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Tierra works closely with clients to design and implement innovative solutions in the energy and carbon markets

Program Design

The Tierra team brings decades of proven experience with utility DSM, DER and electrification program design. We have developed numerous award-winning customer programs and assisted clients in the transition from programs focused on annualized energy efficiency benefits to programs focused on time, location, cost of service and carbon reduction benefits. Our approach to creating a new program or enhancing existing offerings begins with an understanding of our client’s demand management, energy and carbon objectives. To ensure our clients gain the greatest benefit from their investments in demand-side resources, we engage in a systematic process of assessing customer segments and needs, determining the right mix of programs and measures to meet portfolio goals, identifying optimal market approaches, and determining optimal spending levels and cost effectiveness

Tierra is currently working with industry partners on several innovative program designs, including the Regenerative Agriculture Carbon Capture Program and Advanced Energy Communities. The Regenerative Agriculture Carbon Capture Program (RACC) is intended to deliver significant energy and carbon savings opportunities that are financially beneficial to growers and producers. Click here to learn more about our RACC program design. For questions about our RACC program design contact Marshall Keneipp.

The Advanced Energy Community AEC pilot programs leverage existing city planning in coordination with their utility partners to achieve reliability and resiliency through economic development and equity. Click here to see the criteria that define an AEC.  For questions about our AEC program design contact Floyd Keneipp.

    Implementation Support

    Tierra helps our clients to identify and align departmental responsibilities, coordinate activities, and ensure that internal and external outcomes are achieved. Our program implementation support services include customer engagement and education, trade ally training, advanced technology demonstration projects, data analytics and target marketing, embedded EM&V and real time delivery guidance, portfolio optimization, and technology and market research projects designed to assist program delivery. We also help clients hire external firms to implement programs and projects by 1) drafting RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs, 2) selecting the optimum bidder, 3) helping prepare for startup integration efforts, and 4) supporting ongoing implementation activities.  We are currently assisting our clients with incorporating distributed energy resources into utility integrated resource plans, innovative rate designs that align more closely with utility resource needs and navigating the transition for legacy energy efficiency programs to portfolios that integrate demand response, renewable energy resources, battery storage and demand management technologies, and electrification strategies.  For questions about our DSM Operationalization approach contact Matthew Joyce or Dave Alspector

      End User Services

      Tierra provides expert engineering and technical consulting services to building owners, developers, designers, and contractors to achieve their performance and energy cost management goals.  We provide a full range of facility energy and demand management audits, on-site inspection, measurement and data collection services, and engineering analysis and modeling. We have recently completed a comprehensive energy audit and solar energy assessment for a commercial building owner, and have assisted commercial building owners with identifying energy solutions as part of an advanced energy community urban renewal effort. For questions about our projects and approach to Owner, Developer and Architect Support contact Mark Wilhelm.

        Recent Tierra Projects

        Grid-Interactive Heat Pump Water Heating Pilot Program

        Grid-Interactive Heat Pump Water Heating Pilot Program

        Challenge: Sonoma Clean Power (SCP), a community choice aggregator (CCA) in California, wanted to develop a grid-interactive heat pump water heater pilot program for residential customers. Research was needed to define what products were available within SCP’s service...

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        Agricultural Electrification Program Design

        Agricultural Electrification Program Design

        Challenge: Tierra recently completed the development of a strategic electrification plan for Monterey Bay Community Power, now Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE).  The goal of the project was to prepare a comprehensive characterization of electrification...

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        Market Transformation Program Implementation

        Market Transformation Program Implementation

        Challenge: Arizona Public Service Company (APS) operates in a hot desert climate where the fast growing Phoenix metro area is its main area of customer concentration. In the desert climate, quality air conditioning is clearly an essential service for commerce,...

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        Distributed Energy Resource Program Design & Delivery

        Distributed Energy Resource Program Design & Delivery

        Challenge: Increased rooftop solar photovoltaics, or PV, caused rapidly changing system load shapes within Arizona Public Service’s (APS) territory and required more flexible resources as a backup for intermittent solar generation.  APS needed support designing and...

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        Advanced Energy Community

        Advanced Energy Community

        Challenge: The California Energy Commission funded a competition grant (GFO-15-312) that challenged project teams comprised of building developers, local governments, technology developers, researchers, utilities, and other project partners to develop innovative and...

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        Our experience has taught us that every solution needs to be customized for a client’s specific climate change goals, building stock, political & regulatory environment, and utility grid needs & objectives.

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        Strategy

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        Research

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        Evaluation

        Measure and Adjust

         

        Sustainability

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        Tierra’s principal staff members have been at the leading-edge of the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and distributed energy resources industry for the last three decades.

        Over their extensive careers, our senior staff have served clients across the country including investor-owned and publicly-owned electric and gas utilities, municipal governments, government agencies, research institutions, and private sector firms. We conduct projects in virtually all customer sectors and end-use applications. 

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