Your 2010 IPT Energy PlanYour 2010 IPT Energy Plan
Your energy saving plan for 2010 should speak dollars, not BTUs or kWhs. That is the way to gain attention and put the plan into a business perspective.
January 15, 2010
Your energy saving plan for 2010 should speak dollars, not BTUs or kWhs. That is the way to gain attention and put the plan into a business perspective.
Your energy saving plan for 2010 should speak dollars, not BTUs or kWhs. That is the way to gain attention and put the plan into a business perspective. Speak the language of the CEO, COO and CFO. Developing a plan that management can understand and buy into is paramount. The plan should cover ALL, not just IPT energy usage. The plan developed for IPT may be a subset of the total enterprise plan.In 2009 I posted many blogs on energy management including, "Green IT Initiatives: The Investment Value," "Your Energy/Cooling Vocabulary," "Get Moving on the Green Closet," "Managing LAN Switch Power," and "Energy Star Comes to IPT/UC Servers." I have been promoting this theme because I am absolutely convinced that not enough attention has been given to this topic by the enterprise communications community.
I subscribe to the "The Energy Advisor" published by Dominion Virginia Power. Their latest issue, posted on January 5, 2010, included a seven stage plan for energy management. Use the process below to create a roadmap for the plan and its execution. The following is an excerpt from the posting, "Developing a 2010 Energy Plan."
Higher energy costs and increasing competition have business owners and executives everywhere looking for ways to reduce energy consumption. A successful energy management system will not only help you to save energy in the short-term, but will also become part of your overall business strategy. An energy management program is an organization-wide effort that promotes efficiency in purchasing and operational procedures, and enacts new policies. The following seven steps to creating and implementing an energy plan will save on energy costs, reduce operations and maintenance costs, attract new hires and customers, lower emissions, and improve employee commitment and participation. According to the EPA's Guidelines for Energy Management, the steps are as follows:
Source: www.energystar.gov
1. Make a Commitment * Form a cross-functional energy team. * Institute an energy policy/mandate.
2. Assess Performance * Take inventory of all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems within a facility, as well as the building envelope and other infrastructure components. * Review energy bills (3 years). --Energy (kWh) --Demand (kW) * Establish evaluation metrics and selection criteria. * Benchmark your performance against your peers.
3. Set Performance Goals * Set clear goals to guide daily decision-making. * Use goals to provide a measurable standard for tracking progress. * Plan both short-term and long-term goals.
4. Create an Action Plan * Develop an accounting/reporting system. * Prioritize opportunities (identify technologies with respective payback). * Prepare budget (costs versus savings) with incentives to energy savings. * Consider rate optimization. * Put an effective maintenance plan into place. * Include retro commissioning to determine if equipment is set up to perform to specifications.
5. Implement the Action Plan * Get approval at the top. --Speak dollars, not BTUs or kWhs --Internal rate of return (IRR) lifecycle cost is better than first cost --Compare to competitors (benchmark) --Get buy-in from CEO (energy mandate) * Build capacity. --Provide readily accessible information and facilitate the transfer of successful practices, procedures, and technologies. --Employ training sessions. --Network-active participation in industry enables energy-focused associations to share program experiences and results, as well as to learn from others. * Motivate. --Motivate operations and maintenance staff through monthly reports. --Provide owners/managers of multiple buildings a chance to benchmark.
6. Evaluate Progress * Compare energy use data. * Take inventory of successful projects as well as areas in need of improvement. * Study employee behavior modification.
7. Gain Recognition * Recognize achievements to sustain momentum and support for your program. * Publicize often through company newsletters and in the annual report. * Keep a high profile by fostering strategic partnerships. * Look for new opportunities.
"Permission to use this article ["Developing a 2010 Energy Plan"] has been granted by Tech Resources, Inc."Your energy saving plan for 2010 should speak dollars, not BTUs or kWhs. That is the way to gain attention and put the plan into a business perspective.
Source: www.energystar.gov
1. Make a Commitment * Form a cross-functional energy team. * Institute an energy policy/mandate.
2. Assess Performance * Take inventory of all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems within a facility, as well as the building envelope and other infrastructure components. * Review energy bills (3 years). --Energy (kWh) --Demand (kW) * Establish evaluation metrics and selection criteria. * Benchmark your performance against your peers.
3. Set Performance Goals * Set clear goals to guide daily decision-making. * Use goals to provide a measurable standard for tracking progress. * Plan both short-term and long-term goals.
4. Create an Action Plan * Develop an accounting/reporting system. * Prioritize opportunities (identify technologies with respective payback). * Prepare budget (costs versus savings) with incentives to energy savings. * Consider rate optimization. * Put an effective maintenance plan into place. * Include retro commissioning to determine if equipment is set up to perform to specifications.
5. Implement the Action Plan * Get approval at the top. --Speak dollars, not BTUs or kWhs --Internal rate of return (IRR) lifecycle cost is better than first cost --Compare to competitors (benchmark) --Get buy-in from CEO (energy mandate) * Build capacity. --Provide readily accessible information and facilitate the transfer of successful practices, procedures, and technologies. --Employ training sessions. --Network-active participation in industry enables energy-focused associations to share program experiences and results, as well as to learn from others. * Motivate. --Motivate operations and maintenance staff through monthly reports. --Provide owners/managers of multiple buildings a chance to benchmark.
6. Evaluate Progress * Compare energy use data. * Take inventory of successful projects as well as areas in need of improvement. * Study employee behavior modification.
7. Gain Recognition * Recognize achievements to sustain momentum and support for your program. * Publicize often through company newsletters and in the annual report. * Keep a high profile by fostering strategic partnerships. * Look for new opportunities.
