Sponsors Discuss Workshops, Future Endeavors
Motor Decisions Matter’s 2005 work plan, updates from MDM sponsors, and ideas for potential motor management-related workshops
were among the topics of discussion at the semi-annual MDM Sponsors’ Meeting.
At the meeting, held on March 7 in Chicago, sponsors also discussed the campaign’s
public relations efforts, along with newly revised educational materials
that will be available through the campaign. Possible revisions to
the 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management were also covered,
along with sponsors’ progress with assessments using the
1-2-3 Approach at four United Technologies facilities.
New sponsors MidAmerican Energy, Los Angeles Department of Water Power (LADWP),
and BC Hydro were welcomed to the campaign.
For more complete coverage of each of these topics,
see “Meeting Minutes,” available in the
“Sponsors Only” section of the MDM Web site.
2005 Budget and Work Plan
An overview of the 2005 MDM budget by MDM Project manager
Ilene Mason showed the campaign in good financial health.
She reviewed proposed expenditures, including staffing allocations
for the coming year, and reviewed the draft 2005 work plan for final
approval during the meeting. Two new activities under consideration
are expected to have a big impact on upcoming activities:
the incorporation of ASDs into the campaign’s messaging and
development of an “MDM Workshop.”
Opportunities through ENERGY STAR® Industrial Partners Program
John Malinowski of Baldor Electric recently gave a motor
management presentation on an ENERGY STAR Industry Partners call.
At the MDM meeting, he reported on this presentation and encouraged
other MDM sponsors to leverage Energy Star’s Industrial Programs
by becoming an Energy Star Industrial Partner and/or participating as
a Service and Product Provider. The discussion expanded to include
the importance of an educated and supportive atmosphere by corporate
management and to other corporate energy management programs.
Public Relations and Revised Educational Materials
Emily Dahl updated the sponsors on 2004 public relations activities,
which resulted in 42 articles, or more than 2.1 million impressions rendered.
See MDM Media Sightings for details on
recent media placements.
MDM recently received a report showing the titles and employers of
people requesting materials from the DOE’s EERE Information Center
(formerly the OIT Clearinghouse). Those requesting materials have often been CEOs,
VPs, chief engineers, directors, or other managers, which indicates that MDM
is reaching some of its target audience of senior-level decision-makers
through the trade press and other communications channels.
MDM has joined the BusinessWire press release service for future
nationwide and regional public relations efforts, and is exploring
the effectiveness of regional press releases where appropriate.
Dahl spoke briefly about the new MDM trifold brochure and
the thoroughly revised Motor Planning Kit. For a more detailed
description, see MDM Materials: A New Look for Old Favorites.
1-2-3 Approach Update
Ilene Mason updated sponsors about 1-2-3 usage in the field,
including an update on the United Technologies Corporation (UTC) pilot
of the 1-2-3 Approach. UTC is using the 1-2-3 Approach
as a tool for assessing motor management opportunities in four separate facilities
(see meeting notes for details).
Dale Basso of Rockwell Automation noted that it is important to show the customer how the
non-energy benefits of motor management (such as downtime reduction)
can justify moving forward with projects even when electricity costs
are very low. No formal case studies have been developed from the UTC projects.
Mason reported that NYSERDA’s field representatives have
been using
1-2-3 extensively in their upstream program.
They have provided some comments and suggestions about the tool,
which will be discussed on conference calls.
MDM Workshop Session
Because a number of MDM sponsors have expressed interest
in developing motor management workshops through MDM, a large portion
of the afternoon was devoted to an exploration of potential workshop format,
objectives, and target audience. Attendees discussed the types of workshops
their organizations have run, and their levels of success with different workshop formats.
Eric Winkler, Director of Technical Services in the Center for Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy ( CEERE) at the University of Massachusetts,
described his experiences with Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Partnership (MAEEP)
workshops. Winkler noted that MAEEP partners stress the importance of
speaking face-to-face with workshop participants, rather than webcasts,
because the level of engagement is higher in person. He explained some of the
logistical and promotional details of hosting venues, along with how MAEEP
has navigated the commercial and competitive issues that arise.
He emphasized that offering continuing education credits that count towards
professional accreditation is key to raise workshop attendance.
For more details, please see the presentation posted on the MDM Web site.
Chris Cockrill of the Department of Energy made a proposal to the sponsors
to develop a motor-management workshop and provided details about the support
that DOE could provide. Specifically, DOE could assist the development of
workshop content and materials, and help to organize and promote scheduled
workshop sessions. Cockrill also offered cooperation and coordination with
DOE’s regional offices.
There was insufficient time to determine whether MDM sponsors
supported the use of campaign resources for developing a workshop
and, if so, how an “MDM Workshop” might be structured.
A follow-up conference call to continue the discussion was scheduled
for March 31 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time.
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