Module 3: Energy Conservation

Program Planning

The steps for planning an energy conservation program are similar to those you would take when planning any other type of environmental program. You will need the full support of upper management and a high level of participation by employees or tenants.

Secure Support and Resources

Support from upper management will be crucial to the success of your energy conservation program. Before going to management, arm yourself with information and data that shows the program’s value.

Target the appropriate decision-maker. Who can make the program happen?
Focus on how the program will benefit both employees or tenants (e.g., building comfort) and the company (e.g., reducing the electric bill).
Bring the results of employee or tenant surveys that show support for or interest in the program.
Include brief descriptions of available options. A list has been started for you in the Identifying Options section of this module.
Request that one individual from the Green Team be assigned responsibility for the program as energy coordinator.
Get the support of other leaders in the company or building to help champion your program.
Get support for the effort in writing. Draft an energy policy (view samples) and plan and ask upper management to review, adopt, and sign them.

Set Goals

How does your energy use compare to other similar buildings? Knowing this may help you set realistic goals for improvement. (see the Excel Benchmarking Tool)

Once you know how you compare, generally, you can set some overall goals for the program. A goal should be well-defined, achievable, and measurable. You also should include a time factor in each goal, if possible. Here are some examples:

Decrease electricity usage and costs by 10 percent when compared to 2006 (or other base year).
A normalized version: Decrease electricity usage and costs per square foot or employee by 10 percent when compared to 2006 (or other base year).
Implement an electricity usage/cost tracking system within one month for use in monitoring progress.
Perform a lighting upgrade within six months.
Initiate a policy to have employees turn off computers at the end of the workday and use the energy management features on their computers.
Hold an energy conservation event once a year.
Join Energy Star (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home.index)
Include specification language preferring the purchase of Energy Star labeled office equipment by the next bid cycle.

Choose Measurements

If you can’t measure it, you’ll have a hard time managing it. The most obvious measurements associated with your energy conservation program are the ultimate outcomes: electricity usage (in kWh) and electricity costs (in dollars). There are ways you may want to peg these measurements to some operational number, so you can track changes in your operations meaningfully. How would you compare your electricity bills after an office expansion? You could track usage and costs per employee or per square foot of office space. Another common measurement is to track usage/costs per dollar of sales.

Other measurements you might consider are behavioral or procedural. For example, consider the 5^th example goal, “Initiate a policy to have employees turn off computers at the end of the workday and use the energy management features on their computers.” How will you measure the success? After instituting the policy, you might periodically check the number/percentage of computers that have this policy in place. You could do this via a walk-around after business hours or through an employee survey.

Create and Assign Action Items

For each goal, you’ll also need to create one or more action items that must be accomplished in order to meet the goal. For example, for the 5^th example goal, “Initiate a policy to have employees turn off computers at the end of the workday and use the energy management features on their computers,” you might have the following action items:

Write the policy.
Distribute the policy to employees along with the potential savings if all computers are run in compliance with the policy.
Offer training on how to set the energy management features and/or have someone (from the IT department if you have one) change the settings for employees.
Perform a walk-around or do a survey to assess the level of compliance with the policy.
Address any short-falls.
Incorporate a process to inform new-hires of the policy.

Be sure to give each action item a due date, and assign a team member responsible for its completion. A simple planning document is one way to keep track of your action items.

Identify Options

The energy conservation and efficiency options open to you will hinge on your organization’s ability to affect your energy systems. Organizations that own their own buildings have the most control. Tenants have less control over their systems, but there are still opportunities to work with the landlord. Don’t be afraid to work with your landlord!

In the Identifying Options section, you’ll learn about opportunities you may wish to include in your plan.