MAISY Energy Efficiency Databses

For the first time, 2009 MAISY databases provide energy-efficiency measures and potential efficiency savings for each customer record. Each MAISY database record also includes detailed information on building, operating and equipment characteristics along with detailed energy use data. Energy data include annual, monthly and hourly electricity, natural gas and oil use.

These data are now available as an option in city, county, state and utility MAISY databases. Each building record includes individual end-use (heating, air conditioning, lighting, etc.) energy-efficiency measures and potentials and hourly load savings potentials. These efficiency-potential measures are included for three basic efficiency characterizations including:

  • Technical Potential - The maximum energy-efficiency potential based on the most efficient end-use technologies and practices currently in use. This measure takes into account the unique characteristics of each customer including the building's operating and occupant characteristics.
  • Achievable Potential - The maximum energy-efficiency potential that utilities, municipalities, counties and states can expect to achieve with "best-in-class" energy efficiency programs.
  • Efficiency Index - A measure of each utility customer's efficiency relative to its achievable efficiency potential.

Data for an office building in southern California shown below illustrate the three efficiency measures. Actual annual electricity use is shown in the leftmost numeric column for the building and for each end use. Potential energy-efficiency electricity savings are shown for each of the two potential efficiency measures. Technical potential reflects maximum savings applying the most efficiency technologies and operating practices currently in use. Achievable energy efficiency savings represent “best-practice” efficiency targets that can generally be exceeded only with new innovative programs that remove existing behavioral and market barriers. The efficiency index is a measure of each utility customer's efficiency relative to its achievable efficiency potential. For example, for this customer, the index of 1.36 indicates that electricity use in this building is 36 percent greater it would be with effective applications of energy efficiency measures. Potential percentage electricity savings are also shown for each end use where, for instance, potential lighting savings are 54 percent.

Efficiency potentials are also provided for natural gas and oil end uses as well as for electricity hourly loads.

This expanded energy-efficiency information capability provides utilities, municipalities, counties and state policy makers with powerful insights on efficiency potentials and information required to develop effective programs to achieve energy-efficiency savings. Because MAISY efficiency-potential data reflect an extension of current databases, these resources provide energy-efficiency potential data and program development and assessment data at a fraction of the cost required to engage a consulting firm to develop this information.

MAISY energy-efficiency potential information also supports target marketing by energy service companies to identify utility customers with the greatest potential for energy-efficiency services.

The following list identifies some of the energy-efficiency applications supported with MAISY 2009 Utility Customer databases.

  • Determine energy-efficiency energy use and hourly load potentials for utility service areas, municipalities, counties and states
  • Determine energy-efficiency potentials associated with specific commercial, institutional, and government segments (e.g. potentials by business type such as office, retail, restaurant, by business size in terms of employment or square feet, by building age or any other utility commercial customer database variable)
  • Determine energy-efficiency potentials associated with specific residential segments (e.g. potentials by dwelling unit type such as single family, multi-family, mobile home, by demographic and income characteristics ,or any other utility residential customer database variable
  • Determine energy-efficiency potentials by end use such as space heating, lighting, and air conditioning for commercial and residential sectors and for any segment within the residential and commercial sectors
  • Identify and evaluate the most promising building and end-use segments for energy-efficiency initiatives
  • Develop program priorities based on commercial/residential segment size, end-use efficiency potentials, establishment size, income and other variables
  • Develop efficiency program targets and benchmarks
  • Evaluate energy-efficiency program effects relative to potentials