1 PROGRAM ROGRAM ROGRAM ROGRAM PLANNING LANNING LANNING LANNING COMMITTEE OMMITTEE OMMITTEE OMMITTEE: ENERGY NERGY NERGY NERGY EFFICIENT FFICIENT FFICIENT FFICIENT PRODUCTS RODUCTS RODUCTS RODUCTS PROGRAM ROGRAM ROGRAM ROGRAM REVIEW EVIEW EVIEW EVIEW 1. 1. 1. 1. PROGRAM ROGRAM ROGRAM ROGRAM DESCRIPTION ESCRIPTION ESCRIPTION ESCRIPTION The Energy Efficient Products Program promotes the sale and purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified and other energy efficient products including lighting, appliances and consumer electronics, while also supporting the “early retirement” and recycling of existing inefficient products in New Jersey households. The long-term goal of the Program is to transform the market for energy efficient products in New Jersey by removing barriers to new technologies and providing participants with the knowledge and motivation they need to make cost-effective purchases. The Energy Efficient Products Program provides targeted rebates and messaging to consumers, community partners, manufacturers and retailers for the purchase/sale of selected energy efficient products. The program continues to transition towards greater upstream and midstream initiatives that leverage manufacturer, distributor and retailer incentives and marketing dollars. These initiatives increase available funds for incentives and decrease program operating costs. Aligned and complimentary to the Residential HVAC, New Construction, and Home Performance programs, the Energy Efficient Products Program is focused on the reduction of plug load and lighting energy usage in New Jersey households. Significant gains in market share of higher efficiency products through coordinated voluntary efficiency programs nationwide have resulted in rapid advancements in federal minimum standards, resulting in long term energy savings. The program also provides, when necessary, technical support for the development of such upgrades to federal standards, tracking of activities and monitoring developments, and review and modification of program designs to integrate changes to the standards and codes. The NJ Efficient Products Program: • Partners with over 15 New Jersey based and national retailers through the lighting and appliance initiatives, as well as hosts an online store and incorporates community-level events to increase accessibility to a diversity of high efficiency products across New Jersey • Provides point-of-sale rebates in the range of $0.50 to $15 to accelerate the adoption of CFL and LED fixtures and replacement bulbs and $15 for advanced power strips • Provides a dual approach of mail-in and point of sale rebates of $50-$75 for higher efficiency ENERGY STAR clothes washers and refrigerators • Offers an incentive of $50 for the “early retirement,” removal, and recycling of older, inefficient refrigerators in New Jersey households • Provides an upstream incentive to cable and satellite service providers serving New Jersey customers for the installation of ENERGY STAR V4.1 set top boxes Due to the nature of the funding derived from the societal benefits charge on investor owned utilities, residential customers using oil, propane, and non-investor owned (municipal) electric are not technically eligible to participate in the rebate promotions. However, some of the midstream or upstream promotions assume a certain percentage of participants are not eligible, as the identification process would be unduly cumbersome given that specific programmatic approach.
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• Refrigerators – The new ENERGY STAR V5.0 specification was effective in September 2014, but
the slow market adoption and flooring new ENERGY STAR models required the program to
maintain the existing CEE Tier 2 qualified product list and adding new ENERGY STAR refrigerators
once available. Full transition to the ENERGY STAR V5.0 and proposed CEE Tier 2 based on
market availability will take place in FY2016.
• Advanced power strips – An industry accepted, two-tiered performance criteria was developed
in collaboration by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Northeast Energy
Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP). In FY2016, the program will add the Tier 2 requirements in
addition to the existing Tier 1 criteria.
• Clothes Washers – Although the new ENERGY STAR V7.0 specification will be effective in March
2015 an anticipated delay in market adoption and flooring of new ENERGY STAR models requires
the program to maintain the existing CEE Tier 2 qualified product list and to add new ENERGY
STAR refrigerators as available. Full transition to the ENERGY STAR V7.0 and proposed CEE Tier
2 specification, based on market availability, will take place in FY2016.
• Set Top Boxes – The criteria was increased to ENERGY STAR V4.1 in FY2015 to reflect the
industry adoption of a voluntary agreement to achieve ENERGY STAR V3.0 for all new set top
boxes. The changes to this program requirement are anticipated in FY2016.
• Refrigerator Recycling – A proposed pilot with partnering retailers in FY2016 would allow for the
pickup and recycling of replaced primary refrigerators in addition to the existing requirement for
secondary refrigerator/freezers.
