If you’re not focusing on energy management, you’re missing out on a lot of potential savings.
What is energy management, exactly? It’s the process of monitoring, controlling, and conserving energy in a building. If you take the time to track your energy consumption, find ways to save energy, and take action to realize those savings opportunities, you’ll be a greener business—both environmentally and economically.
Finding Energy Savings
To help lead your campus or facility to greener pastures, here’s how you can get started today.
1. Meter your consumption.
In order to know how you can better manage your energy, you need to understand how you’re using energy in the first place. Meter your energy consumption and collect the data, the more detailed, the better. This will allow you to know what devices, appliances, and/or systems are using the most energy and when.
To do this, you can fit your equipment with interval-metering systems like Energy Lens that automatically measure and record energy consumption at short, regular intervals.
2. Identify energy savings.
After you’ve collected the raw data, identify routine energy waste. Next, explore your options. See if it’s more cost-efficient to fix, upgrade or replace equipment by evaluating a) what each will cost you now and b) the savings potential that would be reflected in your overall energy consumption by making each change.
Image via Energy Lens
Without an enterprise energy control system,your best option may just be to encourage staff to switch equipment off at the end of the workday and hope for compliance.
3. Implement cost-saving measures.
Once you’ve identified which options are best, implement the changes that will save you the most money first.
4. Track your progress.
Continue analyzing your meter data after you’ve implemented the changes to see how well your energy management efforts are working. Also see how your changes are reflected in your facility’s energy bill!
Programs not Projects
As Energy Star points out, “energy programs save more than energy projects.” To truly make worthwhile changes, you’ll need a commitment from the top. Your energy management program should ultimately incorporate a plan to:
- Implement savings opportunities
- Sustain energy efficiency
- Create a culture of energy efficiency within your organization
Here’s an awesome road map to help you better visualize and navigate the process.
Image via Energy Star
The Benefits
It’s time that we all start doing our part. We all need to find ways to save energy, and energy management is the key to reducing your company’s energy consumption.
What’s more, reducing your consumption will also reduce:
- Costs (as we mentioned before)
- Carbon emissions (promoting an eco-friendly image of your business)
- Risk (relying too heavily on energy can leave your business vulnerable to energy price increases and supply shortages)
Conclusion
While some energy saving measures will require a little extra cash up front or a little persuasion on your part, the benefits are well worth the effort. Not only will you be saving your department and organization money in both the short and long run, but you’ll also be a key contributor to helping make our planet a better place to live for generations to come.
