Helping Duquesne Light partner with key customers to achieve significant energy savings through retro-commissioning programs
“I have been involved in hundreds of projects; I’m totally impressed with MCR’s ability to understand scope and bring things together; they really make life easy for me. I absolutely couldn’t be any happier. UPMC could not be any happier.”
—Drew Chidester, Energy Manager, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers
Background
Duquesne Light Company faced different options for implementing its portfolio of energy efficiency programs recently approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). Many programs were suited to be delivered by third-party “conservation service providers” through standard contracts. The company, however, was apprehensive about turning over all of its customer relationships to third-party contractors. MCR was asked to assist in identifying and managing key commercial and industrial (C&I) customer projects.
Solution
MCR analyzed Duquesne’s C&I customer base and recommended that it retain its long-standing relationships with key customers in the health care, education and public agency markets. We assisted our client in developing a partnership framework and engaged a key customer to undertake retro-commissioning projects at five major hospitals. MCR provided technical expertise on the projects, assembled and managed implementation teams, and developed documentation packages to support evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) of the projects.
Results
The projects were successfully completed, resulted in substantial savings and improved the client’s already strong business relationship with this important customer. The five hospital projects resulted in cumulative annual savings of over 13 million kWh and nearly $1 million in electric bills.