Telephone Survey Development

The joint telephone survey was designed to collect an assortment of information on approximately 8,000 nonresidential sites and to recruit for the CMST and CSS on-site data collection efforts. The survey’s development began with the modification of the 2006-2008 Small Commercial Evaluation telephone survey. The survey was modified to adjust to the research needs of the CMST/CSS including adding questions on recent purchases of televisions and modifying existing questions on the recent purchases of lighting and HVAC measures.

Telephone Survey Coordination

The survey development process included multiple reviews by the CPUC, ED consultants, and the IOU. The telephone survey was also sent to other work order leads to ensure that the survey captured population level information to satisfy their needs. The survey was sent to WO029 for general lighting review. WO028, the Advanced and Upstream Lighting Evaluation added a series of questions to identify sites that have recently purchased CFLs from retail outlets. Future coordination with WO028 may include simply providing the site contact information on recent CFL purchasers or coordinating the on-site data collection efforts between WO028 and WO024. The Business and Consumer Electronics Evaluation (WO034) reviewed the series of questions on televisions. The Overarching Nonresidential Process Evaluation (WO012) helped design the program awareness and integration questions. The Small Commercial HVAC Evaluation (WO032) and the Residential and Small Commercial HVAC Market Effects Study (WO054) reviewed the HVAC questions, adding questions on nonresidential maintenance practices.

Draft CSS & CSMT Research Plan

Itron, Inc. 5-2 Survey Development and Implementation

Telephone Survey Content

Given that approximately 10% of nonresidential usage and 20% of nonresidential sites are classified in the CIS as either property management or unclassified/undefined, a primary objective of the telephone survey is to clarify the site’s business type (see Table 4-1 and Table 4-2 in Section 4). The business type information from the telephone survey will be used to update the business type for the evaluation of the telephone survey data. In addition, the updated business type will be used to determine eligibility for recruitment into the CMST and CSS on- site data collection effort. See Section 4 for a full description of the business types eligible for the two on-site surveys.

The telephone survey also collects a substantial quantity of information on a business’s general characteristics. The survey questions the site contact about the number of buildings and the portion of buildings the firm occupies. In addition, the site contact is asked about the square footage and number of floors within the building that the firm occupies. This information is immediately used to estimate the likely number of hours needed for an on-site data collection effort.19 _{This estimate is used during the on-site recruitment process. These data are also used}

during on-site scheduling to determine the likely number of sites a surveyor can complete during an assigned period. Finally, this information will be used during the analysis process to better describe the current space used by nonresidential customers.

The telephone survey also collects information on the building’s own versus lease status and who pays the utility bills. If the site pays the utility bills, the site is asked about how often they review their utility bills. Analysis of this information may be useful as utilities move to a system of smart meters and billing formats designed to modify consumers’ electricity usage.

Sites are also asked about the age of the building and the length of time their business has occupied the building. The telephone survey also incorporates questions about increases or decreases in square footage and recent remodels. The answers to this series of questions are used to determine if the building was newly constructed, expanded, or remodeled since January 2009. These data are used to flag a site for the series of questions concerning recent purchases of linear fluorescents, HVACs and televisions.

The telephone survey incorporates a battery of questions on customer attitudes toward energy consumption, environmental consciousness, and demand-side management. The survey inquires about the site’s awareness of programs or resources to help their organization reduce their energy bills, about previous participation in energy efficiency programs that provided rebates or incentives, and about participation in demand response programs and whether the site currently

19 _{As the full implementation of the survey is undertaken, the relationship between size, configuration, and on-site}

survey time will be further analyzed and our current estimate of survey time will be updated in the telephone survey recruitment battery.

has solar, wind, or other energy producing technologies. This series of questions asks whether the site has ever undertaken an integrated audit or if the site contact knows where to get an integrated audit. This series of questions will provide the demand-side management community with an estimate of the current baseline of knowledge about integrated demand-side management options.

One of the primary purposes of the telephone survey is to recruit for the CMST on-site verification. To achieve this objective, the telephone survey includes a series of questions to determine if the site has linear fluorescents, televisions, and/or packaged HVAC. Sites are then asked if they have purchased any of these technologies since January 2009. Responses to these questions, in combination with the updated building type information and information on new construction and remodels, are used to determine eligibility and recruitment for the CMST on- sites.

To insure that we are opportunistically collecting information on current nonresidential purchase behavior, the survey also asks the site contact about other types of energy using equipment the firm purchased since January 2009. The responses to these questions will be reviewed and may lead to future modifications in the telephone or on-site survey efforts.

The telephone survey finishes with a series of questions on business operating hours followed by the recruitment for the CMST and CSS on-site data collection efforts. Information on operating hours is used to schedule on-site data collection and will provide the demand-side management community with a better understanding of the current business hours of nonresidential firms. The recruitment script begins by asking sites that are eligible for the CSS, if they are willing to participate (for a description of sites eligible for the CSS see Section 4). If the site refuses to participate, they are offered a small monetary incentive to participate. If the site continues to refuse, and they are eligible for the CMST, they are asked to participate in the shorter CMST data collection effort. Sites that are eligible for the CMST, but not eligible for the CSS, are also recruited for the CMST effort. Sites that are eligible for the CMST effort, but refuse to initially participate, are also offered a small incentive to increase the participation rate.

Sites that are eligible for the CSS and the CMST can choose to participate in only the CMST survey. If a site that is eligible for both surveys chooses to participate in the CSS survey, they will be counted as a site participating in both the CSS and the CMST surveys.