BC Hydro Process Improvements Program

BC Hydro, the largest electrical utility in British Columbia, launched its first conservation initiative, Power Smart, in 1989. Under the Power Smart umbrella Willis developed and managed a program for BC Hydro called Process Improvements. After an initial trial period the program was officially launched in October 1990 and ran until 1995, during which it was BC Hydro’s largest industrial conservation program. The program promoted and financially supported energy efficiency projects for large industrial customers.

Paul Willis and Parminder Sandhu led the Willis team that was responsible for the program’s implementation and day-to-day management, including project evaluation, program administration, and clerical support. BC Hydro and Willis staff identified opportunities for energy savings, some supported by utility incentives. In other cases, customers chose to implement retrofits, even without incentives, because of the short payback period. After a prospective customer submitted a project application to BC Hydro, Willis conducted a technical review to confirm the energy savings and verify the feasibility of a project. A results review two years into the program found that 216 projects had been approved, and of these, 184 projects (85%) had been completed, 11 projects (5%) were nearing completion, and 21 projects (10%) were in the process of completion.

BC Hydro declared the program a success, and an external evaluation of the program reported that “the Process Improvements program is cost effective. The program has been flexible and responsive to customer needs and successfully has motivated customers to implement energy efficiency projects that would not otherwise have been carried out.”