TOUCHSTONE ENERGY:
EXPANDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
AND RENEWABLE ENERGY TO
RURAL AMERICA
April 6, 2016
Alan Shedd, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
3
WHO WE ARE
Are located in 80% of the nations counties
Are the largest electric utility network in the nation
4
WHO WE ARE
Serve 75% of the U.S. land mass
Have 32 million
member-owners
Total 752 local systems in
46 states
5
TOUCHSTONE ENERGY
PROGRAMS & RESOURCES
6
Long history
It’s what we do…
Challenges
COOPERATIVES AND
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
HERS RATINGS 2013 & 2014
ILLUSTRATION/GRAPHIC
BOX
HERS RATINGS & CO-OP LAND
ILLUSTRATION/GRAPHIC
BOX
9
“CRISIS”
10
“CRISIS”
“DANGER”
“OPPORTUNITY”
11
OUR STRATEGIC SITUATION
• Most utilities face flat or declining energy sales.
• Distributed generation – particularly solar – is on the rise.
• The number and quality of sophisticated third-party
energy management advisors has exploded.
• Co-op energy costs are on the rise, particularly due to
federal regulation.
• Consequently, co-op consumers are “up for grabs.”
• Co-ops need both compelling service offerings and
messaging to position themselves as “Your trusted
energy partner.”
PEOPLE LOVE THEIR ENERGY!
DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE NUMBER
OF ELECTRIC DEVICES IS INCREASING…
FOR MOST UTILITIES, ENERGY
SALES ARE FLAT OR DECLINING
HOME SIZE IS INCREASING
BUT ENERGY CONSUMPTION ISN’T
CUMULATIVE U.S. DG PV
INSTALLATIONS (MW) 2000-2015E
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014E 2015E
Utility
Non-residential
Residential
PV ON A TEAR:
U.S. GRID-TIED INSTALLATIONS
U.S. ADDING MORE PV THAN ANY OTHER
TYPE OF GENERATION (2013-2015)
NOTES: Coal and natural gas data from EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2014 “Cumulative
Planned Additions” table; PV data from Solar Energy Industries Association Solar Market
Insights 2013 Year in Review. Installed PV capacity derated by 0.87 DC to AC factor per
SEIA.
MORE THIRD-PARTY ENERGY
MANAGERS THAN EVER BEFORE!
SMART THERMOSTAT GROWTH
PROJECTIONS ESTIMATE: 14X GROWTH IN 7 YEARS
“Electric utilities will probably see
more change over the next 10
years than they did over the previous 100 years.”
“The energy customer of America is up for
grabs. They are interested in getting as efficient as
possible and they are eager to explore new ways of
securing their own energy supplies, reliably. Incumbent
monopoly utilities face new challenges as they
scramble for new business models…”
THE NEW UTILITY SUCCESS MODEL?
IF YOUR ELECTRIC UTILITY WAS GIVEN A
GRANT TO IMPROVE A PART OF THEIR
BUSINESS, WHICH WOULD YOU MOST LIKE
TO SEE THEM INVEST IN?
OUR ANSWER:
POSITION TOUCHSTONE ENERGY
CO-OPS AS “YOUR TRUSTED
ENERGY PARTNER”
33
TOUCHSTONE ENERGY
PROGRAMS
Awareness
• Ad campaigns
• Multi-media
34
• Positions cooperative as “trusted partner”
• Customizable print, radio, video advertising
• Builds on Power of Co-op Membership theme
YOUR SOURCE CAMPAIGN
36
RADIO
Me Too
Rain or Shine
Shareholders
37
VIDEO
38
YOUR SOURCE MESSAGE
• Concept is not new
• Co-ops have filled a vital role since our founding
• Looking out for the Member
• Education - energy use, energy management
• Touchstone Energy’s TogetherWeSave campaign
• New challenges and questions
39
YOUR SOURCE MESSAGE
• Provide tools and resources that deliver on the promise
• Web-based, public facing, written for member-
consumer
• Conversational & balanced
• Renewables, energy efficiency, new tech
40
FACT SHEETS
• Solar FAQ
• 10 things before you do solar
• Questions to ask your contractor
• Community solar
• How to buy solar (lease, shares)
• The scales of Solar
• How does solar work
• Decision tree: Is solar right for me?
