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Highlights from a recent webinar on the Conservation and Energy Management Hub

We held a recent seminar to help Alliance members become proficient with the new online CEM Hub tool. The response was great, so we've gathered some of the key tips below.

The Conservation and Energy Management (CEM) Hub was designed to follow the same processes and steps as Alliance members have used before, but brings together access to both BESI and SIP projects, new and existing, in one Hub. A lot of the changes are cosmetic, such as the use of tabs across the top of pages rather than step-by-step instructions as you scroll down a page.

Some changes to the look and feel will take some getting used to. We're hoping these tips will help Alliance members, and customers, initiate projects more easily.

On login page, 'forgot password' tool is for customers only

As an Alliance member, you'll still see the "Forgot user ID/password" message. But it's not for you.

Tip! Alliance members who need help with user ID or password need to email alliance@bchydro.com to get help.

Don't get tripped up at customer registration

In the customer view of the Hub, customers enter their account number to check on program eligibility, and get to a screen that some have said is confusing. Let's use BESI as an example.

The customer gets a message that says they're eligible for BESI, and the first link they see is a "click here" that takes them to more information on online retrofit projects. But for most customers, what they really want is to register for BESI, so they need to click the second link.

Tip! Select "To register click here or log in above."

A customer is on their company page. Now what?

Customers arrive at a screen that has their company name and four dropdown items. The temptation is to select the dropdown, but that only brings up applications in progress.

Tip! To start a new project, click on your company name.

Customers need to select the site before starting an application

Selecting the "Sites" dropdown produces a page with one or more customer sites.

Tip! Click on the "Start application" button in the Incentive Application column on the far right of the page. Make sure it aligns with the proper site.

I see "CUSUM" but don't know what it means

On the customer login, detailed view, screen, customers see references to CUSUM, but may not know what it is. It stands for "cumulative summary", and is a weather-normalized consumption tool that summarizes savings when starting a project.

Tip! Customers with larger portfolios can compare one site to another to see which one is more efficient, which one might be worth more attention, etc.

Customer also sees an "Anomaly" column. What's that about?

On the "customer login, detailed view" screen, customers have an option to select an "anomaly report". It's a collection of consumption data including average weekly electricity use, daily average consumption by hour and comparisons to threshold.

Tip! Use the anomaly report tool to identify your top 10 peak hours of demand, and map them against your hourly average.

If the customer wants an Alliance member to initiate a project...

On the "Start a BESI application" or "Start a SIP application" screen, customers have an option to proceed with an application themselves or hand it off to an Alliance member.

Tip! Customers can select the "Retrieve PIN" button so an Alliance member can complete the application on their behalf.

What do I do next on the BESI incentive, Step 1, project contact screen?

The temptation is to just hit the 'Next button', but first, you must click on the plus sign.

Tip! First click on the plus sign to first check contact and recipient information.

At project Steps 2 and 3, it's still all about the plus sign

Tip! Yes, on these screens, too, your first move is to click on the plus sign.

In Step 3, don't miss the 'Add configuration' button

This is where you add the specifics of the existing and replacement configurations for upgrades. It's also where you input the project cost/incentive calculation and input the completion date.

Tip! The plus sign opens up access to all these inputs, and you'll need to complete them all to properly finish Step 3.

In Step 4, don't forget to finish by 'submitting' the application

Tip! You'll need to check three boxes, including acknowledgment of BC Hydro's terms and conditions, before you click on the Green "Submit" button.