5.35.35.35.3 IdenIdenIdenIdentify best practicestify best practicestify best practicestify best practices
Table 10 highlights several notable differences between the New Jersey Efficient Products Program
design compared to other programs regionally and nationally. In general, the Efficient Products Program
is well-aligned with best practices and we do not propose major changes to the program design outside
of the smaller pilots proposed above. As discussed previously, the program is performing quite well in
terms of participation, comprehensiveness, and market transformation, though continued cuts in overall
budgets and shifts to other programs have limited the potential participation especially in the lighting
initiatives when compared on a per household basis with other programs. There is a new focus and
series of opportunities for achieving greater cost-effectiveness in the appliance programs through
greater midstream partnership with retailers, which we describe in Section 10.
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Figure 10. Differences between New Jersey Program and Other Leading Programs
New Jersey Other Programs
Lighting
• Two separate solicitations for retail
markdowns and community-level
promotions.
• New Jersey represents most “best
practices” in existing lighting promotions
and high % of LEDs in-program.
• Leading programs often have a similar “hard-to-reach” solicitation
similar to the “Creative” solicitation in New Jersey. However in some
cases it specifically targets low income partners (e.g foodbanks, etc.).
• Some programs are achieving a higher per household sales due to higher
respective lighting budgets.
Appliances
• New Jersey offers both mail-in and pint-
of-sale (POS) rebates with partnering
retailers.
• The number of POS retailers has declined
in participation since FY2014.
• Programs with strong retail account representatives have experienced
fewer rejected rebates which remain as a difficulty with advanced
performance criteria (e.g. CEE Tiers) in NJ.
• (New) Pilot ENERGY STAR Retail Products Platform offers a new national
approach for stronger promotional partnerships with retailers. Potential
shift to influence retailer stocking and sales of higher efficiency
appliances vs. end-customer rebates.
• Support tiered incentives for new clothes washer and refrigerator
specifications (ENERGY STAR and CEE Tier 2).
Advanced Power Strips
• New Jersey currently offers Tier 1 APS
through lighting promotions.
• Leading programs now often support Tier 2 APS products with either
motion detection or other secondary signal for turning off primary plug
load (computer/TV).
• New opportunities with dormitories and small businesses, as well as
retail promotions.
Cable Set Top Boxes
• Service providers develop promotional
partnerships to accelerate ENERGY STAR
V4.1 deployments and pilot new
initiatives (e.g. DIRECTV technician direct
installs of APS in customer homes in
FY2014).
• Few programs are running STB initiatives, but SCE partnered with
DIRECTV in CA to support whole-home replacement of STBs with more
efficient comprehensive design.
• Comcast has been a previous NJ partner, but other programs are more
recently engaged with them in potential pilots.
Refrigerator Recycling
• New Jersey supports only secondary
refrigerators and not retailer pickup of
primary refrigerator/freezer.
• Some programs offer both primary and secondary refrigerator/freezer
promotions.
• AHAM and EPA ENERGY STAR are soliciting programs to pilot direct
partnership with retailers to piggy-back rebate for new ENERGY STAR
refrigerators.
Two specific areas of improvement at a broad level are:
• Marketing. NJ’s marketing approach is extremely modest compared to other leading programs.
There are opportunities to offer much more robust marketing of the NJCEP and engage new
partners in customer engagement, such as through community organizations and the real estate
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sector. The timing and process for approval of marketing materials has been highlighted by
program partners as an area of improvement.
• Market transformation strategy. Although the program has historically been successful with its
specific promotions, stronger alignment with the other residential – and commercial – programs
would offer a more comprehensive solution for New Jersey households and businesses.
6.6.6.6. SSSSUMMARY OF INPUT FROMUMMARY OF INPUT FROMUMMARY OF INPUT FROMUMMARY OF INPUT FROM CONTRACTORS AND CUSTCONTRACTORS AND CUSTCONTRACTORS AND CUSTCONTRACTORS AND CUSTOMERSOMERSOMERSOMERS
The feedback received from trade allies and customers outside of the more recent subcommittee calls
for the Efficient Products program has historically been from informal engagement through the
solicitation and close collaboration during promotional partnerships. Typical feedback from other
national programs seems to align behind a few key themes:
• Most trade allies and their customers would prefer a streamlined process for rebate fulfillment
including instant rebates (e.g. markdown lighting vs. appliances);
• Budget limitations – especially in lighting solicitations – have resulted in manufacturers and their
retail partners either not receiving the full requested promotional funding or none at all based
on the ranking of lighting promotions; and
• Customers struggle to properly identify specific appliance models that qualify for the advanced
CEE tiers.
