Northwest utilities and energy efficiency organizations are taking a collaborative approach to Strategic Energy Management.
The NW SEM Collaborative was formed in 2011 based on the premise that the region can achieve more working together than can any single utility or organization working alone. The NW SEM Collaborative aims to help energy efficiency program administrators accelerate the adoption of SEM in the industrial and commercial sectors.
The NW SEM Collaborative continues to grow and evolve with the following goals:
- The NW SEM Collaborative is a self-sustaining organization with a diversified funding base.
- The NW SEM Collaborative is a regional organization and engages with SEM leaders across North America to share SEM design lessons and expand the impact of SEM.
- The NW SEM Collaborative supports the SEM Hub as the go-to resource for SEM professionals to readily find resources, information, tools, contacts.
- The NW SEM Collaborative enables members to drive increased savings and resilience through wider adoption (# of participants) and deeper engagement (EMA measures).
- The NW SEM Collaborative engages with regional leaders responsible for the development of regional resource planning.
Annual NW SEM Fall Workshop Was Out of This World
October's Annual NW SEM Collaborative Fall Workshop has come back to earth. This year’s Getting More from SEM virtual conference, delivered around an outer space theme, was held October 20-22 and brought the community together for regional collaboration. On the first day, we were joined by keynote speaker Sergio Dias, who delivered a call to action to SEM programs to play a critical role in addressing climate change. The second day included a presentation by Erika Kociolek about an exciting new report published by the Energy Trust of Oregon and their new 7-year measure life for Industrial SEM. The third day included presentations by the NW SEM Collaborative Working Groups. All three days featured Action Sessions focused on seven different timely topic areas, as a well as fun, informal networking sessions.
Conference presentations included:
- Sergio Dias, SEM programs and their role in addressing climate change
- Erika Kociolek, Highlights from Recent SEM Research: What Have We Learned About Persistence?
What's Next?
NW SEM Collaborative Leadership Team Vice Chair Sara York presided over the Fall Workshop closing ceremony, in which she challenged the community to take action and build on our workshop experiences and ideas. She encouraged the community to continue to explore and answer these questions:
- What do we need to address in order to grow SEM throughout the region?
- What is going to keep SEM relevant in the current landscape?
- How do we stay better connected?
In November, the NW SEM Collaborative Leadership Team will issue a survey and update about 2021 Working Groups with clear instructions about how to get involved. Email Suzi Asmus (sasmus@neea.org) if you are interested in joining the NW SEM Collaborative in 2021.
Working Group meetings, upcoming events and the SEM Hub.
WORKING GROUPS
Participating in a Working Group is an effective way to work with your peers on shared challenges in SEM program management. To get involved in a Working Group, just email us and we will add you to the list for the Working Group(s) you are interested in.
Integrating SEM – Lionel Metchop (Puget Sound Energy), Leader
Looks at how SEM helps integrate all energy decisions, including renewables, storage, carbon impacts, building performance standards and more. Please email us to be added to the notification list.
Beyond the E – Kathleen Belkhayat (Energy Trust of Oregon) and Romana Cohen (Stillwater Energy), Co-leaders
Continues to identify the additional benefits (engagement, customer service, non-energy specific resource conservation) that SEM brings to energy management. Please email us to be added to the notification list.
Measurement & Verification – Gerard O’Sullivan (AESC, Inc) Jacob Schroeder (Cascade Energy) Kevin Campbell (Energy 350)
Continues to confront challenges, find opportunities and share insights on how to make M&V of SEM projects more effective, including alternative approaches, standardization, savings persistence and more. Please email us to be added to the notification list.
SEM Benchmarking – Kevin Wallace (BC Hydro), Leader
Focuses on establishing a database of Energy Management Assessment data to enable analysis of SEM practice adoption trends across SEM program participants to provide program and market insights to drive program innovation and increase results. Please email us to be added to the notification list.
Northwest SEM Collaborative Overview Video
Join the NW SEM Collaborative
Join us in accelerating the adoption of SEM practices.
FEATURED
Online Community
NW SEM Collaborative page on Conduit
NEEA and Northwest utilities are taking a collaborative approach to Strategic Energy Management (SEM). Visit the NW SEM Collaborative's Conduit community to learn more about its activities and discussions.
FEATURED RESOURCE
Visit the Strategic Energy Management Wikipedia page for more information on SEM practices.