HomeMy WebLinkAbout20221017Avista to Staff 13-21.pdfAVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR TNFORMATTON
i;l,f,CEtVED
ItJ?? OCT I? Pfl K: 08
ruRISDICTION: IDAHO
CASE NO: AVU-E-22-13/AVU-G-22-05
REQUESTER: IPUC StAffTYPE: Production Request
REQUEST NO.: Staff- 13
DArE pREpARED: tot 17 t2022,,
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tjilCi,'of,!18r'**WITNESS: N/A
RESPONDER: Ryan Finesilver
DEPARTMENT: Energy Efficie'ncy
TELEPHONE: (s09) 49s-4873
REQUEST:
Please provide electronic workpapers showing the derivation of values shown in all the Tables and
Figures included in the Company's 2020 and 2021 Annud Conservation Reports.
RESPONSE:
Please see Staff-PR-l3 - Attachment A for the2020 workpapers and Staff-PR-l3 - Attachment B
for the 2021 workpapers.
AVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQTIEST FOR TNFORMATTON
ruRISDICTION: IDAHO
CASE NO: AW-E-22-13/AVU-G-22-05
REQUESTER: IPUC StaffTYPE: Production Request
REQUEST NO.: Staff- 14
DATE PREPARED: 1011712022WITNESS: N/A
RESPONDER: Ryan Finesilver
DEPARTMENT: Energy Efficiency
TELEPHONE: (s09) 49s-4873
REQUEST:
Please provide electronic workpapers showing the derivation of values shown in all the Tables
included in the 2020 and202l ldaho Electric Impact Evaluation Reports prepared by Cadmus.
RESPONSE:
Please see the Company's response to StaflPR-ls(C) for all elecffic and natural gas workpapers
prepared by Cadmus for the 2020 and202l ldaho Electric Impact Evaluation Reports.
AYISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQTTEST FOR TNFORMATTON
ruRISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.:
IDAHO
Ayu -E-22- I 3 /AVLr-G -22 -0 5
IPUC Staff
Production Request
Staff- 16
DATE PREPARED: 1011712022WITNESS: N/A
RESPONDER: Ryan Finesilver
DEPARTMENT: Energy Efficiency
TELEPHONE: (509) 495-4873
REQTIEST:
Please provide elecfronic workpapers showing the derivation of values shown in all the Tables
included in the Evaluation, Measurement, and Verifications ("EM&V") of Avista Idaho Electic
for PY2020 andPY202l Residential and Low-Income Enerry Efficiency Programs prepared by
ADM Associates.
RESPONSE:
Please see the Company's response to StaflPR-t7 for both electric and natural gas workpapers
prepared by ADM Associates.
AVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMA',TION
ruRISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.:
IDAHO
AYU -E-22- 1 3 /AVU- G -22 -0 s
IPUC Staff
Production Request
Staff- 17
DATE PREPARED: l0ll7 12022WITNESS: N/A
RESPONDER: Ryan Finesilver
DEPARTMENT: Energy Efficiency
TELEPHONE: (s09) 49s-4873
REQUEST:
Please provide electronic workpapers showing the derivation of values shown in all the Tables
included in the EM&Vs of Avista Idaho Natural Gas PY2020 and PY 2021 Residential and
Low-Income Energy Efficiency Programs prepared by ADM Associates.
RESPONSE:
Please see Staff-PR-l7 - Attachment A for 2021 workpapers prepared by ADM Associates.
For2020, Please see Staff-PR-I7 - Attachment B for evaluated savings values and Staff-PR-l7 -
Attachment C for workpapers associated with project sampling.
AVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
ruRISDICTION
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.:
IDAHO
AYU -E -22- 1 3 /AVU- G -22 -0 5
IPUC Staff
Production Request
Staff- 18
DATE PREPARED: l0ll7 12022WITNESS: N/A
RESPONDER: Ryan Finesilver
DEPARTMENT: Energy Efficiency
TELEPHONE: (s09) 495-4873
REQUEST:
In the 2020 and 2021 Annual Conservation Report, the Company indicates that it is allowed to
spend up to ten percent of its conservation budget on programs whose savings impacts have not yet
been measured so long as the portfolio remains cost effective. Please explain the basis for this
allowance.
RESPONSE:
Avista's provision to allow up to l0 percent of its conservation budget to be spent on projects and
"programs whose savings impacts have not yet been measured if the overall conservation portfolio
passes the applicable cost-effectiveness test"l, as stated in its 2020 and202l ACRs, is an internal
Company policy intended to support new and emerging technologies and applications. In addition
to funding new measures, Avista often elects to use this funding to devise methods to evaluate
savings for new programs, measures, and technologies. Avista believes this practice is a critical
tool for ensuring that the Company's efficiency portfolio continues to support customers' evolving
energy needs. Avista also sees this exploration of evaluation plans for new measures as a necessary
component of the Company's overall approach to evaluation, measurement, and verification.
| 2020 ard202l ACRS at pg. 10.
AVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQITEST FOR INFORMA',TTON
JURISDICTION: IDAHO
CASE NO: AVU-E-22-13/AW-G-22-05
REQUESTER: IPUC StaffTYPE: Production Request
REQUEST NO.: Staff- 19
DATE PREPARED: 1011712022WITNESS: N/A
RESPONDER: Ryan Finesilver
DEPARTMENT: Energy Efficiency
TELEPHONE: (509) 495-4873
REQUEST:
Please describe the Company's efforts to address the realization rates for the 2020 and 2021
Residential Fuel Efficiency and the202l Residential Appliances measures.
RESPONSE:
Avista recognizes that the realization rate for the Residential Fuel Efficiency program in 2021 was
83.50yo, resulting in savings being adjusted downward from702,026krnhto 586,226 kWh. The
Company notes that as part of the impact analysis for Residential Fuel Efficiency for program year
2021, the evaluator attempted to conduct a billing analysis, but participation in such analysis was
insufEcient to complete the verified savings using this methodology. As an alternative, the
evaluator used 2020 billing analysis results instead. To avoid such adjustments in realization rates
and provide for the most recent data available for savings verification in the future, Avista will
continue to work with its evaluator to pursue higher participation in billing analyses and to obtain
sufficient data to determine if an adjustment to the Unit Energy Savings (UES) value may be
appropriate.
The Residential Appliance progfttm is a newer oflering to Avista's portfolio but has already
achieved its place in the market for customers that want to pursue energy efficient options for
clothes washers and dryers. ln the 2021 prograrn year, Avista incented 152 customers with a total
incentive expense of $5,590. This particular program received arealization rate of 78% due to two
factors: first, one of the 13 sampled washers was found to have not qualified due to minimum
volume requirements specified by the RTF, and second, the evaluator found that 3 of the washers
were "top loading" machines, which have lower savings than "front loading" options. To address
this, Avista has created a second washer UES value to account for both front loading and top
loading washers. The top loading measure has less savings associated with it but will avoid
realization rate adjustnents in the future.
AVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR TNFORMATION
ruRISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.:
IDAHO
AYU -E -22- l 3 /AVU- G -22 -0 5
IPUC Staff
Production Request
Staff - 20
DATE PREPARED: l0ll7 12022WITNESS: N/A
RESPONDER: Ryan Finesilver
DEPARTMENT: Energy Efficiency
TELEPHONE: (509) 495-4873
REQUEST:
Please describe the Company's efforts to address the cost effectiveness of the Low-Income
Weatherization pro gram.
RESPONSE:
Avista continues to seek out measures that contribute to low-cost, cost-effective conservation, and
make those offerings part of its Low-Income Weatherization program. However, most of these
proposed additions do not produce a high level of savings as associated with water heat and space
heat measures. Because the low-income program aims to fully fund measures for low-income
families, achieving cost-effectiveness is-and historically has been-a challenge. With extemal
market pressures such as inflation, supply chain issues, and labor shortages, the per-unit cost of
installed equipment is expected to increase in the future which puts further pressure on the Utility
Cost Test.
Avista also monitors the claimed savings values associated with the low-income programs to
determine if adjustments are needed. While this process can take into consideration the evaluated
savings over several years, Avista continues to monitor each year's realization rates for any
addressable concerns that would result in a UES value change.
AVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
ruRISDICTION: IDAHO
CASE NO: AYU-E-22-13/AW-G-22-05
REQUESTER: TPUC StAffTYPE: Production Request
REQUEST NO.: Staff- 2l
DATE PREPARED: l0ll7 12022WITNESS: N/A
RESPONDER: Ryan Finesilver
DEPARTMENT: Energy Efficiency
TELEPHONE: (s09) 495-4873
REQUEST:
The Company indicates that the completion of significant Commercial and Industrial projects are
expected to increase the cost-effectiveness of the natural gas program.202l Annual Conservation
Report at 30. Please provide a list of these projects, including a brief description and expected
completion date for each.
RESPONSE:
In noting in its 2021 ACR that "As significant projects are completed...future years could see a
material shift in CE with avoided cost benefits far exceeding the costs of providing those
benefits.", the Company was not referring to a specific or known project but rather recognizing
that any level of increased participation in the natural gas progftlm would result in a significant
increase to the cost efflectiveness. Commercial programs are tested for cost-effectiveness before
they are added to the overall Energy Efficiency program to ensure they will contribute to a
cost-effective portfolio. More activity flowing through the natural gas progftrms would result in a
higher benefit value (Avoided Cost) in comparison to the costs (Incentives, Admin Costs).