In the rapidly evolving landscape of sustainability, companies like Shifted Energy are leading the charge by creating grid-interactive buildings and virtual power plants. Their innovative solutions harness the power of artificial intelligence and data analytics to optimize energy distribution and provide affordable, sustainable options for their clients.
In this blog, I am going to dive into how itty bit Better assisted Shifted Energy in creating a game-changing dashboard that streamlined their reporting processes. The reports were critical in helping residents of Hawaii estimate savings when converting to heat pump water heaters.
This post is only one example of how the POWER of custom tools can save you DAYS of work.
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Shifted Energy Makes The World an itty bit Better
Shifted Energy is at the forefront of creating grid-interactive buildings and virtual power plants. They develop power controllers and software that transform electric water heaters into intelligent, grid-interactive energy storage devices—enabling widespread access to clean energy solutions. With a mission to include everyone in the energy transition, Shifted Energy focuses on making advanced energy technologies accessible to those who have historically been left out.
Their innovative approach earned them second place and a $150,000 cash prize in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Buildings Upgrade Prize. These winnings fueled the launch of R.I.S.E.—Resilient Innovations for Sustainable Efficiency, a program designed to serve underserved communities in Hawaii.
R.I.S.E. specifically supports Native Hawaiian and low-income households, helping them transition to heat pump water heaters, a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional systems. With utility costs in Hawaii among the highest in the nation, this initiative plays a vital role in reducing monthly energy bills while also enabling residents to store energy and participate in grid services. By combining technology, equity, and sustainability, Shifted Energy is reshaping how communities access and benefit from clean energy.
The RISE Dashboard Overview
To support Shifted Energy’s engineering team in their recent winnings, itty bit Better was brought on board to make their processes a bit better with a dashboard. It would support the R.I.S.E. program. Its primary goal is to streamline the reporting process which informs program participants of their estimating energy and cost savings for converting their water heaters to heat pumps.
The dashboard was built using Google Looker Studio and dynamically connected to a Google Sheets workbook. It combines real-time data visualization with a document-style layout for easy download as PDFs, making it perfect for detailed customer reports.
Process Improvement: From Spreadsheet to Dashboard
The creation of the RISE Dashboard involved a comprehensive process improvement journey. We worked closely with Shifted Energy to understand their unique needs.
The workbook includes data preparation and cleaning to custom formatting and automated calculations, solutions that fit seamlessly into their workflow. This data prep was previously done manually by their engineers. The result is a powerful tool that eliminates manual efforts, ensures accuracy, and allows the engineering team to focus on analysis rather than tedious data prep.
The below images are of the main tab used by the engineer in the Google Sheet workbook, guiding them through the data prep step by step. There are other tabs that include importing the raw data, calculation references, and the reformatted data ready to be imported into the dashboard.
The main tab is separated by section or action and is accompanied by a button. This allows the engineer to maintain full control in case any intervention is needed. Each button is a custom script built that automates that task: Data cleaning, formatting, TOU analysis, Heat Pump Calc, and data imports.
Dashboard Walkthrough
The RISE Dashboard is a comprehensive tool that provides insights and guides users through actionable strategies for energy efficiency and conservation. With pages dedicated to the “Energy Pyramid” framework, data summaries, benchmark comparisons, energy breakdowns, time of use analysis, rate comparisons, and curated incentives, the dashboard offers a wealth of information in a visually compelling and easy-to-navigate format.
Before vs. After: The Impact of Custom Solutions
Before partnering with itty bit Better, Shifted Energy’s engineering team faced challenges with
- messy calculation spreadsheets
- manual data cleaning
- time-consuming report creation
- hard-to-read graphs
These challenges didn’t just slow them down—they also increased the risk of errors, delayed internal decision-making, and limited the team’s ability to scale their reporting efforts as demand grew. The below images are some of the visuals the engineers worked with before itty bit Better. Does this look like anything you’ve created?
By identifying their needs and working closely together, we were able to:
- automate data cleaning
- streamlined reporting processes
- create clear and professional visuals
- standardized workflows
- enhanced calculations
The result? itty bit Better transformed Shifted Energy’s processes, allowing their team to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently.
Before, it took days just to complete a single report.
Afterwards, the team could complete 25 reports in just 2 days—a dramatic improvement that freed up their time for higher-value tasks like analysis, strategy, and innovation.
Why Choose itty bit Better?
For companies like Shifted Energy, partnering with itty bit Better offers unique advantages over hiring a general Excel expert or software developer. As energy and sustainability professionals, we understand the unique challenges of managing energy data, running calculations, and translating industry jargon effectively to your audience.
Our deep familiarity allows us to communicate effectively with your team, anticipate your needs, and create solutions that fit seamlessly into your existing processes. Instead of merely building tools, we actively improve workflows by offering insights and suggestions rooted in industry expertise.
Who Is a Good Fit for itty bit Better?
If your company needs customized tools and processes, is exploring intermediate or MVP solutions, or wants to build on existing platforms like Microsoft Excel and Power BI, itty bit Better can help. We specialize in enhancing your operations by optimizing what you already have and bridging gaps in your workflow. Whether you need a short-term solution, a prototype for a more permanent system, or custom tools to complement your current processes, we can help you work smarter—not harder.
At itty bit Better, we believe that the right tools and processes can make a significant impact in driving the energy transition forward. If your team struggles with time-consuming manual processes, hard-to-read reports, or a lack of streamlined systems, we’re here to help. Together, we’ll transform your workflows into something that’s not just better—but an itty bit Better!