How to Get There
There are eight things you can do to really deliver when it comes to managing the cost of energy. The first four focus on identifying waste and getting rid of it. You see immediate results from these. The other four focus on putting management processes in place. They provide a framework for assessing progress, prioritizing options, and making decisions - the basis for ongoing improvement.
To get immediate savings:
1. Optimize. Thoroughly review the setup of controls for refrigeration, HVAC, and lighting. Optimize them so the building operates not only effectively, but efficiently as well. Write down setup and schedule information in clear, straightforward terms and post it so that staff and service contractors can easily check that equipment is operating as intended.
2. Upgrade. Look into opportunities to upgrade refrigeration, lighting, HVAC, and commercial kitchen equipment. Prioritize and invest in those that make sense for your business. Take advantage of utility incentives and tax credits, which make many of these opportunities remarkably cost-effective.
3. Educate. Set up and maintain an energy-awareness program to help staff recognize how everyday work habits effect energy use. Reinforce the message that every contribution counts. Welcome ideas from staff.
4. Integrate. In new construction, integrate energy considerations early in the design process. Continue to coordinate decision-making during design and construction so the benefits of an integrated approach aren't lost because decisions about specifications or installation details have been made in isolation. A building's appetite for cash in the future - in the form of energy bills - can be reduced by 30% if the interactions between systems are designed-in rather than occurring as unintended consequences.
To sustain and grow the savings:
5. Plan. Set goals and write an action plan prioritizing activities so the most worthwhile matters are attended to first. Include timelines, expected results, and who is responsible for carrying out each activity.
6. Lead. Identify an advocate within the organization to take the lead in delivering on the plan.
7. Track. Track energy cost so that you can manage it. Establish a baseline energy-per-square-foot benchmark for each store and update periodically to monitor performance. Watch trends and use them to spot problems and to measure progress.
8. Evaluate. Systematically consider the total cost of alternatives when making purchasing decisions. Today's decision based on first-cost alone often locks in tomorrow's higher energy and maintenance cost, putting a drain on future cash flow.