The team participated in two Products subcommittee calls in December 2014 that solicited feedback
from participating trade allies, regional and national program partnerships (NEEP & CEE), and other
program partners and stakeholders including representatives of EPA ENERGY STAR. Figure 11
summarizes key feedback related to the Products program. Feedback was provided by individuals and is
not intended to indicate that the group reached consensus.
Figure 11. Current and Proposed Product Programs
Topic Feedback
Incentives • Recommend increase in rebate levels for Tier 1 APS and addition of Tier 2
• Dissatisfaction from certain lighting manufacturers with available funding to support
greater diversity in manufacturers and retailer promotions represented in the markdown
promotion
• General shift to multi-pack sales for standard CFLs
• General support for NJCEP incentive levels, but need to be high enough to sway the
customers purchasing decision
• Point of sale / instant rebates are the best approach for streamlining consumer process and
avoiding breakage in program participation
New Measures • Recommend addition of Tier 2 APS
• Strong support for program adoption of a behavioral program (e.g. OPOWER) but the
absence of electric utility data could make implementation impossible
Marketing • Continued emphasis on education of consumers at the point-of-sale due to the limited
engagement before being “in the aisle”
• Expedite approval of marketing collateral for lighting promotions
Program
Administration
• Increased transparency through periodic messaging to trade allies on program
opportunities and requirements
• Streamline paperwork and reduce the time required to process incentives.
• Improved communication on how lighting proposals are evaluated
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7.7.7.7. CCCCODES AND ODES AND ODES AND ODES AND SSSSTANDARDS TANDARDS TANDARDS TANDARDS IIIIMPACTS ON MPACTS ON MPACTS ON MPACTS ON PPPPROGRAMROGRAMROGRAMROGRAM
The Energy Efficient Products Program is directly and substantively impacted by increases in federal
standards and gains in market share from ENERGY STAR lighting and appliances. Over the last decade,
there have been frequent increases to the federal standards, including a significant advancement of
lighting standards through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA).
EISA pertains to the efficiency of newly manufactured bulbs, not existing stock. Baselines and measure
lifetimes were adjusted as the impacts of the standard were fully measured and quantified. Starting in
FY2015, the protocols for lighting measures were revised to reflect the changes from the full
implementation of EISA on replacement lamps.
During the FY2015 period, new federal standards and ENERGY STAR specifications for clothes washers,
refrigerators and clothes dryers will have all become effective. The cumulative impact of both federal
standards and increased market share of higher efficiency appliances supported by programs is
highlighted in the shipment-weighted average annual energy use of primary appliances in the U.S.
shown in the figure below.
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Figure 12. U.S. Shipment-Weighted, Average Annual Energy Use of Major Appliances from 1990-20101
Absent from this trend has been clothes dryers, experiencing little efficiency improvement over the last
several decades. Based in large part on the leadership of the NJCEP and its participation in the Super
Efficient Dryers Initiative, for the first time, an ENERGY STAR specification for clothes dryers became
effective on January 1, 2015 offering a 20% improvement over conventional dryers.
Due to the lag between the effective date of new minimum efficiency standards and the availability of
those products at retail, the timeline for program incorporation of these changes can be slowed down to
accommodate the need for product availability and program consistency with industry trade allies.
Increases to the program performance criteria for clothes washers and refrigerators have been delayed
due to the absence of qualified products in NJ retail stores.
In the case of set top boxes, the cable and satellite industry adopted a voluntary agreement with the
Department of Energy, several states, and energy efficiency advocates to advance the minimum
performance criteria for set top boxes. This advancement allowed the NJCEP to accelerate its adoption
of a higher program performance criteria (ENERGY STAR Version 4.1) for the Set Top Box initiative.
1 Source: ENERGY STAR® Appliance Specification Updates / 2014 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting October 27, 2014
8.8.8.8. CCCCHANGING HANGING HANGING HANGING BBBBASELINES ASELINES ASELINES ASELINES IIIIMPACTS ON MPACTS ON MPACTS ON MPACTS ON PPPPROGRAMROGRAMROGRAMROGRAM
Changes in federal standards noted in the previous section, as well as increasing market share of
ENERGY STAR products, often results in the need for a programmatic approach for selecting advanced
tiers of performance either through the Consortium for Energy Efficiency or, more recently, through
ENERGY STAR’s Most Efficient performance criteria.
