FortisBC has several programs designed to promote the efficient use of natural gas, encourage the adoption of low-carbon energy alternatives, and reduce energy costs and GHG emissions. Their “Energy Specialist Program” included sponsoring over 25 Energy Specialists from customer organizations across BC to identify opportunities to participate in other Fortis’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation programs. Performance of the Energy Specialist program is measured, in part, by the natural gas savings achieved by the Energy Specialists through implemented projects.
To assess the success of the program, Prism was brought in to provide a third-party review to identify and verify reported energy savings not attributed to Fortis’s incentive programs. Prism has been providing this service since the project’s inception and have completed 7 reviews from 2013 to 2020.
Prism examined energy-consumption and information provided by the Energy Specialists for various energy conservation measures, including boiler and pipe replacements, controls and DHW upgrades, and heat recovery projects. We then provided verification of the results through engineering analysis and review of those results or of account history records.
The flow chart below illustrates the process used to determine the applicable savings approach to verify the project energy savings:
