Estimating Savings from Building Operator Certification Training

Behavior-based energy efficiency programs are gaining acceptance among regulators as an important component of utility energy efficiency portfolios in both residential and commercial market segments. Historically, such commercial initiatives have fallen under the auspices of “training” and were therefore not required to quantify the savings. However, as the energy efficiency benefits of these programs are being recognized and more utilities are investing in these programs, there is increasing interest in quantifying these benefits. This paper will outline a detailed approach developed over the course of four evaluation projects to assess the effectiveness and energy efficiency impacts of the Building Operator Certification program. This paper is not intended to present the results of a particular evaluation or to promote a particular training program, but rather to summarize the methodology developed to estimate energy savings from building operator training. The approach uses self-reported changes in retrofit and operations and maintenance (OM (2) collecting the data without a measure tracking system; (3) addressing energy efficiency activities receiving rebates; and (4) considering overlap between various energy efficiency measures. This paper will address questions including: How can one effectively quantify the energy impact of a training program like the Building Operator Certification program? What are sources for credible measure savings data? How can behavior change data be effectively collected from participants and incorporated into the analysis?