As mentioned in another article in this newsletter, it is critical these days for your business to lower expenses, such as your energy costs, to be able to bounce back. Reduce energy usage and still be productive and make your staff and customers comfortable. There is no “magic wand” to achieve this; careful planning is needed. But success can happen! What follows is a roadmap, an approach that works to reduce energy usage and costs smartly.

• Determine your goals; determine your limits. Are you going “all in” on energy savings? Or just looking for economic opportunity? Both are valid, but it’s important to map it out. Conduct meetings with your Facilities staff, tenants, vendors, etc. to discuss the topic.

• Review utility bills and oil invoices. Determine energy use by metered usage. Benchmark your energy. Ideally, create a profile in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to keep track and compare yourself to similar buildings. Review your utility bills. Are you properly classified? Who is your energy supplier? Are you under contract? Are you paying a fair rate? Can you take advantage of Demand Response and related programs to get paid for using little-used equipment?

• Conduct an initial energy assessment of areas or operations that you control and can upgrade. Count lights and plug load equipment. Learn the capabilities of equipment (HVAC, motors, pumps, etc.). Estimate your energy usage based on operations (i.e., number of hours operated). Does this estimate match up with your utility bills?

• Conduct a more thorough energy assessment and identify energy conservation measures (ECMs), strategies to reduce energy usage of key end-use processes that use a significant amount. What are the ROIs and simple paybacks of feasible ECMs?

• Identify opportunities for on-site renewable power (solar, CHP, geo-thermal, etc.)

• Evaluate and choose the ECMs for you, such as LED light retrofits, lighting controls, building envelope upgrades (roof, windows), HVAC repairs or upgrades, VFDs for motors, building automation systems (BAS). Which ones and in what sequence? This also includes identifying and applying for government and utility incentive programs.

• Implement your chosen ECMs. This is a lot of work. It is worth it to hire an experienced energy project manager to bring in bids, select the best vendor(s), and oversee work to ensure you are getting the savings that should occur. So you focus on your business!

• Measure and report results. Was the effort worth it? Are there future potential projects?

• Implement a regular commissioning and maintenance program. What is the use of procuring new, advanced equipment if it will not be properly maintained? Consider such regular commissioning and maintenance an investment, not just to maintain their energy efficiency, but also for them to last longer before needing to be replaced.

You know that smart energy upgrades are a great investment of resources, with an excellent ROI and payback. Emphasis on the word “smart”. This little guide shows you the necessary steps to do your upgrade right and maximize the cost benefits.

CCES has the technical experts to do a complete energy evaluation and project manage the energy upgrades that make the most sense for you. We are here to help you save lots of costs and have others pay some of the bill. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.