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This column features helpful information, innovative
equipment, systems and applications utilities around the nation can
use to save energy and improve service. Assessing energy savings of new products Due to increasing product complexity, the task of evaluating energy efficiency claims is becoming more challenging. There is a growing need for regional or national services through which utilities learn can about promising new products to consider for their incentive programs and are warned about products and technologies less likely to deliver reliable energy savings. One step Western customers can take is to call the Power Line at 800-769-3756. The Power Line has professional engineers and research librarians skilled at reviewing documented product test results and assessing vendor claims. There are other steps utilities can take to assess new product savings claims. The amount of time and effort spent assessing the claims should generally be proportional to the cost, potential savings and potential risk of the product. Costly equipment and products with considerable application potential are generally worth more research time. Trust your instincts—if it sounds too good to be true, it often is. Sometimes having a co-worker look over the facts can help you avoid being influenced by salesmanship and high-pressure tactics. Here are some good questions to ask when assessing product claims: Are the energy savings claims valid?
Is the product a wise investment otherwise?
A utility wishing to offer energy efficiency incentives
for a new product or technology may want to consider starting with
a pilot project. That way, performance can be assessed with a limited
number of customers, and in applications where risk is minimal.
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