Tia Cunningham

Mesa Point Energy (MPE) is a trusted, result driven, engineering company focused on providing independent expertise in energy efficiency. MPE's clients include utilities, municipalities, manufacturers, energy services companies, and building owners. The firm provides expert research and consultation across all realms of energy efficiency and demand side management and is led by recognized industry leader James Bradford, PhD., with whom I work directly on a variety of energy efficiency projects.

• Demand side management program design, implementation, and evaluation;
• Research relevant new technologies from energy consumption/reduction perspective and draft associated white papers;
• Provide regulatory oversight of energy efficiency programs on behalf of governmental bodies;
• Perform engineering calculations to analyze energy savings from residential, commercial, and industrial energy efficiency upgrades.

My role for EcoMetric Consulting primarily involves impact evaluation activities. I perform detailed file reviews, onsite inspections, real time power metering, energy modeling, billing analysis, and realization rate calculations for a variety of municipal and utility clients in order to evaluate their energy efficiency programs at the measure, project, program, sector, and portfolio levels.

• Perform desk review and field verification using industry standard measurement & verification protocols;
• Conduct market research to establish current and prosepctive trends for certain energy consuming technologies;
• Analyze interval utility billing data to estimate energy savings for commercial and industrial energy efficiency projects.

Dispersion is a collaboration between myself and accomplished designer Jamie Wirkler. We are exploring the integration of LED illumination as a primary element of design, on balance with form, structure, and materiality. We use pixel-controlled LEDs to embed dynamic and responsive light into the built environment. Our systems are inherently energy efficient from a lumen output perspective, but our advanced sense-and-control systems provide another layer of efficiency at the occupancy level.

• Design and deployment of custom LED illumination using sensor- and data-driven controllers to create responsive and interactive systems;
• Collaborative, constructive communication with clients, partners, subcontractors, and suppliers;
• Execute all business operations including marketing, sales, and finance;
• Direct Dispersion's application and development of technology.

Since opening its doors on January 1st, 2014, The Studio (Boulder) has grown into one of Boulder, Colorado's most sought after coworking spaces and event venues. The industrial modern space hosts private events and community gatherings after hours. During the workday, over 60 of Boulder's most creative artists, makers, and professionals come to work out of private offices, workshop studios, desks, and maker stations.

• Oversaw leasing of commercial real estate and substantial tenant build out;
• Hire and manage staff for daily operation of the space in both coworking and venue capacities;
• Actively foster a vibrant community of 60+ members comprising more than 20 businesses.
• Build and direct event venue business hosting over 50 events annually;
• Maintain 0% vacancy rate on subleased premises and desk licenses.

The Jen Lewin Studio team works intimately together to create and exhibit world-renowned interactive art. We create immersive light and sound environments that encourage public interaction and play. Jen Lewin's art can be found in permanent, international exhibits or experienced in temporary installations at major events worldwide.

• Design and deployment of customized systems of computer hardware, sensor technologies, wireless and wired communication schemes, and power systems;
• Product development including prototyping, component sourcing, fabrication, rigorous testing, and installation;
• Project management for inflexible timelines while ensuring consistent communication with clients, subcontractors, and suppliers.

With the Instrumented Intelligence group at SapientNitro, I worked to instrument the world around us to quantify the qualitative nature of our daily experiences. I helped create bespoke sensor-enabled instruments and experimented to repurpose existing "Internet of Things" technologies to capture data and tell narratives on how consumers use products, interact with a retail environment, or carry out their daily routines.

• Research and development of bespoke sensor-enabled instruments and off-the-shelf platforms to gather data for instrumented consumer intelligence research studies;
• Comprehensive understanding of the “Internet of Things” realm and its various applications, including data gathering in homes, retail environments, and offices;
• Performed hardware development, proof-of-concept research study deployments, data processing and analysis, and reporting.

Nexant's Utility Demand Side Management (DSM) services include strategic planning and design, program delivery and management, measurement and verification, and program evaluation for utility's DSM offerings. My work with Nexant touched on all of these services, and provided me with a broad, but also substantive, knowledge of the industry.

• Engineering and analysis for utility DSM programs; Experience with market characterization studies, end-use and load profile studies, DSM potential studies and evaluations, implementation of various programs, and program measurement and verification;
• Managed engineers, analysts, and administrative staff during three long-term projects;
• Implementation of statistical methods for market assessments and program evaluations;
• Implemented Nexant’s web-based program tracking software, TrakSmart, for three energy efficiency incentive programs for JEA, Jacksonville, Florida’s municipal utility.

WFT Electronics, in operation since 1972, conceptualizes, designs, prototypes, and supports electronics, software, microprocessors, and consumer and industrial products.

