The chiller`s role within a utility`s marketing strategy: Using chiller related products and services to win and retain customers. Final report
Commercial chillers are used in space and industrial process cooling. Approximately 3% of commercial buildings, representing 19% of all commercial floor space, are cooled by chillers. Consequently, every chiller represents significant electric (or gas) consumption. Chillers can comprise as much as 30% of a large office building`s electrical load. The selection decisions (electric versus gas, standard versus high efficiency, thermal storage or no thermal storage, etc.) for a new or replacement chiller will affect the customer`s energy consumption for twenty to thirty years. Consequently, this decision can play a major role in the customer`s relationship with the energy provider. However, even though these chiller decisions have a significant impact on the utility, today the utility has limited influence over these decisions. EPRI commissioned this study to develop understanding that will help utilities increase their influence over chiller decisions. To achieve this objective, this study looks at the customer`s behavior -- how they make chiller decisions, how the customer`s behavior and decisions are influenced today, and how these decisions might change in the future due to the impact of deregulation and changes in customer goals. The output of this project includes a list of product and service offerings that utilities and EPRI could offer to increase their influence over chiller decisions.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst. (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States); QDI Strategies, Inc. (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 355053
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR-110373; TRN: AHC29924%%259
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Apr 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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