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HRA Meeting <br />Minutes – Tuesday, September 21, 2010 <br />Page 2 <br /> <br /> <br />taking action to reduce usage; measurable savings in reduced electric and natural gas use; with <br />  <br />proven measurement and verification (M & V) methodology. <br /> <br /> <br />  <br />Mr. Kuso briefly reviewed other types of programs in their initial pilot stages, or anticipated, with <br /> <br />only preliminary results available to-date for the first seven (7) months since inception, and the <br /> <br />inability at this point to report any discernable savings when compared to savings adjusted for <br /> <br />participation in other conservation programs. Mr. Kuso advised that Xcel continued to implement <br /> <br />ongoing revisions and improvements in the programs, including email or online reports to reduce <br /> <br />delivery costs of the reports and analyses; and expanding offerings to all Xcel customers, allowing <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />added functionality to allow comparisons, benchmarking and analysis, including leveraging <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />additional management of individual accounts on Xcel’s existing Online Account Management <br /> <br />  <br />(OAM) entitled, “My Account.” <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />  <br />Discussion among Mr. Kuso and Members included the engagement of a third party engineering <br /> <br /> <br />company at the end of the pilot program to analyze all data, with a final report to Xcel’s market <br /> <br /> <br />research group on any statistical programs due sometime in 2011; with the final report to the State <br /> <br /> <br />of MN Office of Energy Security. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Further discussion included different energy audit programs offered directly to customers ; current <br /> <br /> <br />integration of online energy audits that are still in the development stages; various software vendors <br /> <br /> <br />making online programs available, but not all customer-friendly at this stage; and smart metering <br />  <br />and saver switch technologies, with more customer interest shown each year. <br /> <br /> <br />  <br />Chair Maschka thanked Mr. Kuso for his informative presentation. <br />  <br />  <br />Energy monitor available at Library <br />  <br />Ms. Kelsey displayed a kit available at local libraries for residential consumers called a “Power <br />  <br />Meter” allowing consumers to determine where their greatest energy uses and/or appliances were <br />  <br />located in their home; their efficiency during normal use; and the ability to hook the monitor up to <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />a home computer to obtain further information on their consumption, as well as comparison advise <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />and paybacks on replacement of existing appliances. Ms. Kelsey noted that the kits were available <br /> <br />  <br />for free use, with a library card, at most local libraries. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />  <br />Living Smarter New Web Site – Marketing Update <br /> <br /> <br />Ms. Kelsey provided members with an update on the HRA’s Living Smarter Marketing Campaign <br /> <br /> <br />and unveiled the new Living Smarter website. Ms. Kelsey briefly reviewed the various <br /> <br /> <br />components of the website and links to other sites, including the City of Roseville’s main webpage. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />The website received favorable responses from members. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Discussion included how the links performed; ensuring that the website was continually kept up-to- <br />  <br />date and provided additional and current information as it became available; and the user- <br /> <br /> <br />friendliness of this site compared to the regular City website. <br />  <br />  <br />Ms. Kelsey further reviewed the City’s most recent newsletter promoting Living Smarter marketing <br />  <br />information providing the easy access to the Living Smarter website, as well as a recent <br />  <br />advertisement and mention in the editorial of the Mpls./St. Paul magazine; and back slash key <br />  <br />codes for tracking where the advertizing was being most effective. Ms. Kelsey reviewed various <br />  <br />statistics to-date from hits to the Living Smarter website; those from the local area; in-state and/or <br /> <br /> <br />out-of-state; referrals from other websites; amount of time spent by visitors to the website and their <br /> <br /> <br />areas of interest; and the origination of those hits from home-based computers or mobile phones. <br />  <br /> <br /> <br />Suggestions by members and discussion included adding the Living Smarter icon and link to the <br />  <br />City’s front page website; presentation of this marketing information and statistics to-date to the <br /> <br />City Council for their information; reiterating the need to keep the information current on the <br /> <br />