Energy Analyst - City of Boston

Brief Job Description:

The Energy Analyst aggregates, synthesizes, and interprets energy and emissions data to support the major initiatives of the Environment Department’s Municipal Energy Unit (MEU). As the point person on municipal energy data management, the Analyst plays an important role in the City’s innovative energy projects, responsible use of financial resources, and reduction of greenhouse gasses. 

The MEU includes the MEU Director, the Energy Manager, the Renewable Energy and Finance Manager, the Boston Community Choice Electricity (BCCE) Program Manager, and the BCCE Engagement Assistant. The MEU is responsible for managing and reducing the City’s energy usage and serves as the leading team tasked with scoping and implementing policies and programs to decarbonize the City of Boston’s buildings and energy supply. 

The Energy Analyst reports directly to the Energy Manager and is responsible for two critical and growing functions that support Boston’s carbon neutrality and sustainability goals: 1) maintaining complete and accurate municipal energy data records and 2) delivering deep insights from our utility and building trend data to promote existing and new carbon- and energy-saving initiatives.

The City of Boston uses an Enterprise Energy Management System (EEMS) to track, analyze, and visualize energy and water consumption of every municipally-owned asset, including approximately 370 buildings, 67,000 streetlights, 850 signalized intersections, 270 parks and athletic fields, and pedestrian and traffic bridges. Over 3,700 utility accounts serve these assets, and the EEMS collects usage and cost data from each account. The Energy Analyst ensures the timely and accurate payment of the City of Boston’s electric and gas utility bills and resolves disputes over utility billing errors.

The EEMS is the primary tool used to benchmark City facilities and identify energy conservation measures (ECMs) for implementation through the Renew Boston Trust. This system also shares data with the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager, which is used to comply with local and federal benchmarking programs. All municipal energy consumption data must also be used to calculate annual greenhouse gas emissions inventories and for compliance with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Green Communities Act.

• Assist the City Auditing Department and EEMS vendor in verifying the accuracy of monthly utility bills delivered via bulk-billing files and ensure that any credits owed to the City are refunded to the appropriate municipal budgets.
• Monitor and review EEMS data to track progress towards meeting the City’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2050, including conducting Boston’s annual GHG inventory for municipal operations and annual Green Communities Report with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• Ensure that data is accurately shared between the EEMS and the City’s U.S. EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) Account, used to comply with the City’s own Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), as well as the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge.
• Verify consumption and cost baselines for ongoing Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and assist with planned measurement and verification (M&V) protocols.
• Work collaboratively with the Public Facilities Department, Auditing Department, and Owner Departments during construction projects to ensure that responsibility for utility bill payment is transferred to and from the general contractor at the beginning and end of construction (and resolve any related billing and account ownership disputes).
• Work with the City’s Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT)  and other departments to develop real-time energy reporting, which could be posted to websites or used for other purposes.
• Provide energy data to the City’s Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) for publishing on the City’s Open Data website (Analyze Boston).
• Participate in the development and/or review of other party’s analyses of proposed renewable energy, fuel switching, and efficiency projects.
• Participate in the development of analyses that evaluate a range of potential projects to assist in project prioritization and selection to maximum impacts such as reduced emissions and carbon impacts.
• Support and maintain MEU-related websites (and associated maps) for Renew Boston Trust and others.
• Include consideration of environmental justice in decision-making processes.
• Provide analytic support for other initiatives within the MEU.
• Perform duties as required.

• Three (3) years of professional experience in electrical, mechanical, energy engineering, data science, and/or energy management.
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, or energy engineering, economics, data science, or a related field is strongly preferred and may be substituted for two (2) years of professional experience. 
• Energy and/or Sustainability certifications are a plus, such as CEM, CEA, BOC, LEED AP, BEAP, and BEMP. 
• Understanding of issues related to energy and water use/conservation, utility rate structures and tariffs, competitive energy markets, and renewable energy.
• Understanding of climate change issues and standard calculations and reporting protocols for greenhouse gas emissions.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Highly competent with analytical tools, including Google Suite and MS Excel. Microsoft SQL, Power BI, Python, and R preferred.
• ArcGIS and/or building energy modeling software is preferred.
• Ability to develop custom reports and develop new analytical tools.
• Ability to learn new systems and technologies.
• Ability to promote and implement continuous process improvements and document process management protocols.
• Detail oriented.
• Strong, active listening capabilities and ability to identify stakeholder needs.
• Self-directed and motivated with creative problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate complex concepts to diverse audiences.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership through influence without direct authority.
• Ability to maintain and promote departmental policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Ability to cultivate peer relationships and encourage a collaborative environment.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by the job.

BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIRED

Terms:

Union/Salary Plan/Grade: Non-Union/MO-8/Full-time

Hours per week: 35