Background
There were several evaluation issues that required discussion in 2020 and 2021, therefore the SAG Evaluation Working Group was established to discuss evaluation questions that are more technical in nature and may not be of interest to all large group SAG participants. This Working Group no longer meets; evaluation topics are discussed in the Large Group SAG.
Evaluation Policy Issues Discussed in 2020 and 2021
- Evaluation Treatment of Heating Penalties and Negative Savings:
- Guidehouse raised eight policy questions on heating penalties and negative savings in August 2020: Guidehouse Memo to ComEd: Treatment of Negative Electric and Gas Savings by Evaluation (Aug. 4, 2020)
- Four of the eight questions were presented to SAG at a November 2020 Small Group meeting.
- SAG discussed resolution of these four questions in 2020, with feedback received from interested parties.
- This document describes the four questions discussed in 2020, proposed resolution with edits in redline, and comments received from interested parties submitted in March 2021: Heating Penalties and Negative Savings Final Draft Policy Document (updated 3/24/2021).
- Status Update: This policy was discussed in 2022 and 2023 during the SAG Policy Manual Subcommittee update process. Visit the Policy page to download the most recent Policy Manual.
- Allowing Renewable Measures in Energy Efficiency Programs: ComEd’s evaluator Guidehouse presented a policy question at the July 2021 Evaluation Working Group meeting, regarding the eligibility of renewable energy measures within EE programs.
- Background Summary: ComEd’s Custom Program implementation team raised a question about the eligibility of measures that use renewable energy (RE) sources to reduce usage of grid-connected electricity or pipeline-supplied natural gas for incentives under the energy efficiency umbrella. This topic was discussed in a call with ComEd, ComEd’s implementation contractor, ICC Staff, and Guidehouse staff. Guidehouse produced a memo discussing issues on June 21, 2021 and it was subsequently discussed in a SAG Evaluation Working Group on July 14, 2021. The proposed policy memo is intended to follow on to that discussion by presenting draft policies that will, upon proper review and revision, give the utilities and their independent evaluators guidance about which measures can be included in the energy efficiency portfolios and under what conditions.
- July 2021 Presentation to Evaluation Working Group: Guidehouse Presentation: Eligibility of Renewable Energy Measures within Illinois Energy Efficiency Programs
- Evaluator Memo Circulated to SAG for Comment in November 2021: Guidehouse Memo: Proposed Policies for Allowing Renewable Measures Under EE
- Comments Received in November/December 2021:
- Status Update: This policy was discussed in 2022 and 2023 during the SAG Policy Manual Subcommittee update process. Visit the Policy page to download the most recent Policy Manual.
2021 Evaluation Working Group Meetings
2021 Evaluation Working Group Tracker
The purpose of the Evaluation Topic Tracker is to track topics and open questions that may need to be discussed by the Working Group. Click here to download the SAG Evaluation Topic Tracker (updated March 29, 2021)
Prior Small Group SAG Evaluation Meetings
In 2020 and early 2021, before the SAG Evaluation Working Group was created, several small group SAG meetings were held to discuss open evaluation questions:
- 2021 Small Group SAG Meeting
- Monday, February 22 Meeting: Discussed how ongoing engagement should affect persistence in business programs; introduced savings normalization options for 2021
- 2020 Small Group SAG Meetings
- Small group SAG meetings were held from June to November 2020, to discuss open evaluation issues related to COVID-19 impacts and other evaluation questions. Going forward, technical evaluation questions will be discussed by the Evaluation Working Group.
- For additional information, review: Background on 2020 SAG Evaluation Questions
- 2020 Small Group SAG Meetings:
- June 11, 2020 Meeting: Discuss evaluation impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- August 24, 2020 Meeting: Follow-up discussion on COVID-19 evaluation impacts; discuss resolution of the option the evaluators will use to count 2020 custom savings
- November 13, 2020 Meeting: Discuss potential evaluation treatment of business closures; discuss questions raised by Guidehouse on treatment of negative savings by evaluation.
- Status of Open Evaluation Questions
- Evaluation Treatment of Business Closures
- Following the November 2020 small group SAG meeting, five business closure approaches were circulated for review, with comments due in December 2020.
- SAG did not reach consensus on the policy for evaluation treatment of business closures.
- Next Steps: Due to lack of consensus at this time, the SAG Facilitator prepared a Comparison Exhibit and Summary of Next Steps, if a business closure issues arises during the evaluation process for 2020 programs: Evaluation Treatment of Business Closures: Approaches Proposed, Comparison Exhibit, and Next Steps
- Evaluation Treatment of Heating Penalties and Negative Savings
- Following the November small group SAG meeting, policy resolution was circulated for comment to document proposed consensus: Heating Penalties and Negative Savings (Policy Resolution)
- The following document describes the four questions discussed in 2020, proposed resolution with edits in redline, and comments received from interested parties: Evaluation Treatment of Heating Penalties and Negative Savings: SAG Edits and Comments Received (updated 3/10/2021)
- Next Steps:
- Several participants shared edits to the latest proposed policy resolution in March 2021 – click here to download the final draft (updated 3/24/2021).
- Due to a request from an interested party, additional discussion is needed before finalizing this policy.
- Evaluation Treatment of Business Closures