To aid industrial customers and facilitate the process of creating a custom project, ESIPs or TSPs also provide a:
- Facility Assessment: The ESIP or TSP performs a review of baseline equipment and energy consumption at an industry to create a prioritized list that includes a general estimate of possible savings and implementation costs.
- Project Assessment: Performed by a TSP after the Facility Assessment, this technical energy study provides the information needed to develop a custom project, including investment-grade analysis of potential energy savings, baseline energy-consumption data, vendor bids, a measurement and verification plan (M&V), and other required materials.
The utility may work with their industrial customer and an ESIP to develop a Custom Project Proposal that includes the estimated energy savings, project costs, and a custom M&V plan. The utility will create and submit the proposal to BPA for review and approval. Please note: Although it is a best practice, a Custom Project Proposal is not required for every project, though it is often a good idea.
- The utility and ESIP maintain communication with the customer throughout the installation phase. Once installed, a Post-Implementation M&V study is performed by the ESIP or TSP to calculate verified energy savings.
- A Custom Project Completion Report—which documents the verified energy savings, project implementation costs, and performance incentives—is submitted to BPA for review and acceptance. Final payment from BPA to the utility based on acceptance of the Completion Report.
Any measure not featured on the Unit of Energy Savings Measures List, or that does not have an associated calculator in the Document Library, can be submitted as a custom project. Individual projects must meet the cost-effectiveness requirements described in the BPA Implementation Manual.
