Research and Evaluation
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
- Standard Protocol for Non-Residential Lighting Retrofits. A draft of this Protocol is available on the subcommittee webpage here. As part of our on-going effort to "embrace uncertainty" in RTF work products, the protocol takes a new approach to working with the fact that some important parameters (esp. control savings fractions) are less well-understood than we'd like. To control uncertainty due to poorly-understood parameters, the protocol sets a certain threshold that define conditions where stakeholders should pursue research to help resolve those parameters. It also provides some basic guidance on the kind of research that needs to be done when the threshold flag is raised. However, it stops short of *requiring* a particular precision level for parameter-specific research.
Here are some particular areas where we are hoping to get feedback from this group:
- Have we found the right place to draw the line on research prescriptiveness?
- Should the research guidance be more or less specific? (we're aiming for something more similar to an RTF Research Strategy than to an RTF Research Plan)
- Is the threshold (5%) set at reasonable level?
- Comments on sampling assumptions, sample size estimates?
- Is the CSF matrix right in terms of granularity / shape (CSF's organized by space use type and control type) for the Protocol's purposes?
Non-Residential Lighting Presentation
- Pump systems. The research strategy for this measure is not likely to be available until a day or so before the R&E meeting. We will carefully explain the issues at the meeting itself and will take comments both during the meeting and off-line if needed.
- Duct sealing. The RTF moved this measure's status to "Under Review" in June based on new evaluation data. Based on recent evaluations, CAT believes the actual average savings due to this measure can vary significantly from one program to the next. We will be proposing a a simple way to communicate the range of typical savings values and recommending program-specific evaluation as the main way to ensure reliability going forward.