4 Energy Management Secrets of the Fortune 500 That Will Improve Your Building’s Performance

By: Tim Grosse, Executive Director E2 Energy Advisors

Energy management and energy management strategies are oftentimes an ambiguous endeavor by many otherwise healthy organizations. What are some energy “best practices”? Where do we start with an energy program? Who is responsible for our energy initiatives? These are just some of the questions you may have regarding your energy policies, or lack thereof.

Large organizations and building owners of all sizes in the commercial, industrial, and the municipal sectors are taking a more and more active approach to their energy management strategies as they realize that energy is many times one of their top operational expenditures. Owners have come to realize that there energy management can be better managed and can provide them a very positive operating lever to increase cash flow, profits, and to increase their building’s market valuation.

If your organization can utilize just some of these energy efficiency and expense reduction techniques of Fortune 500 organizations you will be closer to winning the energy management game and well on your way to increased efficiency and profitability.

Secret 1.) Fortune 500 companies realize that their energy expenditures are not a fixed cost. Whereas many companies and company owners believe that their energy bills and usage are a fixed cost and they pretty much just pay whatever their monthly bill charges, large corporations realize that energy is a major spend for them and that it can be managed and controlled, much closer to a variable cost than a fixed cost. Many large companies have engineers and energy managers hired full-time to manage their energy spend and usage on an ongoing basis.

Secret 2.) Large enterprises, like Fortune 500 organizations, realize that they cannot manage what they cannot measure. They realize the importance of energy data management in their operational strategy. With the use of increasingly advanced and integrated Energy Intelligence Software and Data-Driven Energy Management Solutions they recognize the benefits of these advanced cloud-based software tools to better manage and control their energy usage.

Secret 3.) Fortune 500 companies recognize that building automation and controls are essential to managing their energy spend. They recognize that by automating their building’s core operating systems such as HVAC, lighting, chiller, and boilers can produce excellent savings opportunities and such systems can pay for themselves in a short period and offer excellent long term savings and better operational control of their buildings.

Secret 4.) Fortune 500 companies utilize energy and utility bill auditing. Whether these audits are based on ASHRAE Level I, II, or III engineering standards, involve a commissioning or retro-commissioning study, or involve the audit of the utility provider’s bills for errors, omissions, meter read mistakes, tariff issues. etc., these audits offer enormous value and provide companies with multi-million dollars in energy recoveries and savings each year.

Tim Grosse is an award-winning business executive and business leader within a diverse group of mid-market to Global Top 10 B2B and B2C organizations. http://www.esquaredenergyadvisors.com E2 Energy Advisors brings together best-in-class energy management services featuring top energy engineers, software engineers, former utility industry executives, and former utility regulatory personnel across a wide industry spectrum. The advisor team has secured more than $48 billion in energy contract procurements and have achieved savings exceeding $4 billion for their accounts. They have been trusted to manage energy service programs for some of the most well-known commercial, industrial, and municipal entities; including many Fortune 1000 companies such as General Motors, IBM, Stryker, Emerson, PepsiCo, as well as governmental agencies such as the Federal GSA, The New Jersey/New York Port Authority, The U.S. Coast Guard, The Smithsonian Institution, and more. Mr. Grosse is available for consultation on a reserved basis and can be reached at: [email protected]