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The 2010-2012 Program is now accepting applications. For more information, talk to your account representative.

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SCE Commercial RCx Program
Program Overview

The SCE Commercial RCx Program operates in seven distinct phases: Project Start, Screening, Scoping, Agreement Development, Investigation, Implementation, and Follow-Up. Each phase has key deliverables and milestones identified by the Program to ensure successful execution of the retrocommissioning of each building. Below, descriptions of each phase are detailed, including the deliverable(s) expected in each phase from the RCx Provider. Refer also to the Program Flowchart.

IMPORTANT OWNER PROGRAM DOCUMENTS
Throughout the Retrocommissioning process there are key documents and deliverables that are important for the owner to understand since each form requires an Owner signature. These documents include:

Program Application – no commitment is required at this point, this allows the Program to determine if the store is a good candidate and if so, schedule a site visit.

Owner Program Agreement - confirms agreement to the Program’s requirements, terms, conditions, and process. The key commitment established by the OPA is that the Owner must install all measures that payback in one year or less up to the project cap (typically determined by 15% of customer’s annual electric bill).

Incentive Application - is signed between the Owner and SCE to determine the amount the Owner will receive in incentives for eligible measures.

Project Start (1 week)
Through recruitment and marketing, a building owner learns about the SCE Commercial RCx Program opportunity. The first step to participate in the Program is to fill out a Program Application. The Application gathers general information to help establish candidacy, and presents the requirements for eligibility. The owner must also submit information regarding the building’s ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager (ESPM) account. Upon submission of the Application and ESPM information, a review is conducted and if approved, a site visit will be arranged during which a PECI Program Representative will meet with building staff and conduct a facility walk-through.

Candidate Screening (1-2 weeks)
The overall purpose of candidate screening is to confirm eligibility for the Program and assess potential for cost-effective retrocommissioning opportunities. Screening includes recording information about the building and its equipment and identifying any issues that may preclude participation.

The screening generally takes one to two weeks to complete from receipt of the Application, depending on the size and complexity of the facility. A Screening Form will be produced to establish the building’s eligibility for the Program.

If the screening finds adequate retrocommissioning opportunities to participate in the Program, the Owner will be asked to select a retrocommissioning provider to conduct the scoping.. If retrocommissioning opportunities are not found, the Owner receives notice and referrals to other SCE Programs for which they may be eligible.

Candidate Scoping (2-3 weeks)
The overall purpose of the building scoping is to confirm eligibility for the Commercial RCx Program and assess potential for cost-effective retrocommissioning opportunities. Scoping entails inspecting the building and its equipment, analyzing the building’s past energy usage, and identifying any preliminary findings that should be further investigated during the RCx Investigation.

The scoping is conducted by the RCx Provider and is designed to require up to three business days in the building, depending on its size and complexity.   SCE will provide the RCx provider with the recommended timeframe for scoping.

Based on the scoping results, RCx Provider will prepare a Scoping Report.  The Scoping Report contains a list of preliminary measures discovered during the scoping phase.  The list will show measure name, a brief measure description, estimated energy savings, and estimated implementation cost.

If the scoping finds adequate and cost-effective retrocommissioning opportunities in the building, the Owner proceeds to Agreement Development. If the building is not selected to continue in the program, the Owner receives notice and referrals to other SCE Programs for which they may be eligible.

Agreement Development (2-4 weeks)
Once accepted, the Owner is required to sign an Owner Program Agreement (“OPA”), confirming an understanding of and agreement to the Program’s requirements, terms, conditions, and process, and an obligation and willingness to proceed with RCx investigation and implement, at a minimum, the selected RCx measures that payback in one year or less. The RCx Provider is issued a Contractor Work Assignment, which outlines the RCx Provider’s commitment and obligations for the project.

Retrocommissioning Investigation (12-16 weeks)
During the investigation, the RCx Provider conducts a rigorous analysis of the building operations. Through observation, targeted functional testing, and trend data analysis, identifies deficiencies in the operation of the mechanical equipment, lighting, and related controls. The RCx Provider then determines opportunities for corrective action and other operational and maintenance improvements that reduce energy consumption and demand and records them in the Program’s Findings Workbook.

While the RCx investigation focuses on low-cost improvements with short paybacks, major capital improvement opportunities may also be identified. Retrofit measures are beyond the scope of the Program; therefore, in these cases, the RCx Provider will direct the Owner to other Programs offered by SCE that may provide incentives or rebates for retrofitting.

The RCx Provider will submit a mid-investigation check-in report in the form of a draft Master List of Findings. ). The Master List of Findings, included in the Findings Workbook, provides a complete set of measures identified during the RCx investigation and includes findings and measure descriptions, energy savings calculations, estimated costs, and simple payback calculations. At a minimum, the report should contain an updated measure list, a summary of actions taken to date for each measure, revised changes to estimated savings and cost, if applicable, and a summary of remaining scope.

