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.
Projects of Interest:
2009-2010 Cross-Cutting Evaluation of Ontario Power Authority Large Commercial and Industrial Retrofit Incentive Initiatives
In 2010, Research Into Action led a team to conduct cross-cutting impact and process evaluations of Ontario Power Authority's 2009-2010 large commercial and industrial retrofit incentive initiatives. For the impact audit, our team: 1) audited selected projects, 2) verified energy and demand savings, 3) estimated net savings, 4) developed measure-level 8760 load shape analyses, and 5) reviewed prescriptive input assumptions. We carried out a TRC cost-effectiveness analysis, based on verified net kW and kWh savings and measure life values (from deemed savings studies in North America), program cost data, and customer incremental cost data (validated and from public deemed savings databases), and calculated levelized costs per kW and kWh. For the process evaluation, we surveyed program participants about their program experience and expectations for the future; partial participants about why they opted out of the program and what would encourage them to move forward with retrofit projects; nonparticipants in the general market about program awareness and energy-related behaviors and attitudes; evaluation contractors about their program-related training, interactions with program participants, perceptions about the program, compensation, and support needed; and trade allies about their experiences with and perceptions of the program, and additional training or other services they would like to receive from the program. Finally, we assessed job-creation effects for local distribution companies and contractors.
view project
Study of Residential Awareness and Perceptions of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Oregon
In 2010, Research Into Action and our subcontractor, Abt SRBI, Inc., conducted a third Oregon Residential Awareness and Perceptions Study for Energy Trust of Oregon. The goal of the study was to provide insight into the awareness and perceptions of residential electric and/or natural gas customers located in Energy Trust’s service territory about energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate change, and related topics. We conducted phone interviews with residential customers, stratified by geographic region, homeownership, and age. We used Random Digit Dialing to create a list of households with landline phones and a purchased list of random cell phone-only households. Our survey instruments included appropriate questions from Bonneville Power Administration's "gearbox" and screening questions to protect cell-phone users' safety. The survey instruments were designed to be less than 14 minutes long to increase cell-phone users' participation. Energy Trust compared results from this study to those from the Oregon Residential Awareness and Perception studies Research Into Action conducted for Energy Trust in 2008 and 2009, and used the combined information to design and support current and future programs, and marketing and communications efforts.
view project
Follow us on Twitter 
Become our fan on Facebook