The values and beliefs of the participants are not taken into account. My second reason for believing that the thermodynamic machine metaphor is implicit has to do with language. The benefits are expressed as costs per MWh energy saved or costs per kW decreased load. This is equivalent to the production costs of power. The impact of the DSM program is expressed in comparison with the impact of various production units.
Efficiency is expressed in terms of costs, participation rates, and free riders.
This is equivalent to the energy efficiency and energy loss measures for a power plant. Demand-side measures are treated as negative power plants. The metaphor focuses one specific purpose of energy efficiency activities, which is the alignment of the final conversion to the production of final energy, e.g. electricity. Most likely, this machine metaphor masks further utilities gained from energy efficiency activities. From the perspective of the energy consumer, improved sound insulation caused by window replacement may be such an additional utility.