• Assisted in the troubleshooting and repair of security card readers for nuclear power plants on the east coast;
• Designed and prototyped an inductive, wireless charging system for mobile devices;
• Developed a remote data logging platform based on Texas Instrument's MSC1210 ADC microcontroller and Digi's XBee 802.15.4 wireless radios.

As a part of my role with Mesa Point Energy, I played a lead role in a commercial and industrial impact evaluation for Fort Collins Utilities and the Platte River Power Authority (PRPA) in Northern Colorado. MPE was part of a team that provided a portfolio-wide process and impact evaluation for program years 2014 through 2016. The project involved desk reviews and site inspections of a sample of completed projects, as well as a comprehensive review of measure savings algorithms and deemed savings. This review encompassed a range of measures from straightforward energy efficient equipment upgrades utilizing industry-standard deemed savings to complex, multi-measure custom projects utilizing detailed engineering analyses to develop project savings. I calculated ex post energy savings from a sampled group of projects for the client's Efficiency Works Business Rebates program and Building Tune-Up program and applied that ex post savings to develop evaluated realization rates for each program. A result of the evaluation involved recommendations to revise existing savings methods and adopt several current, industry-accepted savings algorithms and deemed savings values for a variety of PRPA's prescriptive program measures.

I currently assist, through my role with Mesa Point Energy, in the evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) of Arkansas demand side management programs, statewide, including review and critique of EM&V plans and updating the Arkansas Technical Reference Manual, among other tasks.

Through my consulting work with EcoMetric, I provide engineering services for a statewide evaluation of New Mexico's various Investor-owned Utilities' (IOU) electric and gas energy efficiency and load management programs, including residential, commercial, and industrial programs. I support impact evaluation engineering activities, including desk reviews, on-site data gathering, and development of site-specific measurement and verification plans.

Through my role with EcoMetric, I played a key part in the impact and process evaluation of IESO's Business Programs. The EcoMetric team is performing full impact and process evaluations over the 5-year Conservation First Framework (CFF), including engineering reviews, on-site data gathering, and interviews with project participants and other program stakeholders. One focus of mine for this evaluation was to analyze regionally-specific lighting sales data to identify current and prospective trends in available fluorescent and screw-in technologies. Results of this study informed adjustments to baseline assumptions for relevant lighting measures in IESO's programs.

As part of my consulting role with Mesa Point Energy, I played a key role in the impact evaluation of the commercial and industrial prescriptive and custom incentive programs for Missouri Gas Energy (MGE) and Laclede Gas, two Missouri-based utilities under the umbrella of Spire, Inc., a multi-state natural gas company serving Missouri, Mississippi, and Alabama. MPE performed a comprehensive review of all prescriptive rebate measures offered through the programs, including the measures' savings algorithms and deemed values, making recommendations to update or improve them. The effort also involved a review of detailed engineering analyses used to estimate gas savings for projects in the utilities' custom program. Implemented measures included high-efficiency boilers and boiler tune-ups, high-efficiency furnaces, programmable thermostats, steam trap replacements, continuous modulating boilers, advanced load monitoring (ALM) boiler controls, hot water boiler outdoor temperature reset (OTR) controls, among other prescriptive and custom measures.

Assisted with the evaluation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds distributed by the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office (GEO). This evaluation included advanced sampling techniques over a range of funding streams and program offerings. Program offerings included energy efficient appliance rebates, technical assistance, renewable energy installations, and loans for energy projects. Led the evaluation of the GEO’s renewable rebate program, which included technologies such as solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wind systems.

Performed baseline load profile analysis that led directly into a feasibility study aimed at analyzing the potential for creating a municipal electric utility. Worked with county assessor’s data, Xcel Energy system-wide load and electric sales data, and other sources to estimate Boulder’s electric load profile. Disaggregated that estimated load into residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, as well as end-uses within those sectors.

Instrumental in implementing JEA commercial and industrial DSM programs. Primary role was to assemble each program workflow and associated details within Nexant’s rebate program tracking software, TrakSmart. The program portfolio was modeled in TrakSmart including prescriptive, custom, and small business direct install.

Designed commercial energy efficiency rebate programs for Boulder County in Colorado, funded in part by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. All requirements set forth by ARRA were carefully followed during the design process. The program design included rebates targeted for local businesses such as offices, restaurants, grocery, retail and small manufacturing plants. The program included prescriptive measures ranging from lighting to HVAC.

Acted as program coordinator responsible for managing the inspection of a sample of projects that qualified for Xcel Energy’s commercial and residential prescriptive rebate programs. Facilitated specific equipment inspections of specific equipment for commercial, industrial, and residential facilities to ensure program compliance.

Prepared energy analysis reports for facilities involved in Xcel Energy’s Onsite Assessment Program. This program provides audits and cost benefit analysis for local facilities seeking to improve their energy efficiency. Work included conducting building audits, performing detailed energy analysis, evaluating economic performance of energy conservation measures, and writing energy savings reports and proposals.