Glossary
- Actual Weather Adjusted
- Actual Weather Adjusted peak demand and energy consumption is the historical peak demand and energy consumption adjusted for weather fluctuations using weather data for the most recent ten years.
- At Meter
- Demand (kW/MW) and energy (kWh/MWh) figures reported throughout the EEPR are reflective of impacts at the customer meter. This is the original format of the measured and deemed impacts, which the utilities collect for their energy efficiency programs. Goals are necessarily calculated "at source" (generator) using utility system peak data at the transmission level. In order to accurately compare program impacts, goals and projected savings have been adjusted for the line losses (7%) that one would expect going from the source to the meter.
- Average Growth
- Average historical growth in demand (kW) over the prior five years for residential and commercial customers adjusted for weather fluctuations.
- Capacity Factor
- The ratio of the annual energy savings goal, in kWh, to the peak demand goal for the year, measured in kW, multiplied by the number of hours in the year; or the ratio of the actual annual energy savings, in kWh, to the actual peak demand reduction for the year, measured in kW, multiplied by the number of hours in the year.
- Commercial customer
- A non-residential customer taking service at a metered point of delivery at a distribution voltage under an electric utility's tariff during the prior calendar year and a non-profit customer or government entity, including an educational institution. Each metered point of delivery shall be considered a separate customer.
- Deemed Savings
- A pre-determined, validated estimate of energy and peak demand savings attributable to an energy efficiency measure in a particular type of application that an electric utility may use instead of energy and peak demand savings determined through measurement and verification activities.
- Demand
- The rate at which electric energy is used at a given instant, or averaged over a designated period, usually expressed in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW).
- Demand savings
- A quantifiable reduction in demand.
- Energy efficiency
- Improvements in the use of electricity that are achieved through facility or equipment improvements, devices, or processes that produce reductions in demand or energy consumption with the same or higher level of end-use service and that do not materially degrade existing levels of comfort, convenience, and productivity.
- Energy efficiency measures
- Equipment, materials, and practices at a customer's site that result in a reduction in electric energy consumption, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), or peak demand, measured in kilowatts (kW), or both. These measures may include thermal energy storage and removal of an inefficient appliance so long as the customer need satisfied by the appliance is still met.
- Energy efficiency program
- The aggregate of the energy efficiency activities carried out by an electric utility or a set of energy efficiency projects carried out by an electric utility under the same name and operating rules.
- Energy Efficiency Rule (EE Rule)
- Public Utility Commission of Texas Substantive Rules 25.181 and 25.183, which implement Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) § 39.905.
- Energy savings
- A quantifiable reduction in a customer's consumption of energy that is attributable to energy efficiency measures.
- Growth in demand
- The annual increase in demand in the Texas portion of an electric utility's service area at time of peak demand, as measured in accordance with the Energy Efficiency Rule.
- Hard-to-reach (HTR) customers
- Residential customers with an annual household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
- Incentive payment
- Payment made by a utility to an energy efficiency service provider under an energy efficiency program.
- Inspection
- Examination of a project to verify that an energy efficiency measure has been installed, is capable of performing its intended function, and is producing energy savings or demand reduction.
- Load control
- Activities that place the operation of electricity-consuming equipment under the control or dispatch of an energy efficiency service provider, an independent system operator or other transmission organization or that are controlled by the customer, with the objective of producing energy or demand savings.
- Load management
- Load control activities that result in a reduction in peak demand on an electric utility system or a shifting of energy usage from a peak to an off-peak period or from high-price periods to lower-price periods.
- Market transformation program (MTP)
- Strategic programs to induce lasting structural or behavioral changes in the market that result in increased adoption of energy-efficient technologies, services, and practices.
- Measurement and verification (M&V)
- Activities intended to determine the actual energy and demand savings resulting from energy efficiency projects.
- Peak demand
- Electrical demand at the times of highest annual demand on the utility's system.
- Peak demand reduction
- Reduction in demand on the utility system throughout the utility system's peak period.
- Peak period
- The hours from one p.m. to seven p.m., during the months of June, July, August, and September, excluding weekends and federal holidays.
- Projected Demand and Energy Savings
- Peak demand reduction and energy savings the Company projects to achieve by implementing the portfolio of programs outlined in this EEPR. These projected savings reflect the Company's goals required by the Energy Efficiency Rule.
- Project sponsor
- An energy efficiency service provider or customer who installs energy efficiency measures or performs other energy efficiency services under the Energy Efficiency Rule. An energy efficiency service provider may be a retail electric provider or commercial customer, provided that the commercial customer has a peak load equal to or greater than 50 kW.
- Renewable demand side management (DSM) technologies
- Equipment that uses a renewable energy resource (renewable resource), as defined in Public Utility Commission of Texas Substantive Rule 25.173(c) (relating to Goal for Renewable Energy) that, when installed at a customer site, reduces the customer's net purchases of energy, demand, or both.
- Standard offer program (SOP)
- A program under which a utility administers standard offer contracts between the utility and energy efficiency service providers.
- Underserved County
- A county that did not have reported demand or energy savings through a prior year's SOP or MTP.
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