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A detailed evaluation methodology, originally developed for PG&E's Act2 Project, was used to design cost-effective packages of energy efficiency measures (EEM's) for two residential sites in the Coachella Valley desert region of Southern California Design of the packages was based on "mature market" cost assumptions, which assume that the EEM has achieved volume production and widespread application in the marketplace. EEM packages were installed at the two sites (one new construction and one retrofit) and monitored for nine months during 1995. Monitoring data were used to update the original performance projections and revise cost-effectiveness projections.
This paper focuses on the analysis methodology and cost-effectiveness evaluations of four key EEM's installed at the new construction site in Palm Desert, California. The four EEM' s (condensing unit evaporative pre-cooler, night evaporative underfloor cooling system, improved ducts in conditioned space, and photovoltaic pool pumping) were found to be cost-effective under the original performance and mature market cost (MMC) assumptions used in the design phase. Revised analysis based on monitoring results, indicated three of the four EEM's were cost-effective under MMC assumptions and two of four under current cost assumptions. Ducts in conditioned space were found to be the most cost effective of the four, since a significant portion of the incremental cost could be offset by cost reductions due to air conditioner downsizing.