Although many efficiency programs have effectively used this approach to maintain cost-effectiveness
and address freeridership concerns, diminished savings compared to the baseline and limited market
share of higher tier products have placed a strain on program planning.
Recent updates to federal standards, test procedures, and ENERGY STAR specifications for clothes
washers and refrigerators have required the program to review the market presence in NJ retail stores
before rolling out new incentives (rather than selecting a date based on ENERGY STAR effective date).
9.9.9.9. SSSSUMMARY OF UMMARY OF UMMARY OF UMMARY OF RRRRECOMMENDED ECOMMENDED ECOMMENDED ECOMMENDED PPPPROGRAM ROGRAM ROGRAM ROGRAM MMMMODIFICATIONSODIFICATIONSODIFICATIONSODIFICATIONS
This section recommends modifications to the Efficient Products program for FY2016.
Recommendations in this section are designed to result in incremental improvements to the current
program model and meet the following objectives:
• Reduce average lighting incentive levels by at least 10% and eliminate the incentive for
standard CFLs to increase the participation levels and program cost-effectiveness;
• Maintain customer participation at similar levels to FY2015 but increase percentage of point-
of-sale rebates and number of participating retailers;
• Develop two-tiered rebate for refrigerators and clothes washers to support advancement of
higher efficiency ENERGY STAR products meeting CEE Tier 2 specifications;
• Add Tier 2 APS incentive at $40 and increase existing Tier 1 rebate to $15;
• Run a new annual solicitation for set top box promotions of whole-home replacements;
• Consolidate clothes washer with dryer rebates and the refrigerator and refrigerator recycling
rebates; and
• Allow for multiple appliance rebates with property owners and builders of new construction
single and multifamily buildings.
9.19.19.19.1 Recommendations for increased participation Recommendations for increased participation Recommendations for increased participation Recommendations for increased participation and costand costand costand cost----effectivenesseffectivenesseffectivenesseffectiveness
Reduce average lighting incentive levels by 10% and request budget increase for lighting promotions
While lighting remains the most cost-effective savings opportunity for the residential programs, lighting
budgets have decreased over the last several years. With the transition of the market to LEDs and LED
prices coming down, the LED incentives can be reduced (as can CFL incentives as those products become
more mainstream). While reducing the per-unit lighting incentives by 10%, the Market Manager Team
also recommends an increase in the total lighting budget to bring more products through the program.
This recommendation is based on the continuing cost effectiveness of lighting and based on a desire to
keep manufacturer and retail partners engaged.
Increase percentage of point-of-sale / instant rebate promotions with participating retailers
Instant rebates started in New Jersey during the government-funded State Energy Efficient Appliance
Rebate Program (SEEARP) that encouraged developing retailer partnerships for targeted instant rebates
on qualifying ENERGY STAR appliances. After SEEARP ended in 2010, the number of participating
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retailers continued to decline despite common agreement that instant rebates offer the program,
retailers, and customers a streamlined process for reducing the cost of qualified efficient appliances.
With the addition of clothes dryers in FY2015 and the potential for new pilots around the ENERGY STAR
Retail Products Platform (described in Section 10) and a piggy-back incentive for refrigerator recycling,
the opportunity to aggressively reengage with retailers leading in to the FY2016 program period is
warranted.
New annual solicitation for cable service provider promotions of whole-home replacements
Although the original selection of an independent partner (Ecova) in the set top box initiative initially
provided enhanced industry knowledge and engagement, recent developments from service providers
may warrant a new solicitation for promotional partnerships directly with the program. Similar to the
existing promotion with DIRECTV, the service provider may turn to a third party, like Ecova, to provide
logistical support, but it would also open up an opportunity for new partnerships and approaches.
In addition, the program would benefit by aligning with the service providers in supporting a whole-
home replacement of multiple energy intensive set top boxes in a single home with a single central box
with smaller, more efficient set top boxes (thin clients) in other rooms. This alignment would offer
customers both efficiency and performance gains in their television viewing experiences.
Add Tier 2 Advanced Power Strip rebate to offer deeper savings for addressing plug loads
The program had received direct requests from Tier 2 APS manufacturers to consider adding a Tier 2 APS
product rebates to the existing initiative. After review the significant savings opportunity from Tier 2
APS’s by controlling both the primary and secondary plug loads in home entertainment and office
applications, the Market Manager Team supports the addition of this product criteria with incentives in
line with other regional and national programs - $15 for Tier 1 and $40 for Tier 2 products.
