Time to Develop a 2010 Energy Plan

Provided By Rocky Mountain Power

Key Points

• Well-stated goals guide daily decision-making and are the basis for tracking and measuring progress.
  
• Speak dollars, not BTUs or kilowatt hours to top management.
  
• Brand your program by developing a "brand name" or logo.
  

Higher energy costs and increasing competition have business owners and executives everywhere looking for ways to reduce energy consumption. A successful energy management system will not only help you to save energy in the short-term, but will also become part of your overall business strategy. An energy management program is an organization-wide effort that promotes efficiency in purchasing and operational procedures, and enacts new policies. The following seven steps to creating and implementing an energy plan will save on energy costs, reduce operations and maintenance costs, attract new hires and customers, lower emissions, and improve employee commitment and participation. According to the EPA's Guidelines for Energy Management, the steps are as follows:

Source: www.energystar.gov

1. Make a Commitment

• Form a cross-functional energy team.
  
• Institute an energy policy/mandate.
  

2. Assess Performance

• Take inventory of all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems within a facility, as well as the building envelope and other infrastructure components.
  
• Review energy bills (3 years).
  Energy (kWh)
  Demand (kW)
  
• Establish evaluation metrics and selection criteria.
  
• Benchmark your performance against your peers.
  

3. Set Performance Goals

• Set clear goals to guide daily decision-making.
  
• Use goals to provide a measurable standard for tracking progress.
  
• Plan both short-term and long-term goals.
  

4. Create an Action Plan

• Develop an accounting/reporting system.
  
• Prioritize opportunities (identify technologies with respective payback).
  
• Prepare budget (costs versus savings) with incentives to energy savings.
  
• Consider rate optimization.
  
• Put an effective maintenance plan into place.
  
• Include retrocommissioning to determine if equipment is set up to perform to specifications.
  

5. Implement the Action Plan

1. Get approval at the top.
   Speak dollars, not Btus or kWhs
   Internal rate of return (IRR) lifecycle cost is better than first cost
   Compare to competitors (benchmark)
   Get buy-in from CEO (energy mandate)
   

• Build capacity.
  Provide readily accessible information and facilitate the transfer of successful Practices, procedures, and technologies.
  Employ training sessions.
  Network—active participation in industry enables energy-focused associations to share program experiences and results, as well as to learn from others.
  
• Motivate.
  Motivate operations and maintenance staff through monthly reports
  Provide owners/managers of multiple buildings a chance to benchmark
  

6. Evaluate Progress

• Compare energy use data.
  
• Take inventory of successful projects as well as areas in need of improvement.
  
• Study employee behavior modification.
  

7. Gain Recognition

• Recognize achievements to sustain momentum and support for your program.
  
• Publicize often through company newsletters and in the annual report.
  
• Keep a high profile by fostering strategic partnerships.
  
• Look for new opportunities.
  
  

Please note: This and other useful energy management resources are found in the free, online Rocky Mountain Power “Business Solutions Toolkit.” You can access the Toolkit at RockyMountainPower.net/toolkit