Green Building Post / Charleston Edition

STEP 1: Commit to Continuous Improvement
Organizations seeing the financial returns from superior energy management continuously strive to improve their energy performance. Their success is based on regularly assessing energy performance and implementing steps to increase energy efficiency.
No matter the size or type of organization, the common element of successful energy management is commitment. Organizations make a commitment to allocate staff and funding to achieve continuous improvement.
To establish their energy program, leading organizations form a dedicated energy team and institute an energy policy.

Form a Dedicated Team
Appoint an Energy Director — Sets goals, tracks progress, and promotes the energy management program.
Establish an Energy Team — Executes energy management activities across different parts of the organization and ensures integration of best practices.
Institute an Energy Policy — Provides the foundation for setting performance goals and integrating energy management into an organization’s culture and operations.

STEP 2: Assess Performance
Understanding current and past energy use is how many organizations identify opportunities to improve energy performance and gain financial benefits.
Assessing performance is the periodic process of evaluating energy use for all major facilities and functions in the organization and establishing a baseline for measuring future results of efficiency efforts.

Gather and track data — Collect energy use information and document data over time
Establish baselines — Determine the starting point from which to measure progress.Benchmark — Compare the energy performance of your facilities to each other, peers and competitors, and over time to prioritize which facilities to focus on for improvements.
Analyze — Understand your energy use patterns and trends.
Technical assessments and audits — Evaluate the operating performance of facility systems and equipment to determine improvement potential.

Assessing your energy performance helps you to:
* Categorize current energy use by fuel type, operating division, facility, product line, etc.
* Identify high performing facilities for recognition and replicable practices.
* Prioritize poor performing facilities for immediate improvement.
* Understand the contribution of energy expenditures to operating costs.
* Develop a historical perspective and context for future actions and decisions.
* Establish reference points for measuring and rewarding good performance.

STEP 3: Set Goals
Performance goals drive energy management activities and promote continuous improvement. Setting clear and measurable goals is critical for understanding intended results, developing effective strategies, and reaping financial gains.
Well-stated goals guide daily decision-making and are the basis for tracking and measuring progress. Communicating and posting goals can motivate staff to support energy management efforts throughout the organization.
The Energy Director in conjunction with the Energy Team typically develops goals.

To develop effective performance goals:
Determine scope — Identify organizational and time parameters for goals.
Estimate potential for improvement — Review baselines, benchmark to determine the potential and order of upgrades, and conduct technical assessments and audits.
Establish goals – Create and express clear, measurable goals, with target dates, for the entire organization, facilities, and other units.

Setting goals helps the Energy Director:
* Set the tone for improvement throughout the organization
* Measure the success of the energy management program
* Help the Energy Team to identify progress and setbacks at a facility level
* Foster ownership of energy management, create a sense of purpose, and motivate staff
* Demonstrate commitment to reducing environmental impacts
* Create schedules for upgrade activities and identify milestones

Suggestion
When setting goals, be sure to use the Energy Team’s wide range of knowledge to help set aggressive, yet realistic goals. Have management review your goals to enlist their feedback and support.