Our History
Paragon Consulting Services was started in mid-1996,
by Joe Kelly who had 20 years of experience at
Southern California Edison’s (SCE) R&D
Department that followed nine years at the
Jet Propulsion Labs (JPL) in Pasadena, California. His entire professional career has
been devoted to research, technology development and data analysis. At both JPL and SCE,
he designed and assessed technologies through data analysis techniques,
using methods that were innovative and scientifically supportable.
He has always believed that good, reliable data was the cornerstone of any project.
With this as a foundation, analysts, engineers, scientists and managers could
assess their own work and improve results by understanding the data.
When he started Paragon, he carried that belief with him and attracted
others to Paragon that held the same regard for data and data analysis.
Thus, from the beginnings of the company, Paragon understands data,
how to collect it, what is important to collect, how to analyze it,
how to use it to report results and how to use the results to improve a
program or a complete portfolio of programs.
Paragon has designed and developed technology and software to aid in the
timely collection and assessment of data. Part of the process was based
on our utility experience, because we knew what was important, and part
of the process was based on engineering/scientific/mathematical experience.
The results have been PDA applications for data accrual, software programs to
quickly analyze data, software that organizes data and screens it for errors,
and modeling software that is program specific (e.g., software to assess
low-income program data). Some of the software allows Paragon to greatly
speed-up the analysis process and to enhance the accuracy of the results.
For example, we can essentially analyze all the data from a refrigerator
collection program in about the same time that it would take to analyze a sample.
The data analysis isn’t restricted or limited to power engineering data
(kW, kWh, load factor, power factor, etc.) but extends to financial assessments,
quality control reviews, program evaluations, and process evaluations.
For example, Paragon has developed in-house software to quickly determine
benefit-cost ratios. This Total Resource Cost (TRC) model is a set of
interactive formulas and calculations that take into account fixed and
variable costs, in-house and contract labor, rebates, energy savings,
and life time costs and returns. Inputs can be changed to determine the
sensitivity of variables and thus, through a “what if” scenario, develop
a better potential for success. This software can also be used as a basis
to make comparisons between competing programs, or to prepare sensitivity
analysis for risk management.