1 4-118-19 Rotmann Gained in translation: Evaluation approaches for behavioural energy efficiency programmes in the US and Canada Dr. Sea Rotmann CEO of Sustainable Energy Advice Ltd. and Operating Agent of IEA DSM Task 24 43 Moa Point Rd. NZ, 6022 Wellington New Zealand Email: drsearotmann@gmail.com Abstract One of the greatest challenges of behavioural energy efficiency programmes in the US and Canada is verifying and getting credit for achieved energy savings. In 2018, the US Department of Energy (DOE), together with the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) and its 80 US and Canadian utility members, joined a global behaviour change collaboration through the International Energy Agency Demand Side Management Task 24 (IEA DSM Task 24) to tackle this difficult problem together. This paper is co-authored by the Operating Agent for IEA DSM Task 24 and the National Expert for the US. This paper shares the learnings from project researchers and practitioners as well as an analysis of international best practice on evaluating behavioural programmes. The focus of the US work on this collaboration has been on better understanding which evaluation methodologies and approaches have strengthened the credibility of behavioural programmes in the US and Canada. This includes insights on various regulatory frameworks and barriers North American (US and Canadian) utilities are facing. The project team also analysed studies on the persistence of energy savings after a behavioural programme has ended. In addition, the team began a preliminary assessment on the topic of engaging hard-to-reach (HTR) customers through behavioural efforts. We found that, even across North American utilities, there was a wide spectrum of approaches to what a ‘behavioural savings programme’ was and how it should be delivered and evaluated. One overarching insight was that a trusted relationship with the Regulator was key to ensure the implementation of a wide range of behaviour change programmes and pilots. The work on this project took place in the US and Canada but also included insights from international Task 24 case studies. The objective of this effort was to synthesize international learnings to address the ongoing challenge of demonstrating for behavioural efforts what works, for how long, why, and for which energy users. Introduction The IEA DSM Task 24 aims to facilitate and share knowledge between multiple stakeholder sectors and develop recommendations about the influence of behaviour change in the effective implementation of energy efficiency policies and programmes. After a period of building a theoretical framework and collecting practical cases (Phase I), 1 Task 24 is now finishing the second phase (Phase II), 2 which has focused on engaging actual “Behaviour Changers” from five major sectors (decision-makers, experts, providers, middle actors, and the so- called conscience or third sector) in co-designing real life interventions. This included undertaking almost 60 country workshops with hundreds of Behaviour Changers in 17 countries; agreeing on a main topic of interest for participating countries; undertaking landscape and stakeholder analyses in these countries; supporting them with evidence-based scientific approaches and practical case study comparisons from other countries along the way; and designing behavioural interventions that were then implemented and evaluated in real life pilot projects. 1 http://www.ieadsm.org/task/task-24-phase-1/#section-8 2 http://www.ieadsm.org/task/task-24-phase-2/#section-8 Kira Ashby Senior Program Manager, Behaviour Consortium for Energy Efficiency 35 Village Rd., Suite 202 Middleton, MA 01949 USA Email: kashby@cee1.org