This is the first installment in a series of featurettes on our current interns’ summer projects.

Ilona Shmulevich in action!

At CEA, our overarching aim is to spread better energy efficiency to buildings in the city of Cambridge.   We target this goal with what can effectively be described in four steps:  First, we encourage residents to sign up for a free energy audit through MassSave.  Second, an auditor visit is scheduled and carried out wherein they perform a full assessment of a building’s energy usage, providing a list of recommended improvements.  Third, the residents learn about available rebates and decide what improvements they are willing to invest in.  Finally, a MassSave or independently-appointed contractor comes and does all the installations, leaving the residents with increased building performance and predictions for fuller wallets in months and years to come.

When the program *doesn’t* work as smoothly as all that is described above, we have a plan for that, too.  That’s where our research interns Ilona Shmulevich and Ben Baldwin step into the scene.

Ilona and Ben have designed and launched an online survey to gather feedback on the effectiveness of the program–both in terms of participation and realized energy cost savings.  If you’re a Cantabridgian who’s ever expressed any interest with us in getting audited, there’s a good chance you’ve been emailed about this survey!  Ilona is interested in uncovering where so-called  “service gaps” lie–that is, in what ways do CEA and MassSave need to be more helpful?  Ben is hunting for data from participating homes and businesses on their energy savings–information which has so far been hard to obtain. Ben is also seeking out information on peoples’ experiences with financing their energy efficiency improvements.

Ben and Ilona will present us with important findings by summer’s end and help us take our services to the next level!

Stay tuned for more Intern Featurettes in weeks to come.