquarters. But he had only one question—are we sure about those Lighting Power Density numbers? More

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Publication | August 1, 2016 by

Codes don't always get enforced, but contracts do: changing the procurement paradigm to drive building energy performance

ACEEE 2016 paper by Adam McMillen, et al. More

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Publication | August 1, 2016 by

Verified! How performance-based procurement can boost new construction program savings, streamline evaluation, and empower building owners

ACEEE 2016 paper by Sandra Henry, Claire Cowan, et al. More

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Publication | August 1, 2016 by

Advancing the last frontier: reduction of commercial plug loads

ACEEE 2016 paper by Scott Hackel, et al. More

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Publication | August 1, 2016 by

Considering risk and investor value in energy efficiency business models

ACEEE 2016 paper by Steve Kihm, et al. More

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Publication | August 1, 2016 by

Is it getting hot in here? How climate change will impact energy efficiency choices

ACEEE 2016 paper by Scott Schuetter, Saranya Gunasingh and Doug Ahl. More

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Publication | June 1, 2016 by

Advanced daylighting

Building designers have been returning to the centuries-old practice of lighting indoor spaces using natural daylight. Natural light improves occupant morale and reduces electricity use. While building energy codes now require basic daylighting controls on lights adjacent to windows, designers can utilize more advanced approaches to fully daylight buildings. More

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Publication | June 1, 2016 by

Demand control ventilation (DCV) with dedicated outside air

Buildings require a certain amount of ventilation, or outside air (OA), in order to ensure good indoor air quality. Typically the required amount of ventilation is calculated using the building’s maximum occupancy. More

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Publication | April 25, 2016 by

Energy efficiency opportunities for homes with high usage: market characterization and customer engagement strategies

We conducted an in-depth study of 100 high energy consumption homes in Minnesota. The goal was to help conservation program managers better understand the factors contributing to high usage, quantify the energy savings potential associated with common conservation measures, and identify program strategies that could be used to effectively target those opportunities. This study was funded by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources. (Also known as the high energy user study.) More