Alan O'Brien of Sabien Technology Group discusses the importance of implementing a cohesive companywide energy strategy and the vital role energy efficiency plays in its delivery.

• What are the strategic actions for energy efficiency?
• How can an automated meter reading (AMR) initiative help with energy efficiency?

Volatile energy prices and the increased focus on managing carbon emissions have resulted in senior management having to accelerate their plans of offsetting the impact both of these have on their companies.

More often than not, it's facilities and energy managers who are now being tasked with developing and executing a sustainable energy and carbon reduction strategy.

A successful energy and carbon strategy will require consensus and ownership from all areas of the business if it's to deliver a positive business outcome.

Behavioural changes and energy efficiency will deliver the majority of energy reduction targets, if properly managed, within a short period of time.

For a strategy to be successful, an action plan is needed which will track the cost, energy reduction performance and financial paybacks for each initiative that is put into place.

The strategy, and therefore the action plan, should typically consist of three main areas of focus:

1. Behavioural solutions;
2. Energy efficiency solutions;
3. Procurement.

Changing your company's behaviour

1. Put into place or support the company's environmental team in delivering a companywide environmental/sustainability awareness campaign.
2. Implement ongoing awareness events year on year to facilities, technical and non-technical teams and support them in ensuring buildings operate efficiently. It can be surprising what can be achieved by focusing on existing building management systems (BMS).
3. Actively participate in all appropriate business property meetings that can influence the use of energy within the company's properties (including facilities projects and asset management). This will provide awareness and focus in the areas where significant results can be achieved.
4. Implement awareness campaigns to raise the profile of energy use in general and communicate all energy management activities carried out across the group. Promoting the importance and successes of the company's energy reduction strategy will create companywide awareness of the company's objectives and successes. Awareness campaigns can vary from Web-based campaigns to events.
5. Engage the supply chain to help identify energy-saving opportunities through the use of such things as energy workshops, target setting and development of complementary energy-saving strategies. Many of the UK's blue-chip organisations are analysing the entire supply chain's energy use and carbon emissions.

Energy efficiency can deliver up to 50 per cent of your targets

• Identify areas of the business where the majority of energy is being consumed.
• Source and evaluate suitable technology to help reduce energy consumption in these areas.

• Who are their existing clients?
• What is their technology's track record for delivering energy savings and carbon reductions?
• Can they demonstrate a track record for project managing initiatives across large building portfolios?
• What is the typical payback period for their technology and does this qualify for your capital expenditure criteria?

1. Continue to push the boundaries and invest in technical solutions that have a positive impact on energy consumption throughout your portfolio. Utilise the investment budget effectively to maximise returns from such technologies.
2. Influence (through specification and engagement) the design of engineering services by consultants to ensure energy-efficient solutions are included in all new and refurbishment projects and encourage the use of whole life value (WLV) in all design solutions. Spending the time at the design stage will pay dividends in the long-run.
3. Educate key stakeholders within the business units to the benefits of energy-saving solutions, particularly IT groups. Encouraging employees to shut down PCs and turn off lights in the evenings will deliver significant savings. Furthermore, software can be installed that will identify if users are not using their PCs and put the PC into sleep mode, saving energy, but ensuring the machine is in the same state as when it was left.
4. Ensure the building energy management system (BEMS) is fully optimised. Recent research states that up to 70 per cent of BEMS are not operating at their optimum level, leading to 20-30 per cent of a building's energy being wasted1.
5. Implement an automated meter reading (AMR) initiative. This will enable accurate readings of all utility meters that, as well as providing key energy management information (MI) will also enable suppliers to utilise the data for billing. This is probably the first point in any energy strategy. It will enable you to baseline the company's energy use. Sub-metering should also be considered to enable identification of high energy use.
6. Continually improve the quality and coverage of energy use MI through increased use of AMR. Implemented as part of the BEMS strategy, this will enable a more accurate understanding of usage (compared to manual reading) and result in more effective procurement activity.

Energy procurement

• The utilities market should be monitored on a continuous basis and business cases designed and presented to maximise the opportunity to buy at the best price.
• In line with group policy (where appropriate), renewable electricity should be purchased from appropriate sources focusing on supplies from 'new' sources wherever possible.
• Continue to encourage the procurement group in utilising an approach of WLV in the purchase of components impacting on energy use within properties.

Embed a culture of saving energy