Examples of success criteria, indicators and baselines for different types of projects

Contents
1. Energy audits
2. Energy advice
3. Financial support and services
4. Information and education campaigns
5. Metering and feedback
6. Voluntary programmes and commitments

Notes concerning the tables

Your project may have other success criteria than those exemplified here. Examples of other success criteria can include particular social goals like reduction
of fuel poverty or stimulation of employment in a certain region. Please take these examples as indicative only. For further reading and more indicators, we
recommend the following references and sites:
IEA DSM Evaluation Guidebook, Volume 1 (http://www.ieadsm.org/)
Changing Energy Behaviour: Guidelines for Behavioural Change Programmes (http://www.energy-behave.net/pdf/Guidelines_Changing_Energy_Behaviour.pdf)
AID-EEE Guidelines for the monitoring, evaluation and design of energy efficiency policies (http:// http://www.aid-ee.org/)

It may be difficult to define baselines for many of the indicators, and all projects cannot afford to conduct baseline studies. Depending on your resources and
the expectations of your funding bodies, you may consider using proxy data for baselines like:
national and regional statistics
existing general knowledge, attitude and behaviour surveys in your country
expert interviews on the current status at the start of the project
survey with small, random sample of target group
available default data from existing CO2 tools or existing data on the specific consumption of various appliances
 1. Energy audits: examples of success criteria, indicators, baselines and ways to measure
Possible success criteria
Increased customer awareness
of energy use
Increased customer awareness
of energy use
Reduced energy consumption
Customers & stakeholders:
overall satisfaction with the
programme
Possible indicators
Number of audits conducted (or share of audited
facilities in a sector)
Attention to and use of audits/ Number of investments Depends on target group: maybe
made
Savings potential what measures have been
identified and the savings in energy and
corresponding financial costs and savings
Theoretical savings potentials of implemented
measures what measures have been undertaken
and estimate of energy savings thus achieved
Measured savings at the site level shows whether
implemented measures actually reduce the energy
consumption as expected
Verified results usually a statistical study of results
of implemented measures
Number of new energy management practices
adopted (self-reported behaviour)
Customer & stakeholder survey: overall satisfaction
(project, process, outcomes)
Possible baselines
Depends on target group: maybe
0, maybe people already had one:
find out via survey?
0, maybe people already had one:
find out by means of survey? (to test
for additionality, find out plans of
investments/changes before the
project)
Energy consumption before audit
(Default data from statistics)
Existing level of investments,
practices or energy consumption
Customer & stakeholder
expectations
How to measure
Counts and records of audits
Number of changes
implemented, Number /
amount of investments made
Amount of energy use
Estimation of savings during
planning phase of project and
evaluation of savings after
implementation of measures
Survey, measurements of
energy consumption
Survey including customer
ratings (and qualitative data)
 2. Energy advice: examples of success criteria, indicators, baselines and ways to measure
Possible success criteria
Reaching a large number of
people
Mapping problems and offering
suitable solutions
Promotion of energy efficiency
investments and improved
energy management practices
Increased customer awareness
and competency, capacity to
advise others
Possible indicators Possible baselines How to measure
Number of advice contacts, number of people Available advice at the start of the Keeping count and records of
attending events project customer contacts
Relevance to recipients/participants Status of know-how /information of (Satisfaction) survey using
participants quantitative and qualitative
data
Share of new investments generated as a result of Level of f energy investments at the Records of number and
the advice1 among those receiving advice start of the project amount of investments
Share of advice recipients reporting new practices Status of recipients practices at the Survey, self-reported
start of the project behaviour
Knowledge tests Baseline customer survey: Customer surveys/interviews
Self-reports of new practices (also changes in knowledge and practices at the start comparing knowledge and
physical environment that allow new practices) of the project practices before/after project

Customers: lower energy bills, Customer satisfaction with the outcomes of the Customer expectations Customer survey
improved comfort, convenience project
Customers & stakeholders: Overall satisfaction (project, process, outcomes) Customer & stakeholder Survey
overall satisfaction with the expectations
programme

