Welcome to Research Into Action
Research Into Action, Inc. is a social marketing and evaluation research firm. We specialize in evaluation research and market assessment design and analysis services in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and natural resource management.
Our name accurately describes what we do. We use a variety of proven theories and field-tested social/behavioral research and evaluation techniques to help our clients convert our research into effective actions.
Our clients include program administrators for utilities, government agencies, and social action organizations - suppliers and market innovators who rely on well designed research tools and methods in order to create, implement, analyze, and improve products and services that meet their customers' needs.
We're honored that Oregon Business Magazine named us the second greenest company to work for in Oregon in 2010 and the eighth greenest in 2011, and one of the "100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon" in 2011.
And that the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City recognized us as one of the 2012 "Inner City 100" - the fastest-growing firms located in America's inner cities.
Projects of Interest:
Energy Efficiency Monitoring and Evaluation Services of MidAmerican Energy's Residential, Nonresidential, and Multi-Sector Portfolio
In 2012, we are leading the process evaluations of MidAmerican Energy's nonresidential programs and education crossover program as part of a comprehensive analysis of MidAmerican's entire energy efficiency portfolio, which is led by Tetra Tech. We conducted interviews and surveys with four primary groups of individuals: program and contractor staff, midstream and upstream market actors including vendors and contractors, program participants, and nonparticipating customers. To obtain cost efficiencies, we integrated impact-related activities into our work, such as assessing the in-service rates, and gathering data to inform engineering estimate parameters.
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Demand Side Management Program Evaluation Services
In 2011, we launched the process evaluation portion of a comprehensive analysis of the residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural electric and natural gas demand side management (DSM) programs NorthWestern Energy (NWE) delivered in its Montana service territory. SBW led the research team. We evaluated each of NWE’s more than thirty programs, including audits, incentives, and training, energy efficiency, and renewable energy (PV and wind). Our work involved in-depth interviews with program staff, implementation contractors, and supporting engineering firms, and surveys of participating and nonparticipating customers and participating trade allies. We also developed estimates of free-ridership, spillover, and leakage.
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