Today's energy users and suppliers face challenges that are redefining the industry. Higher energy prices, increased environmental awareness, tougher regulations and intense global competition for products and services call for innovative solutions that turn growing economic and environmental pressures into sources of competitive advantage.
For more than two decades, the world’s leading energy providers and users, including utilities, product manufacturers, technology developers and local, state and national governments, have turned to RMI for guidance.
We have a number of ways to find out more about our work in this field, as summarized below. We invite you to spend some time exploring!
Our Vision: Leading the Journey to a Low-Carbon Electric System
Our mission is to eliminate fossil fuel use in the electric system by 2050. To do this, our Next-Generation Utility initiative will create a credible, integrated vision of the low-carbon system. Through collaboration and partnership with utilities and their regulators to overcome barriers and develop integrated strategies, RMI will demonstrate that an electric system based on efficiency and renewables is both economically profitable and reliable.
To achieve this vision, dedicated work is needed against many barriers to widespread adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Solar technology offers enormous potential to contribute to a low-carbon electrical system. Yet, if it is to play a significant role in meeting U.S. energy needs and sustain industry growth, costs must continue to drop. To address this challenge, RMI held a design charrette with industry stakeholders in June 2010 that focused on the near-term opportunities for reducing solar photovoltaic “balance of system” costs.
Our Work
At RMI, we believe the best solutions for environmental problems come with economic advantages.
We show our clients how the right approach to an emerging carbon market and reducing emissions can be profitable and a competitive differentiator. Our client-tailored portfolios primarily focuses on implementing direct emissions reductions, including profitable efficiency improvements and alternative energy sources.
We focus on an “End-Use/Least-Cost Approach” when analyzing energy issues by first looking at demand-side solutions before considering the energy supply. We analyze energy strategies by starting “downstream” to create the most efficient end-use with the cleanest and most reliable energy supply.
We offer expertise on energy-efficient techniques and technologies, energy infrastructure, resource planning, technology commercialization, and competitive strategy for companies in the electric power, natural gas and other regulated industries.
- We advise clients how to avoid capital and energy costs, manage risks, increase revenues by deploying new technologies, and respond to new market opportunities.
- We provide an integrated suite of solutions that fit within the client’s overall business structure. These services are analytical and practical, and include energy efficiency, demand response, how to close the efficiency gap, and distributed energy strategies.
- We help our clients understand how distributed and renewable resources can provide quantifiable benefits to reduce financial risk, enhance electric grid economics and decrease carbon emissions.
- We show clients how to optimize energy reliability through demand response, load management, and other methods that improve service quality and can dramatically cut electricity costs.
Whole-Systems Approach
RMI's philosophy and approach to finding energy solutions is founded on optimizing whole-systems—a principle that distinguishes our research and consulting teams.
Typically, problems are defined within a narrow scope and the causes or connections to a problem are overlooked. Using a whole-systems approach, we are able to see an entire system and analyze all of the interconnections simultaneously. This method often leads to drastic increases in efficiency and “big-picture solutions.”