Power TakeOff’s Virtual Efficiency Program Achieves 14.4 GWh for ComEd in 2019
In 2019, the Virtual Commissioning™ (VCx™) Program saved 14.4 GWh across 177 small and medium businesses, nearly doubling the initial goal of 8 GWh.
Power TakeOff is proud to announce that the 2019 third-party evaluation results are in and the Virtual Commissioning™ (VCx™) Program continues to exceed expectations. As the sole program manager, Power TakeOff has implemented the VCx™ program in ComEd’s Illinois service territory, starting in 2016, and is continuing through 2020. At the request of ComEd, Power TakeOff continued to expand the VCx™ program and saved 14.4 GWh across 177 small and medium businesses (SMB), surpassing the initial goal of 8 GWh. The VCx™ program identifies and helps SMB and public institutions implement operational focused energy efficiency improvements, at no cost to participants. These hard-to-reach customer segments represent more than 85% of all non-residential accounts for the utility.
Using newly available interval meter data, the VCx™ program remotely identifies and crafts personalized, site-specific energy efficiency recommendations. Each commissioning opportunity is individually reviewed with the targeted prospect, who is informed of operational improvements specific to their energy needs. Being virtual and remote, the program requires no on-site visits, or financial commitments, making participation easy and effective. The success of our program was recognized by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA), who awarded its 2020 Inspiring Efficiency Innovation Award to ComEd for their work with our VCx™ program.
The VCx™ Program has grown substantially from its 2 GWh savings achievement in 2016/17 to 8 GWh in 2018, reaching 14.4 GWh for 2019. On average, participants have realized 13.8% annualized savings. More than 70% of local SMB participants have never participated in a ComEd energy efficiency offering before this one, which shows how easy and convenient it is for customers to participate. The short participation cycle—approximately one month—has enabled ComEd to increase VCx™ Program saving targets mid-year to help accommodate portfolio needs. The VCx™ program is entirely evaluated using M&V 2.0 statistical methodology.