Education and Training

The staff at Paragon Consulting not only possesses technical skills and talents based upon over 120 years of utility and industry experience, but also the ability to teach that knowledge to others. Paragon utilizes this talent to benefit customers by creating and delivering education and training seminars. Seminars range from half-day to a full week in length depending upon the topic and the needs existing within the client organization.

Paragon currently provides training to customers through the Association of Energy Service Professionals (AESP) in the area of Demand Response and the Fundamentals of Conservation and Demand Management.

Paragon also provides seminars on Marketing and Communications, Evaluation, Measurement and Verification, Tools used for Data Collection and Management, Greenhouse Gas Emission Issues and Verification, and the Fundamentals of Electricity. Course content is either presented as representative of general utility information or customized to the issues facing a specific utility client.

For additional information on Paragon offered training seminars contact Bill Jackson here.

• The following are examples of areas in which Paragon has and continues to provide education and training to our utility clients. Paragon will custom design any of the below sessions to include information and data specific to the utility hosting the training.

• Demand Response Operations Manual

  Paragon having assisted a client with the design and issuance of a Request For Proposal (RFP) for a demand response program, then works to develop an Operational Manual guiding the utility’s demand response program manager and staff on how to manage a demand response program.

• Demand Response Training

  Paragon is an educator for the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) for the delivery of a half-day and full-day training on demand response. The half-day is designed for those as an introductory presentation to become familiar with demand response and the full-day for professionals that want to delve deeper into the subject. Paragon delivers this training on either an individual utility basis or at AESP workshops and conferences

• In-Home Energy Display

  Paragon provides program support for various pilot programs for utilities wanting to test if and how In-Home Energy Display (IHD) devices perform as a DSM product. Paragon offers the training program; "How to Design and Manage an IHD Pilot Program" as a key deliverable. This training session has been presented at conferences, webinars and industry meetings. A new deliverable in this area is Home Automation, Demand Response and the Smart Grid.

• Evaluation, Measurement and Verification

  Paragon offers a presentation and training session on the various aspects and techniques used in Evaluation, Measurement, and Verification Services. This training is provided based upon the protocol under which the utility is required to validate their DSM programs. Examples of protocols include IPMVP and NE-ISO standards.

• The Proper Use of Data Logger

  Paragon’s engineering staff offers a training seminar on data loggers including topics of logger design and construction, installation and maintenance, data download, data analysis and lessons learned regarding when and when not to use specific types and/or bands of loggers.

• Data Collection and Analysis

  Based upon the Paragon trademarked E2DR® suite of software programs, Paragon offers utilities needing an efficient and effective means of managing and delivering data, a training session on how to automate the collection, analysis and reporting of DSM energy data.

• Compact Fluorescent Lamp

  Having conducted numerous market research studies regarding compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) programs and customer behavior habits, Paragon delivers training sessions on CFL program development and CFL buyer behavior trends.

• Basic Electricity

  Because much of the experience on this core knowledge base is being lost to electric utilities through early retirement and reduction in staffing, Paragon offers a basic course on electricity and the utility industry. This course illustrates the topic of electricity with knowledge and experience in a manner that clearly provides participants a clear view of topical knowledge required to work within the industry.