Basin Electric hosts energy audit training

Forty-three members representing co-ops from all nine states in Basin Electric’s service territory attended energy audit training on Oct. 29-30 at Headquarters in Bismarck, North Dakota.

The training helped hone the energy assessment and auditing skills of member services and key accounts professionals, whether seasoned or new, and for those trying to gain a better understanding of how to successfully serve members in residential units and businesses with their energy concerns. Among the things highlighted were energy assessment tools, energy efficiency tips, and even a tour of a residential property.

Eddie Plowden, certified energy manager of Berkeley Electric Cooperative in South Carolina, was the guest presenter. He says the class was about familiarizing participants with tools to better assist them as they work with their members “through high bill concerns, identifying appliances that are causing problems, and even being proactive about high bills, where they [member services professionals] contact the member before they get the bill to help them learn where they can be more efficient with energy usage.”

Some of the biggest energy concerns Plowden has witnessed include customers setting temperatures on their thermostats too low in the summer and too high in the winter, the overuse of heating pumps, and electric heating strips that run with a cooling system. He said the training encouraged members to use hourly data to advise customers on those issues and more.

“It’s about building science,” Plowden says, noting one of the class tools he shared with members was by the National Information Solution Cooperative (NISC). “We’re trying to get everybody to use the tools on the NISC system so they can download the data and look at hourly use versus the core hour data.”

Lindsay McDonald, an electrification analyst with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. in Westminster, Colorado, appreciated learning about the tools available to help members. “This has been great from an energy services standpoint,” she says. “I didn’t know about all the tools out there to use. Those that have been presented will be very useful.”

Andrew Haggard, energy services manager with Mountain View Electric Association in Falcon, Colorado, echoes similar sentiments. “It’s been great,” he says of the training. “What really stuck out to me was how we can use the data we collect to help members.” The “deep dive,” as he describes it, showed him how to better use collected data to help members – not only monthly when bills are due, but on an hourly basis about their energy use.

In-class training involved slide presentations, energy efficiency quizzes, and Q&As. After discussion about commercial auditing on Wednesday, class members toured a nearby home.

Josh Schaffner, energy services manager at Capital Electric Cooperative in Bismarck, says he built his home about 12 years ago and that energy efficiency was top of mind when he set about designing and constructing the house. He knew it would be easier to implement energy efficiency measures early on instead of trying to install them later. Among the things he implemented was using spray foam throughout the house and installing a geothermal heat pump in the basement. His property is positioned in such a way as to tap into natural energy efficiencies.

“You’re always a little nervous about how people will react coming into your home,” Schaffner says. “But I’m proud and confident of the home my family and I designed. It is a good opportunity to show the class that combining all these [energy efficient measures] can be an ideal situation – going the extra steps with the insulation, going the extra steps with the heat pump and water heater. I’m just glad we could help and show that.”

Plowden said of the home: “As far as energy auditing goes, I thought this was an excellent example.”

Jeremy Woeste, Basic Electric’s supervisor of Member Relations, helped organize the training and called the two-day event a success. “Cooperation among cooperatives is one of my favorite cooperative principles,” he said. “Attendees learned how they can help their members make informed decisions regarding improvements to their home that will have the most beneficial impact on their monthly power bill.”