Innovation Challenge Goals
One of the goals of the charrette was to identify an opportunity or challenge in energy efficiency that could become the subject of the Boston Innovation Challenge. The Challenge is a new initiative designed by the Barr Foundation as an inducement prize to stimulate new ideas and initiatives (rather than rewarding existing efforts). Energy efficiency was chosen as the first topic for the Innovation Challenge because of the synergy with the interests of Barr Foundation and the Kendall Foundation to dramatically reduce energy use in Cambridge. The Boston Innovation Challenge will seek ideas in the early stages of the innovation process, and as we expected, several ideas emerged from the charrette.
The Innovation Challenge was the topic of a breakout group during the third day of the charrette, but there were other ideas for the Innovation Challenge that emerged during other breakout groups throughout the entire charrette. Following is a list of prioritized Innovation Challenge ideas. Priority was given first to ideas having early and significant potential energy-reduction impact followed by ideas that might have the largest energy-reduction impact. While there were many technological or product ideas generated during the workshops, it has been noted that social or behavioral goals have the best energy-impact potential within a one or two-year timeframe and may best be able to help Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA) meet the 50 MW/5 year goal.
The real key to the success of the energy-focused innovation challenge is the ‘design’ of the challenge–the framing, scope, marketing and selection process. While broad community energy goals have been loosely defined, specific goals for each innovation idea were not created, but should be developed for each of the following ideas to test the respective effect each idea has toward achieving the overall goals.
The number noted in parenthesis after the prize idea refers to the item number in the Appendix D list of innovation ideas. Table 1. Innovation Prize Ideas
| # | Innovation Prize Idea | Category | Potential Impact / Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Implementation prize (14) | Behavior | Because many of the BIC ideas will require time to develop, social or behavioral ideas have the best potential to impact the energy innovation goals sooner. This idea could be combined with the best messaging idea (15). |
| 2 | New financial model (2) | Finance / Barrier | Barrier A new financial model has the potential to breakthrough many of the barriers to deeper energy savings. This might be accomplished by using a longer payback period, carbon cost accounting, on-bill financing or other ideas. |
| 3 | “Prius” meter for real-time customer energy consumption information (1) | Product / Behavior | The success of this product will depend on its design and cost. If it is easy to retrofit into existing buildings/homes, and provides useful information looking forward, it will potentially have an impact on energy use behaviors. |
| 4 | Super-efficient rooftop AC system for small commercial applications in humid climates (7) | Product | This idea has excellent potential to contribute toward peak demand reduction, could readily be retrofitted, and would be applicable throughout the eastern and central U.S. |
| 5 | Residential scale desiccant cooling technology (plenary session) | Product | Adoption of this idea could dramatically slow growth of peak electric demand throughout the eastern and central U.S. |
| 6 | Advanced residential solid-state lighting (SSL) (10) | Product | With either a price or technology breakthrough, SSL could provide substantial energy savings in general lighting. |
| 7 | Wireless Demand Response Device (11) | Product | Could control any number of appliances or devices for load shedding and might even be combined with “Prius” meter (#3) for maximum impact. |
| 8 | CO2 sequestration device or system at the local level (residential or building-based) (21) | Strategy / Technology | This kind of idea has the potential to contribute toward the 5% fossil fuel reduction goal while helping to reduce greenhouse gas impacts. |
In conclusion, technology breakthroughs and products would likely bring the largest peak energy savings, but these would come at the cost of time. This doesn’t mean that products or product barriers should be passed over as an innovation prize opportunities, but rather that they should be selected with the understanding that it will take time to get to market with these ideas. Behavior, social and financial model innovations tend to offer the most opportunity for immediate impact. For example, the Hood River Conservation Project achieved an 85 percent participation rate (by retrofit measures) and therefore it can be interpreted that by increasing the realized market penetration from 10 to 50 percent, through the use of behavior, financial or other social innovations, CEA will greatly improve its chances of achieving and sustaining the energy goals of this project.
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