Community Clean Energy
Program Evaluation
Overview
Company: Research into Action
Role: Consultant
Methods: online & phone surveys, in-depth interviews, case study & secondary research
Skills: survey design & programming, interview recruitment & outreach, quantitative & qualitative data collection & analysis, synthesis & writing
Tools: Qualtrics, Nvivo, SPSS, Excel, PPT
Deliverables: reports & slide deck
Impact: revised & improved statewide clean energy program that incorporated more clean energy activities based on research recommendations (more municipalities can qualify)
I helped evaluate a statewide clean energy program that aimed to improve community access to tools, resources, and grants for implementation of clean energy projects.
The goal was to deploy various methods of data collection to gather detailed qualitative and quantitative data to measure the impacts, costs, and barriers of the program.
Insights were later developed from this data to produce recommendations on how to improve the program design and help the program administrator increase program participation.
Objective
Establish a baseline understanding of the number of participants in the program, explore the barriers of participating in the program and moving forward with energy-related projects, and assess the direct and indirect impacts of the program on uptake of clean energy activities across the state.
Hypothesis
Participation rates in the program will increase along with the statewide implementation of clean energy projects following the ongoing, program-sponsored dissemination of clean energy templates, tools, hands-on guidance, and public recognition.
Approach
To measure the program’s direct and indirect costs and impacts, but also fully understand the barriers and areas of improvement, I needed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.
Web & phone surveys with participating and non-participating communities, as well as program coordinators, to gather data on clean energy projects completed, costs to implement such projects, barriers and resources needed to implement activities, and satisfaction with the program, among other measurable topics.
In-depth 1:1 interviews with dozens of highly-engaged communities o thoroughly understand the direct and indirect impacts of the program on participating communities.
In-depth group interviews with 3 communities to develop case studies on specific clean energy projects. Projects included a community-based solar group-purchasing program and a state-sponsored greenhouse gas mitigation program.
Findings
After coding, tabulation, and synthesis of the data, we found that the program has had a significant, positive impact in helping communities implement clean energy projects:
The program activities provided communities with a framework to take on additional energy-related projects.
Communities that were awarded grant money for their efforts have since hired additional staff to move forward with sustainability actions.
Solar campaigns and streamlined solar permitting processes generated a noticeable, sustained community interest in solar.
Participating communities have influenced neighboring municipalities to also pursue clean energy.
We also discovered some areas for improvement:
There is a lack of awareness of the program and its specific actions among non-participating communities, which comprise most of the state. Some municipalities lack the political support to move forward with clean energy projects.
After communities complete a certain number of activities, the program structure does not provide additional, ongoing incentives to continue prioritizing clean energy.
The clean energy projects included under the program are limited and not suitable for some types of communities.
“Ever since the start of this program and our work with our coordinator, we have seen an increased trust across the whole municipal government in clean energy and our steps in becoming more efficient.”
Actionable Insights
Expand the program’s clean energy activity list to include projects suitable for all types of communities (large or small)
Broaden the program’s coordinator networking and information-sharing opportunities through additional scheduled meetings across the network
Leverage and partner with other clean energy programs in the state to bolster the program
Allow program coordinators to support communities in the implementation of their grant projects after program participation is complete