LEARN MORE AT
energystar.gov
Energy Efficiency Initiatives
Commercial and Industrial Case Study
NATIONAL GRID, USA
Commercial Whole Building Assessment Initiative (WBA)
The Company
nationalgrid
The power of action!
National Grid is the second
largest utility in the U.S., de-
livering electricity to 3.3 mil-
lion customers in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Is-
land, and New Hampshire while providing power to an
additional 1.1 million customers of Long Island Power
Authority (LIPA). National Grid also delivers natural gas
to approximately 3.4 million customers throughout its
service area.
Goals and Objectives
National Grid has partnered with the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STARŪ
program to help its commercial customers improve the
energy and financial performance of their buildings.
Through the Whole Building Assessment Initiative
(WBA) National Grid offers a range of services, includ-
ing benchmarking using EPA's energy performance
rating system in Portfolio Manager. The initiative be-
gan in 2005, and is offered to commercial and munici-
pal customers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New
Hampshire. It is a stand-alone initiative that leverages
existing efficiency incentive programs. National Grid's
Business Energy Efficiency Services team established
2008 goals of benchmarking 50 buildings, and bringing
them through the WBA process, to achieve savings of
5,000,000 kWh and 500 kW.
Description
The National Grid WBA Initiative uses a "whole team"
approach for program delivery. This involves strong
interaction among team players that include National
Grid staff, the customer and facility staff, engineering
and technical vendors, and implementation contractors.
National Grid staff provides management oversight of
the projects and maintains a strong network of subcon-
tractors who perform engineering, technical, and im-
plementation tasks.
The process begins with customer leads generated by
both National Grid staff and team vendors. Each eligible
customer may have one facility benchmarked using Port-
folio Manager.
4>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Based on the EPA energy performance rating and an
energy intensity score that is determined by the National
Grid team, the customer is categorized for an appropriate
level of services. Customers with fewer savings oppor-
tunities are encouraged to take advantage of incentive
programs and informational services. For buildings with
considerable energy savings potential, a Technical Scop-
ing Study identifies a full range of energy efficiency op-
portunities (across fuels), including low-cost and no-cost
solutions. Based on the Technical Scoping Study the
team creates an Action Plan that summarizes the energy
savings opportunities, identifies the relevant utility in-
centives, establishes energy savings goals, and with the
customer identifies which projects the customer will un-
dertake. The Action Plan is a key tool that links the
Whole Building Assessment to the implementation of
energy savings projects, accessing incentives through the
existing commercial and industrial incentive programs.
~~ Target Customers
The WBA Initiative is offered to commercial and mu-
nicipal customers with facilities that have electric loads
of at least 200 kW and square footage ranging from
30,000-300,000.
~~ Marketing/Outreach
Initially, National Grid marketed the program by direct
mail postcards. Current marketing activities are con-
ducted regionally using National Grid's Energy Solu-
tions team approach. With this team approach, key-
account managers work with large customers; energy
efficiency consultants are responsible for working with
mid-size customers. Lighting and mechanical service
vendors, who work in the field as part of the National
Grid team, also actively seek participants for the initia-
tive. Municipalities sometimes seek participation while
developing their own energy efficiency plans responding
to EPA's Community Energy Challenge or other energy
reduction challenges.
~~ Process
Once a potential participant is identified, an initial meet-
ing, either in person or by Webinar, is conducted. The
goal of the first meeting is to describe the initiative, un-
derstand the customer's needs and issues, and to gauge
January 2009

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LEARN MORE AT
energystar.gov
Energy Efficiency Initiatives
Commercial and Industrial Case Study
customer interest in energy efficiency. To participate, the
customer signs a memorandum of understanding and
agrees to share the cost of a Technical Scoping Study
equally with National Grid. For municipal customers,
the cost of the study is paid by National Grid if a project
is undertaken within a year. Participation is limited to
one building per customer. The WBA Initiative consists
of four key steps:
Establish the Building's Energy Performance
The building's EPA rating is calculated by the National
Grid team to determine if it is a good candidate for sig-
nificant energy savings. The rating gauges the energy
performance of the building and compares it to similar
buildings across the country. Buildings considered to be
high in energy intensity (low EPA rating and high
kWh/sq ft. usage) qualify under the WBA to have a
Technical Scoping Study conducted. Regardless of score,
customers may request a Scoping Study and National
Grid will share the cost.
Technical Scoping Study
For qualified buildings, National Grid consultant(s) tour
the facility to evaluate the system efficiency and provide
efficiency recommendations. The study includes:
o An overview of the building's operation and
performance characteristics
o An inventory of low-c ost and no- cost improvement
strategies
o A list of cost-effective and energy-efficient capital
improvement measures including cost, savings, and
"simple payback"
o A description of potential utility incentives
o Recommendations for long-term and more complex
energy-efficiency opportunities
Action Plan
An Action Plan meeting with the customer examines the
study's findings, assesses relevant utility program offer-
ings, sets energy goals for the building and determines
which projects the customer would like to undertake. The
plan may include education and training for facility op-
erations and maintenance staff, and building occupants.
For school facilities the training may take the form of
Building Operator Certification for facility staff com-
bined with National Grid's "How Sweet It Is" campaign.
This campaign, offered in partnership with EPA's
"Change the World Start with ENERGY STAR" cam-
paign, teaches school children about energy efficiency.
4>EPA
Implementation
National Grid works with customers to implement en-
ergy efficiency projects, to study measures that could
result in significant energy savings, and to contribute to
energy awareness and training activities. Customers are
encouraged to continue monitoring their energy use, to
re-benchmark buildings, to assess the energy perform-
ance of other buildings they own, and to establish a long-
term plan for achieving their energy efficiency goals.
Results
Because of the WBA Initiative, more commercial cus-
tomers are taking advantage of the existing National Grid
incentive programs to improve their energy efficiency.
Thirty nine percent (39%) of WBA participants from
2007 through 2008 are planning to implement energy
efficiency projects that qualify for utility incentives.
Many customers are expected to continue monitoring
their energy use and to re-benchmark their buildings as
part of ongoing improvements.
From 2007 through 2008, National Grid engaged 83 cus-
tomers as WBA participants. Of those, 32 commercial
customers with locations throughout Massachusetts and
Rhode Island, proceeded with projects. Total incentives
authorized in 2008 are $598,316 with total incentives
paid through October of approximately $300,000. Esti-
mated kW savings are 218 kW with an estimated annual
net reduction of 2,850,000 kWh.
Additionally, through the WBA Initiative, National Grid
hosted ten (10) "How Sweet It Is" Campaigns with WBA
participating schools. This Campaign resulted in 3,186
pledges in support of the "Change the World Start with
Energy Star" Campaign, and the distribution of educa-
tional materials and compact fluorescent bulbs to those
who made pledges.
Contact Information
For further information please contact:
Anita Hagspiel
National Grid, U.S.A.
781-907-1581
anita.hagspiel@us.ngrid.com
Tracy Narel
U.S. E.P.A.
202-343-9145
narel .tracv@epa. gov
For general questions please contact:
commercialprograms@.energvstar. gov
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
January 2009

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