After approval of the mid-investigation check-in report, the RCx Provider holds a meeting with the facility representatives to review the status of the investigation and associated deliverables. SCE Program Staff and/or Account Representative may be involved as necessary.

The results of the RCx investigation are summarized in the Master List of Findings.  When compiling the estimated implementation costs by measure, the RCx Provider should include estimated contractor costs and optional RCx Provider costs for additional implementation assistance. Additional assistance from the RCx Provider is encouraged, particularly for more complex or highly-interactive measures, though it is a completely optional service for the Owner. Prior to completing the Master List of Findings, the RCx Provider should establish with the Owner the level of assistance desired or warranted for potential measures and, as appropriate, detail that assistance in the estimated implementation costs.

Any proposed RCx Provider assistance included in the payback calculation in the Master List of Findings will be considered part of the implementation costs for the building Owner. Ultimately however, the Owner has the option on whether to accept these costs and contract with the RCx Provider for their implementation assistance. If the Owner chooses not to utilize the RCx Provider during implementation, a recalculation of the estimated implementation costs (without RCx Provider assistance costs) will be performed to reexamine the paybacks and measure eligibility for the Program’s implementation incentive.

Upon approval, the RCx Provider presents the Master List of Findings in a meeting with the Owner and Program Representative. The RCx Provider and Program Representative assist the Owner in selecting measures that have the greatest energy savings opportunities and best meet their needs and budget circumstances. An Implementation Incentive Offer is signed between the Owner and SCE to determine the amount the Owner will receive in incentives for measures that pay back in greater than one year.

The final package of improvements is presented to the Owner in the RCx Draft Final Report. The Draft Final Report is a narrative report detailing information from the Master List of Findings which includes the selected measures for implementation, the energy savings and payback calculations, and recommendations for implementation. To help facilitate implementation of the selected measures, the RCx Provider assists the Owner with determining more accurate costs than were indicated in the Master List of Findings. Upon completion of the deliverables, the investigation incentive is paid directly to the RCx Provider, 50% upon completion and approval of the Master List of Findings and the remaining portion upon submission and approval of the RCx Draft FinalReport.

Implementation (12-20 weeks)
Using the RCx Draft Final Report for implementation, the Program allows flexibility in how the Owner wishes to implement the selected measures. For instance, the Owner may utilize in-house building staff, hire the RCx Provider to implement or provide technical assistance, contract with outside service contractors, or any combination of the above. The RCx Draft Final Report will provide sufficient detail for the Owner to accurately specify the implementation tasks to staff or contractors.

A portion of the project’s follow-up incentive will be designated for the RCx Provider to be available to answer Owner or contractor questions regarding measures being implemented and to verify measures, update savings calculations, and produce the Implementation Summary Table. Specifically, the tasks include:

• Prior to work starting, review the contractor bids ensuring that the contractor scopes of work adequately reflect the intent of the original recommendations and include verification of performance sufficient to meet the Program’s requirements. If needed, answer questions that arise during implementation, and provide clarification or advice on measures being implemented.

• Provide regular updates to SCE via email regarding the status of each measure selected for implementation.

• If needed, attend implementation progress meeting(s) with the Owner and Program Representative to discuss implementation actions taken to date and resolve any issues that have arisen.

• Verify completion of each measure and update Findings Workbook including final savings, costs, and payback calculations to produce the Implementation Summary Table (included in the Findings Workbook). To support the Implementation Summary Table, all measures must have verification data and updated savings calculations. When feasible, verification data should include trends or functional test results, though other methods, such as copies of invoices, site visit reports, and before/after photos, may be acceptable.

Upon approval of the Implementation Summary Table and after a final inspection has been conducted, the Owner receives the implementation incentive payment and the RCx Provider receives 50% of the follow-up incentive payment.

Follow-Up (2-4 weeks)
After implementation, it is essential for the building owner and operators to have the resources they need to ensure that the retrocommissioning savings persist over time. The Program’s protocols provide consistent methods for documenting all RCx measures. Project documentation and deliverables form the basis of the training that the RCx Provider gives to building staff. The training itself is formatted in a way that can be easily reviewed by subsequent operating staff.

The base persistence plan for each facility shall contain the following minimum elements:

Targeted Documentation: The RCx Provider is responsible for developing an RCx Final Report describing the implemented measures, including: new or improved sequences of operation; the energy savings impact of the measures; the requirements for ongoing maintenance and monitoring of the measures; and contact information for the RCx Provider, in-house staff or contractors responsible for implementation.

Training: Before handing over the targeted documentation, the RCx Provider and contractors provide follow-up training for the Owner and the appropriate building operations personnel on the new documentation and implemented measures. The training covers the measures that were implemented and requirements for ongoing maintenance and monitoring.

Upon receipt and approval of the RCx Final Report, the RCx Provider receives the final 50% of the follow-up incentive payment.

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