Application of a methodology for evaluation prioritization and resource allocation to energy conservation program planning

This research applies a methodology for evaluation, prioritization, and resource allocation to energy conservation program planning. The initial allocation problem consists of 45 projects involving consumer small scale technology products, projects mandated by the National Energy Act, and consumer motivation projects. There exist the possibility of 3.52×10 13 portfolios composed from exhaustive aggregations of those 45 projects. Through screening and separation of the projects into independent groups, the final evaluation is reduced to a prioritization of 110 portfolios. The best market groups for concentration of effort, in terms of energy savings per research dollar expended, are noncompetitive consumer projects and new residence space heating. In this effort, prioritization of individual research projects and feasibile portfolios is obtained. This prioritization can be used to obtain plans and resource allocations at any given funding level. This exercise is a first step in the application of the methodology to planning. The data used in the study is reasonable but due to a number of simplifying assumptions and lack of sensitivity analysis, the results of the analysis are more illustrative of the type of planning and decision support assistance possible with the methodology than they are illustrative realistic solutions. A detailed critique of the application concludes the paper.