2011-2012 Indiana Billing Analysis Report

The 2011-2012 Billing Analysis report has been released.  Some of the highlights/key stats:

• Indiana's net natural gas savings was 163 therms (+/- 6 therms), a savings of 15.4%, (+/- .6%).
• WICAA's weatherization program in Brazil, IN had the highest net natural gas savings, averaging 338 therms in net natural gas savings, a reduction of 33%.
• The average total electric home saved about 1,500 kWh after being weatherized.
• The average 'local burn' home (a home heated with natural gas, lp gas, fuel oil, wood, something burned on the premise to create heat, you get the point...) saved an average of 776 kWh if it has some manner of air conditioning.  If the house had no air conditioning, a local burn home saved an average of 519 kWh after being weatherized.

Those results are based on the actual energy consumption of over 1,800 weatherized homes and nearly 4,800 energy assistance clients.

Vectren Share the Warmth status update

We are past the halfway point for this year's Share the Warmth program.  The next major deadline is at the beginning of July.  Of the $191,000+ in the program just under $80,000 has been reimbursed.  As of this weekend the reimbursements are as follows:

Those providers that were unable to meet the first benchmark have had those funds reallocated.  I will be approaching other providers shortly about receiving reallocated funds.  As is plain to see, I'll be expecting lots of claims over the next month.  It is important that the administrative costs have the proper backup documentation and are submitted by July 1st as well.  Given that there is often a time lag between the job being completed and everything getting properly entered into your fiscal software, getting the claim process started earlier will help.

Below is a close up showing the reimbursements to date, focusing on the individual providers.

AEP Health & Safety Repairs status update

We are nearing the half way point of AEP's Health & Safety Repair program.  I haven't done this with any other weatherization assistance utility funded program.  But I thought it might be helpful to see some pictures or different colored lines to communicate how much has been reimbursed for the program.

As of this weekend:

Now, for what matters going forward:

Please excuse the funky image quality.  They look ok on the computer screen, but after being pulled onto the site, they look rather dingy.  We're a little under halfway in the program and have reimbursed nearly half of the program's total funds.  There are still lots of funds to put to use, but quite a bit of time to do it in.  However, the majority of the funds remaining to be spent are in the hands of those providers that haven't claimed much since early February.

Spring 2014 Wx Assistant fuel cost update

Hello all!


It is almost April, so it is time to update your Weatherization Assistant fuel cost libraries.  The average fuel costs have been calculated for the major investor owned utilities and are listed below:


$/kWh
Duke: $0.127
I&M: $0.110
IPL: $0.096
Vectren: $0.168
NIPSCO: $0.135


$/Mcf
Vectren: $9.47
NIPSCO: $8.25
Citizens Energy Group: $11.28


The average weatherization home used 846 therms and 9986 kWh before being weatherized for this analysis.  The rest of the underlying assumptions remain the same.

Viewing recent local weather data

Fred Clade shared this with me the other day.

Indianapolis Climatological Data

Compared to digging through the monthly edited climate data, that link is much easier to get recent weather data at your finger tips.  No importing .csv files.  No long waiting, just the ease of drop down menus!

An interesting tidbit about the recent cold snaps in January.  There were 1387 HDD here in Indianapolis.  Historically, the average for January is 1145 HDD.  So for those of you here around Indy, you can tell your clients they can expect their heating bills to be about 21% more than they would be in a typical year.  Last year there were only 1083 HDD here in Indy, so they could expect a heating bill to be about 30% more than last year's bill.  Client Ed!

The process is a little different depending on what part of the state you want data for.  The link to the northeast (Fort Wayne) region is here.

As you can tell, the site is not the same.  To look at monthly data for the northwest part of Indiana, you need to select 'Preliminary Monthly Climate Data (CF6)', then pick the year and month you'd like to see. 

Northwest Indiana, Evansville,  and Cincinnati have a similar method.

2014 Vectren Share the Warmth

Has been approved.  Agencies with Vectren clients, be looking for MOUs in your mail.  There aren't any significant changes.  Client testimonials and pictures are still required.  Funding levels have increased a bit, and the time line is going to be shorter due to the MOUs not getting approved until February.  Here we go again!

ASHRAE 62.2 dog owner implications?

I've joked that there should be some exemption/credit in the ASHRAE 62.2 standard for dog owners letting their dog out to 'get some fresh air'.  After hearing this story about revolving doors and the energy/infiltration impacts of door openings, there might be something to it!

Random Billing analysis update: over 10,000 meter readings entered for over 270 local utility customers.