by Jeff Ihnen | Mar 19, 2018 | Energy Rant
AMI, or advanced metering infrastructure, is rolling out across the land. This opens the door to a lot of cool things, including time of use rates, and it is a great enabler of electrification technologies. I’ve heard from utility executives or people involved with...
by Jeff Ihnen | Mar 12, 2018 | Energy Rant
One step toward success is ignoring what you like and observing what others like, and how things change with time – I mean, really change! With that note, changes and likes brought about by millennials are a threat, and an opportunity for utilities. My Way I may have...
by Michaels Energy | Mar 5, 2018 | Energy Rant
The Big WHY of Evaluation Do process evaluation reports often have you wondering, “Where is the insight? Where is the actionable information? What are my next steps? Why did we do this research?” How did we get to this place and can we escape? There are two basic...
by Jeff Ihnen | Feb 26, 2018 | Energy Rant
I spent last week at the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) National Conference in New Orleans. Our industry is in transition once again. Substantial changes are on the horizon. Let’s recap some highlights and lowlights in the utility and demand side...
by Jeff Ihnen | Feb 19, 2018 | Energy Rant
As the name would imply, the Energy Rant bypasses the pompom lines of energy efficiency spirit squads. This week I feel a sudden, robust, burning urge to sway images of efficiency. When I think of the role and reason for efficiency programs, the phrase “obligation to...
by Jeff Ihnen | Feb 12, 2018 | Energy Rant
Last August I discussed a truce from the left to the right on climate change. Last week, to advance the story, I alluded to further potential solutions described by Grist and the “eco right’s” bold idea to advance a carbon tax as a solution. Here we...
by Michaels Energy | Jan 29, 2018 | Energy Rant
Today’s Rant gives you a sneak peek into the beautiful mind of one of our evaluators, Teri Lutz. Teri is launching a blog on what’s new and what’s necessary in the world of research and evaluation, and we can’t wait for you to tune in. Official blog coming soon!...
by Jeff Ihnen | Jan 22, 2018 | Energy Rant
On the subject of electricity generation sources and price, I’ve been reading numerous articles from various bona fide sources and started connecting dots. Public Utilities Fortnightly (PUF) has written about historically low electricity prices, as a percent of GDP or...
by Jessica Wagner | Dec 7, 2017 | Videos & Webinars
The healthcare sector, though ripe with opportunity. faces many barriers as they seek to address energy efficiency in theirfacilities. Michaels Energy recently conducted a pilot exploring two different approaches to engaging outpatient medicalfacilities in energy...
by Jeff Ihnen | Dec 4, 2017 | Energy Rant
Last week several of us at Michaels bemoaned the hazards of operations and maintenance (O&M), controls, and behavioral programs. The specific discussion was about the ubiquitous rooftop unit, like those shown on the box-store roof below. The discussion could have...
