Skip to main content

Targeting Preset Definitions

This page provides an overview of predefined targeting presets designed to help program designers, implementers, and analysts identify customer segments most suitable for specific demand-side interventions. Each preset aligns with a common use case such as demand response, electrification, lighting, or battery storage and is defined by data-driven thresholds applied to AMI-derived electric and gas usage characteristics.

Presets are grouped by intervention type and describe the rationale behind the targeting logic, including the key load profile indicators used for selection. These definitions support consistent and scalable segmentation for program marketing, enrollment targeting, and potential impact forecasting.

Use this reference to:

  • Understand the logic behind each targeting preset
  • Align customer segmentation strategies with program goals
  • Customize or refine targeting criteria for local conditions

Threshold values such as “Top Quartile” or “Top Three Quartiles” are based on distributions across the eligible population and can be dynamically recalculated for a given geography or program cohort.

Demand Response (HVAC)​

Description:
Targets customers with high potential for air conditioning demand response. These customers use a large proportion of energy for cooling and show significantly higher summer peak usage.

Electric Features:

  • Summer Peak MWh Usage — Top Quartile
  • Cooling / Annual (%) — Top Quartile

Demand Response (Non-HVAC)​

Description:
Targets customers with high potential for non-HVAC demand response. These customers have high discretionary usage and steep summer evening ramp behavior, driven by non-temperature-dependent loads.

Electric Features:

  • Discretionary MWh Usage — Top Quartile
  • Ramp Ratio (%) — Top Quartile

Interior Lighting​

Description:
Identifies customers with high interior lighting loads. These customers have high total annual usage and a large share of discretionary, temperature-independent load.

Electric Features:

  • Annual MWh Usage — Top Three Quartiles
  • Discretionary / Annual (%) — Top Quartile

Exterior Lighting or Refrigeration​

Description:
Targets customers with high baseload usage, especially overnight. Candidates for refrigeration or exterior lighting upgrades.

Electric Features:

  • Baseload MWh Usage — Top Three Quartiles
  • Baseload / Annual (%) — Top Quartile

Electrification (HVAC)​

Description:
Ideal for customers with high space heating gas usage and inefficient cooling. Candidates for heat pump retrofits that reduce both heating and cooling costs.

Electric Features:

  • Summer Peak MWh Usage — Top Half
  • Cooling / Annual (%) — Top Half

Gas Feature:

  • Heating Therms Usage — Top Quartile

Electrification (Water Heating)​

Description:
Targets customers with high non-heating gas usage, especially water heating, representing a large share of total gas use. Good candidates for full gas disconnection.

Gas Feature:

  • Non-Heating Therms Usage — Top Quartile

AC Replacement / Building Shell​

Description:
Targets customers with inefficient air conditioning systems. Replacement improves performance year-round, particularly during expensive summer peak hours.

Electric Features:

  • Cooling MWh Usage — Top Quartile
  • Summer Peak / Annual (%) — Top Quartile

HVAC Retrofit (Space Heating)​

Description:
Identifies customers with older resistive heating or inefficient heat pumps. High winter morning usage suggests opportunity for load shifting and efficiency.

Electric Features:

  • Heating MWh Usage — Top Quartile
  • Winter Morning / Winter (%) — Top Half

Battery Storage​

Description:
Optimizes for customers in high-solar regions with load profiles suited for battery deployment. Low midday usage and high evening demand make them ideal for solar shifting.

Electric Features:

  • Received MWh (Net-Metered) — Bottom Quartile
  • Ramp Ratio (%) — Top Half