Efficiency Maine Selects FirstFuel Software to Improve Delivery of Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Programs

FirstFuel’s Advanced Analytics will Utilize Smart Meter Data of Maine Schools to Help Drive Comprehensive Savings

LEXINGTON, Mass.--()--Efficiency Maine has selected FirstFuel Software to improve the delivery and monitoring of energy efficiency programs in commercial buildings using smart meter data. Beginning later this summer, FirstFuel will provide advanced analytics capabilities that will allow Efficiency Maine to deliver energy savings programs to its customers using insight on commercial building energy usage. The project will eliminate the need for on-site visits to pinpoint energy-saving opportunities or track their effectiveness following implementation.

The pilot project, part of Efficiency Maine’s Innovation Program, will cover more than 100 commercial buildings and will focus on schools across the state as the initial target segment. FirstFuel’s advanced analytics will be used to screen buildings to identify those with the greatest energy-savings potential, conduct remote energy audits to target specific energy savings actions, engage each customer to support implementation plans and monitor building energy performance over time to ensure greater savings.

K-12 schools in Maine account for more than 400 million kWh of annual energy use. Assuming average savings rates from prior FirstFuel engagements, Maine schools have the potential to save approximately 65 million kWh of annual energy use – equivalent to the energy needed to power more than 7,000 residential homes each year. Efficiency Maine may expand such analytics-enabled programs over time, extending savings opportunities to many commercial buildings that historically have not been able to participate cost effectively.

“What really interested us about FirstFuel was their potential to cover a large portfolio through a variety of analytics-enabled services,” said Michael Stoddard, executive director of Efficiency Maine. “Directly accessing and analyzing smart meter data allows us to make better decisions about our programs at the building-by-building level and effectively gauge our impact. By capitalizing on FirstFuel’s technology, there may be tremendous potential to improve how we can cost-effectively deliver such services, particularly in a big state like Maine.”

Given Maine’s size and geographic spread, the program has the potential to greatly increase participation in Efficiency Maine’s incentive programs, extending savings opportunities to many commercial buildings that historically have faced greater challenges in understanding their energy usage and energy savings options. In 2012, Efficiency Maine achieved more than 80 GWh in commercial energy savings and is looking to save even more this year.

“Efficiency Maine is a true innovator within the efficiency sector,” said Swapnil Shah, CEO and co-founder of FirstFuel. “Their team has often been a bellwether for many new ideas, and we’re excited to partner with them in developing a new data-driven model for efficiency in the State of Maine.”

Efficiency Maine is one of several utility and efficiency program administrator partnerships FirstFuel has forged in recent months, in addition to its work with the U.S. Department of Defense. The company’s end-to-end Remote Building Analytics (RBA) platform provides deep energy consumption analytics without the need for onsite visits or installed devices. Access to this insight has proven critical for utilities seeking to cost-effectively identify and deliver the next level of energy efficiency opportunities in their commercial customer portfolio. FirstFuel’s RBA platform brings tremendous cost, speed and scale advantages to critical efficiency activities such as customer targeting and engagement, technical audit services, retro-commissioning and whole-building measurement and verification.

About Efficiency Maine

Efficiency Maine is an independent trust offering programs that promote the efficient and cost-effective use of energy in order to save money for Maine residents and businesses, grow the economy, and create jobs. Created in 2002 and established as an independent trust in 2009, Efficiency Maine is responsible for administering all of Maine’s non-transportation related energy efficiency programs. Efficiency Maine’s energy-saving programs help reduce the use of electricity and heating fuels through energy efficiency improvements and incentives for high-efficiency equipment. Efficiency Maine’s programs deliver Maine’s lowest-cost energy resource through a combination of technical assistance, cost-sharing, training, and awareness programs.

About FirstFuel Software

FirstFuel Software is the building energy analytics company that helps utilities and government agencies deliver scalable energy efficiency across their commercial building portfolios. The company’s Remote Building Analytics platform uses advanced meter data analytics to identify, enable, and track energy efficiency savings behind the meter in commercial buildings - all without onsite visits or device installations. Designed to be rapidly and cost-effectively deployed across hundreds or thousands of commercial buildings, FirstFuel changes the scale at which the sector can achieve its energy efficiency goals. Founded in 2009 and privately held, FirstFuel is headquartered in Lexington, Mass. For more information, please visit www.firstfuel.com.

Contacts

Media Contact
fama PR
Brian Merrill, 617-986-5005
FirstFuel@famapr.com

Release Summary

Efficiency Maine will use FirstFuel Software’s advanced analytics to analyze smart meter data and drive energy efficiency savings in hundreds of schools in Maine.

Contacts

Media Contact
fama PR
Brian Merrill, 617-986-5005
FirstFuel@famapr.com