Add Smart Thermostats and Lighting to Eligible Measure List
“Smart” or communicating thermostats, have entered the residential market and are capable of saving
more energy and peak power than the previous generation of programmable thermostats. According a
recent ACEEE paper, “recent pilots for communicating thermostats, occupancy-responsive thermostats,
and adaptive control schemes have shown significant annual HVAC savings on the order of 10-20%.”
Energy savings come from more accurately operating the HVAC system according to people’s actual
schedules, as well as greater use of setbacks because of easier programming and less chance of
discomfort. In addition, some thermostats have special settings for heat pumps that can prevent the
backup resistance heat from engaging by increasing the length of time used to warm the space. We
recommend that smart thermostats be added to the program.
9.29.29.29.2 Consolidate incentives to reduce program costs Consolidate incentives to reduce program costs Consolidate incentives to reduce program costs Consolidate incentives to reduce program costs andandandand expand toexpand toexpand toexpand to encourage encourage encourage encourage
greater market adoption of higher efficiency performance criteriagreater market adoption of higher efficiency performance criteriagreater market adoption of higher efficiency performance criteriagreater market adoption of higher efficiency performance criteria
Potentially consolidate the clothes washers/dryers into a single laundry rebate, and add a “piggy-
back” of the refrigerator and recycling rebates
With the advent of the ENERGY STAR clothes dryer specification, new products identified on the
qualified product list are paired with a matching high efficiency clothes washer – currently a CEE Tier 3
or Most Efficient ENERGY STAR clothes washer. This poses a unique opportunity to offer a combined
laundry rebate opportunity to achieve increased market share of ENERGY STAR clothes dryers in New
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Jersey retail stores, greater retailer and customer engagement with a larger incentive and the high
percentage of paired sales would support a combined savings opportunity for the program.
In the case of refrigerators, the program would offer a combined point-of-sale, piggy-back rebate to
residential customers for qualified ENERGY STAR refrigerators along with a second rebate for recycling
the existing primary refrigerator at the same time. A Washington Post article recently highlighted that
New Jersey has one of the highest rates of second refrigerator ownership in the U.S., but an aggressive
approach to address this would require a lower cost programmatic approach to the current third party
recycling services offered by JACO.
Develop two-tiered rebate for refrigerators and clothes washers to support advancement of higher
efficiency ENERGY STAR products meeting CEE Tier 2 specifications
Support for a two tiered incentive and performance criteria for refrigerators and clothes washers to
allow for the greater product diversity necessary in the short term and greater market adoption of the
higher efficiency tiers either during FY2016 or transition in FY2017. In the table below, the currently
available qualified ENERGY STAR products that meet the new 2015 specifications and a subset meeting
the advanced CEE Tier 2 specifications. Market introduction of higher efficiency refrigerators has been
slow since the new specification becoming effective in September 2014. Although it is anticipated that
the ENERGY STAR qualified product list for clothes washers will grow significantly before the new washer
specification becomes effective in March 2015, the limited current visibility supports a two tiered
approach for washers as well. During FY2016, the number of qualified refrigerators and clothes washers
will continue to increase and allow for greater product diversity and customer selection at retail.
Engage the Single and Multifamily New Construction industry
Appliance manufacturers offer property owners and builders packaged deals for new residential
buildings. This is an untapped opportunity to promote a suite of ENERGY STAR appliances including the
new heat pump clothes dryers and helps avoid the lost opportunities associated with new construction.
The addition of marketing the existing rebates to builders and developers can raise issues with allocating
savings and costs across programs, but also conflict with the requirement of only 1-2 rebates per
customer. For new construction, a builder or developer may have multiple buildings or units within a
building and also purchasing the units. Flexibility in the end-customer rebate requirements are required
to support this engagement with the new construction industry.
10.10.10.10. SSSSUMMARY OF UMMARY OF UMMARY OF UMMARY OF RRRRECOMMENDED ECOMMENDED ECOMMENDED ECOMMENDED NNNNEW EW EW EW PPPPROGRAMSROGRAMSROGRAMSROGRAMS
This section recommends consideration of a new program within the NJCEP residential portfolio. This
program would represent a substantial change to Efficient Products program delivery in New Jersey, and
we recommend that a process be established to enable deeper consideration of these proposals by
program implementers, partners, and stakeholders to determine whether these programs should be
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adopted and, if so, the program design details. Given the need for this more in-depth process, it may not
be possible to fully implement this program in FY2016.
