Energy management: cost reduction strategies that offer value today and tomorrow

Utility costs continue to fluctuate. The increase in costs may be uncontrollable for you. However, there are ways you can effectively control the final costs of the energy (especially electrical energy) used to operate your facility, site, plant, and/or building by employing two tried-and-true strategies.

You can reduce your demand (need) for energy

Reducing the amount of energy your building requires to run fans, pumps, furnaces, and chillers can effectively lower your costs. Lighting system upgrades and controls can dramatically reduce your energy needs. Enabling standby power control options on typical office equipment, such as printers, fax machines, and computers, further reduces energy use.

Choosing operating practices focused on “improving energy efficiency” in your custodial services, cafeteria operations, internal reproduction services, mail room, and plant operations units can optimize your energy needs. Focusing on improving energy performance often leads to overall improvements in business performance as well.

You can reduce energy use.

When local and regional demand for electricity is high, eliminating electrical loads as part of a structured abatement program can benefit both the cost and revenue of your operation.

• On the cost side, you win immediately by reducing the amount of energy used, thus the total cost of energy.
• On the revenue side, your participation in an affordable demand response program positions you forgain when you reduce your request in response to a request to “shed your load”. Economic Demand Response programs are voluntary and offered in three typical business areas. Programs may be offered by your local utility program, third-party aggregators, and independent system operators. Independent system operators provide services in unregulated energy markets.