Naomi coordinated the collaboration and discussion between the state affordable housing agencies and utilities in Massachusetts to identify opportunities to maximize potential energy efficiency savings during refinance. The 2016-2018 Massachusetts Joint Statewide Three Year Energy Efficiency and Gas Efficiency Plan included a commitment for the Program Administrators to work with Massachusetts’ housing finance agencies to leverage multi-family refinance events to maximize whole building energy efficiency. Naomi facilitated the kick-off charrette to guide the ten partner agencies and organizations in identifying common objectives for the engagement. Naomi supported the partners in carrying out the document exchange, research, and analysis necessary to clarify the areas for opportunity. The engagement came to a close through a workshop facilitated by Naomi where the partners came to a consensus on a set of recommendations and actions that best leveraged the opportunities for energy efficiency implementation during refinance.
EPA Workshop on Innovative Use of Clean Water State Revolving Funds
Naomi facilitated a workshop for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on strategies to leverage Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) as a finance tool to support residential energy efficiency and renewable energy programs in February 2016. EPA’s purpose in hosting the meeting was to focus on the intersection of SRFs and financial markets for residential clean energy — energy efficiency and renewable energy (EE/RE) — and to identify new opportunities to use SRFs to expand EE/RE. Naomi worked closely with the EPA to develop an agenda for the day long workshop that highlighted peer innovations to spur productive large group discussions and small group workshops. This format allowed participants to identify and prioritize the opportunities they saw as most viable within the context of their expertise.
Home Energy Services Contractor Training Manual
Naomi and her team created a training manual for Eversource Connecticut to use to train new HES vendors on using their Conservation and Load Management Tracking System for HES projects from lead to completion. The training was developed in anticipation of an influx of new vendors coming into the program due a requirement that the RFQ be open to all eligible vendors. The manual was designed for ease of implementation by the trainers and used step-by-step instructions to ensure that all participants walked away with a thorough understanding of how to effectively implement the HES program.
Massachusetts Three Year Energy Efficiency Program Plan
Naomi was the principal author and facilitator of the Residential Management Committee Program Design Team for the Massachusetts Program Administrators (IOU) Three Year (2016-2018) Energy Efficiency Program Plan (Residential Sections). The 2016-2018 Plan included several innovative program design improvements to the delivery of residential energy efficiency, such as the development of a renter initiative and moderate income offer. Naomi advised the Residential Management Committee throughout the Plan development process and in developing responses to the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council resolutions and the inquiries from the Department of Public Utilities.