Product Abstract

EPRI held two Feedback Pilot Design Workshops in 2010 in Columbus, Ohio (hosted by AEP Ohio) and in Dallas, Texas. The workshops were based on the 2010 EPRI report entitled "Guidelines for Designing Effective Energy Information Feedback Pilots: Research Protocols" (Product ID 1020855), which provides guidelines on using experimental design in order to clearly attribute pilot impacts to the feedback treatments. The workshops were developed to guide utilities through the process of using the protocols, as well as provide them the opportunity for utility-specific questions and interactions. This technical update provides the educational materials that were covered during the workshops, as well as some background context in the form of the "feedback story" of selected utilities that attended the workshop (Alliant Energy, AEP, CenterPoint, First Energy, and Oncor), as well as other utilities that are a part of EPRI's Smart Grid Demonstration Project. The scope and size of the feedback activity described is wide-ranging, although some prevalent themes include feedback offerings in the form of web portals and in-home displays. There is a growing emphasis on rigorous pilot design, and as such, the industry will continue to move toward better understanding the energy savings impact from feedback, as well as its persistence.