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The Big Why

May 08
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Evaluation in a Post-Standards World

By The Big Why of Evaluation No Comments
As with building energy codes, equipment standards are a very cost-effective way to save energy by requiring a minimum level of energy efficiency for certain products, thereby transforming the market. Similarly, the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program has resulted in decades of energy savings supported by relatively little federal spending. However, recent federal changes put both standards and the ENERGY STAR certification at risk. Let's investigate the impacts of these unnecessary changes and their effect on evaluations. What Are Standards? Appliance and equipment standards are minimum efficiency requirements established by the federal or state governments for new products. By…
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Apr 16
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Peering into the Spark Gap

By The Big Why of Evaluation
Electrification can have many benefits. These include higher efficiency (because of the refrigeration cycle and less waste heat), lower GHG emissions (due to an increasingly green grid), and many non-energy benefits (such as reduced indoor air pollution). However, these benefits are often not realized because of cheap natural gas. Known as the “spark gap,” the relatively lower cost of natural gas compared to electricity is a major barrier to replacing fossil fuel equipment with electric. Let’s peer into the spark gap and see how it can be overcome. Comparing Energy Source Prices The scatterplot below shows the average price of natural gas and electricity for…
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Mar 12
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Energy Tariffs and Cost Effectiveness

By The Big Why of Evaluation
To say that 2025 has been chaotic in the energy sector is an understatement. From freezes of clean energy projects to cuts to funding and staffing of key government agencies to removal of publicly available data, the Trump administration has slashed our country’s ability to mitigate climate change. In addition to these attacks, Trump has also imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and many other countries. Notably, the tariffs include a 10% to 25% tariff on energy products from Canada. In response to the US economic aggression, Canada has called for a 25% surcharge on all electricity exported to the US.…
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Jan 09
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The Spectre of Data Centers

By The Big Why of Evaluation
It seems every day I see news about the exploding growth of data centers, driven by artificial intelligence and crypto-currency mining. As AI gets integrated into everything (whether we want it or not), the energy required to do the same tasks multiplies. (A ChatGPT query uses about ten times more electricity than a traditional Google search – 2.9 Wh compared to 0.3 Wh, according to EPRI.) The data center boom could transform the electric grid, but there are major questions about extent to which it does so and how. Read on to learn more!  The Numbers Are Scary The estimated growth…
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Mar 05
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Guest Post: Embedded Research & Evaluation – The Great Escape

By Energy Rant No Comments
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 problems with many process evaluations: (1) the evaluation is far too ‘backward looking’, and (2) the idea of third-party independence. While third-party independence for verifying energy impacts is understood, it makes no sense to me that this same idea is applied to process evaluation work. Likewise, what value is there in assessing…
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Jan 29
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Guest Post: The Big WHY

By Energy Rant No Comments
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!Hello! I’m excited to share with you some thoughts on advancing our evaluation and research practice to better understand how we might change the way we deliver and use energy. We are on the brink of an evaluation renaissance. Smart grids, smart meters, smart buildings, and smart data are prominent themes in…
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