• Energy storage – battery
• Electric vehicles
• Smart homes
• Water heating
• Geothermal heating and cooling
• Lighting
41
YOUR SOURCE FACT SHEETS
• PDFs
• Print, download, share…
• Editable versions on Cooperative.com
• Customize, co-brand, re-purpose
• Starting point
• More on the way
• New tech, energy efficiency, wise use
• Additional tools
• How Solar Works, decision tree, calculator,
portable…
TOUCHSTONEENERGY.COOP
42
43
TOUCHSTONE ENERGY
PROGRAMS
Together We Save.com
• Home Tour
• Home Efficiency
Analysis Tool
• Business Energy
Advisor
TogetherWeSave.com – HOME TOUR
March 25, 2914
March 25, 2914
TogetherWeSave.com – HOME TOUR
March 25, 2914
TogetherWeSave.com – HOME TOUR
March 25, 2914
TogetherWeSave.com – HOME TOUR
March 25, 2914
TogetherWeSave.com – HOME TOUR
HOME EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS TOOL
Online Tool
• Picks up where Home Tour leaves off
• Asks simple questions about your home
• Provides prioritized list of projects
• Focuses on 4 areas of home
• Provides PDF “Recipe Cards”
• Project Tracker makes it easy to return and
update progress
ILLUSTRATION/GRAPHIC
BOX
February 18, 2015
March 25, 2914
HOME EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS TOOL
March 25, 2914
HOME EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS TOOL
March 25, 2914
HOME EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS TOOL
March 25, 2914
HOME EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS TOOL
March 25, 2914
HOME EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS TOOL
March 25, 2914
HOME EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS TOOL
“RECIPE CARDS”
March 25, 2914
HOME EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS TOOL
57
TOUCHSTONE ENERGY
PROGRAMS
Awareness
• Brochures
• Community programs
58
Touchstone Energy Home Program
• Prescriptive and performance-based
• Very successful in limited area
• RESNET Partnership
In the works
• Program for Existing Homes
• Manufactured Housing
TOUCHSTONE ENERGY
PROGRAMS
59
60
TOUCHSTONE ENERGY
PROGRAMS
Training
61
ENERGY ADVISOR TRAINING
Essential Energy Conversations
• 2-hour basic course for non-tech audience
• Marketing, member services, call center staff
• High usage / high bills -> energy saving solutions
Residential Energy Auditing
• 2.5 day intensive course for energy service staff
• Building science, energy saving tech, cost calculations
Commercial courses
• Commercial Energy Auditing
• School Energy Auditing
• Lighting
62
CHALLENGES
Large, diverse area
One size doesn’t fit all
Missing pieces
• Contractors
• Training
• Code enforcement
• Consumer awareness
• $
SOLUTION
“When two organizations with common objectives
work together, the impossible can become possible”
64
Need something more
• Individualized – a refresher or master something new
• Self-paced – take it when I want it
• Fresh – keep content up-to-date
• Low-cost – reduce course and travel expense
• Standardized – create network-wide training
• Trackable – help co-ops monitor learning and
professional advancement
ENERGY ADVISOR TRAINING
65
Solution: On-line Training
• Self-paced, on-line courses
• Multimedia, video, animation, checklists, workbooks
• End-of-course testing with performance tracking
• On-site versions of the training to be available
• Partnership with RESNET
ENERGY ADVISOR TRAINING
66
ENERGY ADVISOR TRAINING
4 LEVELS
1. Energy Solutions Kick Start –
• Educational tool for all co-op staff
• Introduces HERS Index
• On-line version of “Essential Energy Conversations”
course
• Non-technical
• Building science basics
• Creates foundation for turning high bill complaints into
energy saving solutions
67
ENERGY ADVISOR TRAINING
4 LEVELS
2. Energy Advisor Clipboard –
• Covers walk-thru, clipboard assessment.
• Identify opportunities to save money
• Faulty equipment
• Inappropriate energy use
• Envelop deficiencies
• Brings HERS Index to members
• Builds on basic vocabulary of “Kick Start” course
• Uses standardized tools, checklist
• Covers the “why” and “how”
68
ENERGY ADVISOR TRAINING
4 LEVELS
3. Energy Advisor Prime –
• Covers instrumented assessments using diagnostic
tools.
• In-depth investigation supports prescriptive programs
for new and existing homes.
• Earn RESNET HERS Field Rater certification.
69
ENERGY ADVISOR TRAINING
4 LEVELS
4. Touchstone Energy HERS Rater –
• Complete coursework, testing, and software training to
become RESNET HERS Rater
70
Schedule
• First two levels are in development now.
• Limited pilot testing this winter
• Full roll-out 2016
ENERGY ADVISOR TRAINING
71
COMMUNITY SOLAR =
COOPERATIVE SOLAR
72
COMMUNITY SOLAR =
COOPERATIVE SOLAR
73
COOPERATIVE SOLAR
• 96 Co-ops in 29 states are involved with community solar
• 177 MW installed or purchased capacity in 36 states
• 375 MW planned to be added by 2018 (Data from March 2016)
74
DISCUSSION
THANKS!