1
Especially for larger investments, it is not likely that all investments made within the target group are directly due to the advice. People considering an investment are more
likely to seek advice. Thus, it is necessary to find out how many of the customers would have made the investment even without the advice.
 3. Financial support and services: examples of success criteria, indicators, baselines and ways to measure
Possible success criteria
Promotion of energy efficiency
investments
Energy savings from the measures
applied
Promotion of low-carbon solutions:
e.g. appliances, technology, systems
of provisions, behavior options
Cost-effectiveness
Customers: improved comfort,
convenience
Customers: lower energy bills,
Customers & stakeholders: overall
satisfaction with the project
Possible indicators
Number or share of customers making
use of support/service
Number/value of investments made
Energy consumption compared to
baseline
Increase in the adoption/market share
of low-carbon solutions
Money and other resources
used/energy or CO2 emissions saved
Experience of improved comfort,
convenience
kWh used per month/per year,
Experience overall of satisfaction
(project, process, outcomes)
Possible baselines How to measure
Number at start of initiative Customer contacts and
Level of investments at the start of the records
initiative
Figures on the total consumption of electricity kWh consumption, gas/oil
or heat / figures on specific consumption of consumption
appliances Audit/analysis
Adoption/market share of low-carbon solutions Sales statistics, market share
at the start of the project statistics?
CO2 profile Carbon footprint of
households or enterprises
Comparison to other projects/programmes Net Present Value of
with the same goal programme impacts i.e., a
sum of the benefits of the
programme during its effective
period divided by the costs of
the programme plus the cost
of capital (interest rate)
Baseline assessment (pre-project survey) of Survey /questionnaire on
current feeling of comfort and convenience qualitative data
Monthly energy (or yearly average) of energy Check bills, but take into
used before start of project, statistics/old bills account: free rider or
before measures taken deadweight effects, rebound
effect
Customer & stakeholder expectations Customer & stakeholder
survey
 4. Information and educations campaigns: examples of success criteria, indicators, baselines and ways to measure
Possible success criteria Possible indicators
Reaching a particular audience with Products delivered by the campaign,
the intended message media & partners involved, number of
people exposed to the message
Changes in awareness, knowledge, Changes in awareness, knowledge
attitudes and internalised norms (i.e., attitudes
what people feel they should do)
Increased information search on
energy-efficient products
Awareness of energy efficient products
and changes in future decision-making
processes
Changes in behaviour Self-reported behaviour
5. Metering and feedback: examples of success criteria, indicators, baselines and ways to measure
Possible success criteria Possible indicators
Increased customer awareness of Attention to and use of feedback
energy use self-report from survey
Reduced energy use Changes in energy use after feedback
Overall satisfaction with the project Customer survey: overall satisfaction
(e.g. the extent to which it is (project, process, outcomes)
perceived of as useful and interesting
by the recipients)
Possible baselines How to measure
Amount and quality of information existing Number of newspaper/online
items, number of readers,
clicks on webpage
Pre-project survey on the level and quality of Survey, self-report on
consumers knowledge and skills awareness, attitude;
information
Pre-project sales statistics on energy efficient Sales statistics/market share
products, interviews with salespersons information/ information from
appliance shops
Pre-project survey Survey, self-reports e.g. via
energy diary
Possible baselines How to measure
Pre-project survey: check of current Comparison of awareness
awareness and use of feedback (if any) before/after project on the
basis of surveys
Energy use before provision of feedback kWh/gas/oil consumption
Customer expectations Customer/stakeholder survey
 6. Voluntary programmes and commitments: examples of success criteria, indicators, baselines and ways to measure
Possible success criteria Possible indicators Possible baselines How to measure
Getting energy users on board Number of participants Number before project Participant count

Supporting change Number of participants receiving Number before project Participant count
training etc.

Improvements made Number of improvements made Number before project Counting and keeping records
of improvements made

Energy conservation, CO2 reductions Changes in energy consumption, Energy consumption (CO2 emissions) when kWh/gas /oil consumption
in target group calculated CO2 emissions joining the project resulting emissions
Default data form statistics/calculations Carbon footprint of
household /enterprise

Customers & stakeholders: overall Overall satisfaction (project, process, Customer & stakeholder expectations Customer & stakeholder
satisfaction with the programme outcomes) survey on willingness to
participate again / to realize
the recommendations