2014 SMART Goals - As approved by the Executive Committee Dec. 11, 2013

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A bottom-up process that began with interviews with more than 20 WHPA leaders has resulted in six identified goals for WHPA focus in 2014. The Executive Committee, at its December 11 meeting, approved the final wording of the goals based on work sessions held at the Nov. 14 in-person Council of Advisors/Committee Chair meeting.

They are known as SMART Goals' SMART is a methodology to develop goals that are Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic, and Time-Based.

The Goals cover a wide territory:
  • Review and revise the CA Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan and HVAC Action Plan;
  • Engage in the DEER update process;
  • Quantify Energy Savings from standards-based installation and maintenance (QI and QM);
  • Quantify Rates of Permit Compliance and Energy Savings Impacts;
  • Structure Notification and Feedback on Regulatory and Utility Processes;
  • Develop Sales Training and Estimation Tools Clearinghouses and Sales Trainer Teleconference.
Work is underway with the Committee and Working Group Chairs and Goal team members to create the action plans, including inclusion of current Committee and Working Group activities where applicable.

The sections below list the Committees and Working Groups aligned with each of the 2014 SMART Goals.

Supporting Documents

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Goal 1 - Update California Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan HVAC Components and HVAC Action Plan

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In 2014, the WHPA Council of Advisors (COA) will lead drafting an update of the HVAC components of the California Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan (CEESP) and the HVAC Action Plan for the CPUC, using a collaborative process as approved by the Executive Committee (EC).This is seen as one 2-stage process.
  • First, an update to the HVAC components of the current Strategic Plan is needed to frame long-term (15-year – 2030), broad HVAC priorities, strategies, and goals for the state. These policies are expected to be applied in multiple policy implementations and planning documents (HVAC Action Plan, R&T Action Plan, ZNE Action Plan, AB758 Action Plan).The update to the CEESP is currently referred to by CPUC staff as 'Strategic Plan 2.0'.
  • Updating and revising the HVAC strategies and goals in the Strategic Plan 2.0 will provide a policy framework underpinning the update of the HVAC Action Plan by the COA – which will be the second step in the 2-stage process. This step will focus on selection of near-term (3-5 year) HVAC strategies, implementation plans and goals, and expanded to a detailed HVAC Action Plan 2.0. Metrics for practically determining progress toward achievement of the Action Plan goals will be developed and implemented as a part of this process.
Achievement of this COA SMART Goal #1 will be measured by the completion and EC approval of updates to the Strategic Plan to meet CPUC schedules and of the HVAC Action Plan by December 31, 2014.

The Plan Revision Working Group was formed by the Council of Advisors to support this SMART Goal.

Goal 2 - Engage in DEER Update Process

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The WHPA Executive Committee (EC) will assign a Working Group to actively engage in the 2014 DEER update process. In parallel, the WHPA will continue to drive capacity building around this complex process by hosting a series of educational webinars. Through this education and engagement experience, if warranted, the WHPA will work with other stakeholders, such as California Energy Efficiency Industry Council (CEEIC) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), to prepare a whitepaper that documents industry input as well as suggestions for an open and transparent DEER enhancement process that involves proactive stakeholder involvement for the 2015-2017 program cycle.

This goal will be measured by the engagement with the current update process, the creation and marketing of DEER educational webinars and, if warranted, the completion and EC approval of the whitepaper by December 31, 2014.

The following Committees and Working Groups are associated with SMART Goal 2:

Goal 3 - Quantifying QI/QM Energy Savings

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Building on the research already conducted, the WHPA will work in collaboration with the Energy Division and the IOUs to provide useful and relevant input into:
  1. The HVAC research roadmap,
  2. The current program cycle research plan, and
  3. The scope, methods, and data sources used in specific studies in the research plan, specifically focusing on assessing energy savings from Commercial QM, Residential QM, Commercial QI, and Residential QI. This effort will leverage much of the work being conducted through the existing WHPA Committee structure and will be measured by tracking comments submitted by WHPA members and incorporated into the research plans by the CPUC/IOUs.
The following Committees and Working Groups are associated with SMART Goal 3:

Goal 4 - Quantifying Rates of Permit Compliance and Energy Savings Impacts

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Building on the research already conducted, the WHPA will work in collaboration with the Energy Division and the IOUs to provide useful and relevant input into:
  1. The HVAC research roadmap,
  2. The current program cycle research plan, and
The scope, methods, and data sources used in specific studies in the research plan, specifically focusing on assessing realistic baselines for the current rate of permit compliance for residential and commercial equipment installations and quantifying the energy savings impacts of permit compliance. This effort will leverage much of the work being conducted through the existing WHPA Committee structure and will be measured by tracking comments submitted by the EC and incorporated into the research plans by the CPUC/IOUs.

The Compliance Committee is associated with SMART Goal 4.

Goal 5 - Structured Notification and Feedback on Regulatory and Utility Processes

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The WHPA will develop an efficient broadcast communication platform and processes to provide timely information to WHPA members (and others?) about important events related to changes to current relevant utility, regulatory and government programs and development of future programs to ensure processes are open and transparent in order to maximize engagement by WHPA members and other stakeholder groups and, to the extent possible, align with existing regulatory feedback processes.

This communication platform should allow users to provide feedback on information provided in an efficient manner, such that this feedback can easily be reviewed and consolidated by the information provider as desired.

This communication platform will be placed in service and operated with WHPA staff support for one half of a year, during which time its effectiveness will be tracked. After one half year, a brief report on the communication platform development, launch, and early adoption will be issued with recommendations.

If necessary, a whitepaper will also be issued to recommend how to better align these processes with the WHPA to minimize duplication and requests for WHPA members' time.

This goal will be measured by tracking and reporting on the acceptance, use and effectiveness of the new communication platform.

The Regulatory/IOU Notification & Feedback Working Group is associated with SMART Goal 5.

Goal 6 - Develop Sales Training and Estimation Tools Clearinghouses and Sales Trainer Teleconference

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Based on the recommendations of the WE&T Sales Force Working Group Report, the WHPA will:
  1. Develop a sales training resource clearinghouse that lists HVAC and Energy Efficiency sales trainers, HVAC and EE Sales Training classes and calendars, and Industry Conferences with sales and EE-related sessions in order to encourage CA contractors and salespeople to make use of these resources;
  2. Host a teleconference with HVAC and EE Sales Trainers from around the country to solicit input into how to sell standards-based installation and maintenance and other EE measures; and,
  3. Establish and widely publicize a statewide clearinghouse for new and existing cost-effective and reliable software tools, which enable contractors and end users to calculate and project HVAC energy and operational potential savings.
This information will be hosted on the WHPA website and also made available for use by IOU HVAC program managers and/or their program implementers. This goal will be measured by the development, posting, and dissemination of the two clearinghouses as well as the scheduling, recording, posting, and dissemination of the Sales Trainer Teleconference. Traffic to web pages posting this material will be reported to the EC quarterly.
The Workforce Education & Training Committee is associated with SMART Goal 6.
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