Request for Expressions of Interest

1. Terasen Gas a natural gas distributor in British Columbia, Canada is seeking an Expression of Interest to seek qualified Consultants or firms that can provide the following as outlined in the objectives. Due to privacy laws the work must be performed in Canada. Terasen Gas is collecting potential interested parties for a possible RFP. Interested parties requiring a more detailed scope of work should send an email to Graham West Procurement Specialist at graham.west@terasengas.com . Please include your company name, address and contact information.

2. Background

2.1  Terasen Gas Inc. (“Terasen Gas” or “Terasen”) is the largest distributor of natural gas in British Columbia, Canada.  Terasen Gas’ gas distribution business serves over 900,000 customers in more than 100 communities.

2.2   Terasen Gas is interested in engaging a third party to conduct a Residential End Use Study (“REUS”) among its residential customers.  Terasen Gas would like to understand how residential customers use energy in their homes for the purposes of forecasting future natural gas demand and also to design Demand Side Management (“DSM”) and Marketing and Communications programs.  To accomplish this, survey data will need to be linked to Terasen Gas’ billing data and to the extent possible, the Automated Mapping and Facilities Management (“AMFM”) system data.  Development of a conditional demand model is also required to enable analysis of unit energy consumption rates for each appliance type.

2.3  Terasen Gas previously conducted two REUS studies that measured similar variables desired for the 2008 study (see list of detailed objectives below). The most recent one was conducted in 2002 and the other in 1993.  Terasen Gas requires a comparison of findings from the 2008 study with previous studies to assess market changes and trends.  The 2002 REUS report has trended the 1993 results where applicable.  This report will be made available to the successful Contractor.

3. Objectives

3.1     Estimate customers’ residential end use saturation and penetration of all appliances, including efficient appliances (i.e. designated with the energy-star label, or designated by efficiency level for water heaters and fireplaces).  Collect information on appliance inventories, such as age, efficiency, level of usage, etc.  Appliances include but are not limited to those used for space heating, water heating, cooking, cooling, washing, and air conditioning. For this Scope of Work “appliance” will also include fireplaces, swimming pools and hot tubs.

3.2     Determine primary and secondary energy sources for heating (e.g. space, water, fireplaces, pools, hot tubs).

3.3     Determine building envelope characteristics that impact the energy efficiency of the home, recently completed renovations, and planned renovations.  Attempt to align categories of building envelope descriptions with those used by Terasen Gas’ Customer Attachment Front End system (e.g. building age categories, building types).

3.4     Assess the degree of energy conserving behaviours followed in the home (e.g. frequency of turning down the temperature when no one is home, changing the furnace filter, etc).  Terasen Gas is also interested in capturing the penetration rate of programmable thermostats.

3.5     Perform conditional demand modeling and analysis.  Integrate information from the survey with Terasen Gas’ billing data and calculate appliance unit energy consumption (UEC).  Assess changes in UEC and appliance saturation rates compared to previous results.  Perform reasonableness checks on calculated results.  Terasen Gas will use the UEC to forecast future natural gas demand, update the mains extension test and update other related load research.

3.6     Explain any changes in residential customer use rates as compared to previous results.

3.7     Compare findings with previous surveys, where applicable, to assess market changes and trends.  Analyze past and future trends in housing type, appliances, efficiency levels, renovations, demographic shifts.  Trend all findings to previous results where applicable.

3.8     Major subgroup analysis of survey data and UEC shall include:

a)  Region (e.g. Lower Mainland, Interior, Fort Nelson, Vancouver Island & the Sunshine Coast, Whistler).
b)  Housing types (e.g. single detached family dwelling, duplex, rowhouse, townhouse, multi-level residential building; attempt to align housing type with those used by CMHC).
c)  In particular, better understand the multi-family residential market (MFD) in terms of appliance end use, UEC, trends.  MFDs include those customers who are on one meter that service all units and common areas, or those customers who are individually metered (i.e. they could be a rate class 1, 2 or 3 customer). 

4. Term

The Work is scheduled to commence in September of 2008 and shall be completed in 2009 in consultation with the contractor.