10.110.110.110.1 National National National National EEEENERGY STAR NERGY STAR NERGY STAR NERGY STAR Retail Products Platform (RPP) Retail Products Platform (RPP) Retail Products Platform (RPP) Retail Products Platform (RPP)
When the consumer electronics initiative was first proposed in 2009/2010 for the Efficient Products
Program, it included both televisions and cable set top boxes. Both products benefited from midstream
engagement with the primary partners – the retailer in the case of televisions and the service provider in
the case of set top boxes. In the case of televisions, however, the retailers purchasing and stocking
decisions were often influenced by a razor thin margin and a small program incentive had an outsized
impact on the customer accessibility and ultimate purchasing of higher efficiency products.
In turning to the appliance sector, rapid increases in federal standards and baselines and corresponding
reductions in program attribution of savings have eroded many programs’ ability to either continue with
appliance promotions or alternatively required reductions in the rebate amount to the point that it no
longer plays a sizable role in the consumer’s purchasing decision.
An alternative approach supported by EPA ENERGY STAR, major retailers, and efficiency programs in
California, the Northwest and on the East Coast is to shift to a midstream, retailer targeted incentive.
This midstream promotion is being proposed as a national ENERGY STAR Retail Products Platform with
plans to pilot in several of the aforementioned states in 2015. Key highlights of the RPP are:
• A coordinated approach to align energy efficiency programs with retailers’ business models
• A national effort to achieve scale through consistent program design—including product
categories, specifications, data requirements, and midstream delivery—to reduce costs for
program sponsors and retailers, and to increase energy savings benefits for consumers
• Significant budgets through aggregation of low-per unit incentives and low administrative costs
create a strong value proposition for retailers
• Program model offers options for addressing energy savings opportunities in growing
“miscellaneous/plug load” product categories
For 2015, the RPP is proposing to adopt a shortlist of ENERGY STAR products for promotion:
• ENERGY STAR certified dryers–new category
• ENERGY STAR certified air cleaners–small unit sales, high per unit energy savings
• ENERGY STAR certified freezers – difficult to administer cost effective downstream rebates
• ENERGY STAR certified sound bars (+15%) – high growth category, limited per unit savings
• ENERGY STAR certified home theater systems (+15%) – high growth category, limited per unit
savings
• ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioners – revised specification, positioned to influence
stocking plans for 2016
Adding the NJCEP to the list of FY2016 RPP pilot participants is still feasible, but there are many
unanswered variables around program costs associated with the individual rebate levels, quantities, and
implementation and evaluation costs. As this would be a long-term investment – necessary in the
relative short-term to maintain viability of the appliance and consumer electronics initiatives – the
Market Manager Team proposes to assess the opportunity and options prior to the FY2016 program
compliance filing and potentially submit an amended filing if piloting the RPP in New Jersey in FY2016 is
feasible.
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10.210.210.210.2 Behavioral ProgramBehavioral ProgramBehavioral ProgramBehavioral Program
The Market Manger Team, New Jersey Gas Utilities, and the New Jersey BPU program staff are aligned
in support for launching a behavioral program similar to the pilot initiative supported by the New Jersey
Gas Utilities on the OPOWER platform.
Independent evaluations of behavior programs nationally have demonstrated direct conservation
measures being taken as a result of utilizing societal norms to influence customer actions. In addition,
more recently the behavioral programs have tracked significant increases in program participation in
other affiliated programs (e.g. energy audits, home performance and purchases of efficient products).
However, as noted on the recent Products Subcommittee call, absent the access to individual customer
electric usage, NJCEP’s adoption of a more substantive behavioral platform cannot be supported. The
absence of the necessary usage data makes the critical analytical component to the program impossible
and also diminishes the ability of the customer to get actionable information out of their participation in
the platform.
As the BPU considers the type, frequency and extent of data sharing between the Clean Energy
Programs and NJ Utility Companies, the Market Manager Team strongly encourages and supports the
BPU and utilities working together to find a solution to accessing the necessary data to support a pilot
behavioral program in FY2017. This coordinated approach could include a process where the Program
provides funding to launch and maintain a program. In exchange for sharing usage data the utilities and
the program would share the data from the behavioral program to support marketing efforts, program
branding and other critical customer communication vehicles. .