Effective Utilities Tracking
To effectively manage building utility costs, there must be an effective way to track energy usage, costs, and energy efficiency enhancements.
COMPONENTS
- Set up or purchase a system to track utilities centrally for each facility. Energy Star Portfolio Manager is a free online tool. Consider a system with a web browser interface for broad access.
- Gather general building data (year built, square footage, last renovation, etc...), and apply to usage (energy cost/sq ft).
- Identify and allocate a full time or part time Utility Manager
- Target the facilities that use the most energy per square foot, and those that generate the highest energy costs. An Energy Star rating from Portfolio Manager (or Energy Star Target Finder) will rank local buildings against thousands of other buildings of the same type.
- As buildings are re-commissioned, set this as the new baseline for yearly comparisons
- Track the specific savings associated with specific projects
- Report progress back to facility operations. Don't hoard the data, use it to give feedback to the people that use the energy, operating the building.
RATIONALE
If it is not being measured, it cannot be managed. Without an accurate energy-use baseline to track against, and a system to track it with, energy efficiency(or inefficiency) cannot be quantified.
A municipality spending $1,000,000 annually on utilities can easily save 10% of that cost, which pays for the additional cost of the dedicated utility manager.
SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES
Sustainably manage building operations, using less energy and water.
EFFORT REQUIRED
Moderate effort up front if no system is in place. Once the system and communications are in place, low effort.
BENEFIT
Energy savings, engaged facility operators, efficient local government success story.
RISKS
Discovering energy inefficient buildings. Possible organizational or financial pushback against budgeting newly minted Utility Manger position or duties.
ACTION AGENT(S)
- Facilities Director: Identifying and securing the utility management system. Publicizing building operational rankings, incentivizing operational improvements
- Accounting: Capturing utility bills, data
- Utilities manager: Regular monitoring, distribution of tracking reports, results
- Facilities operators: Responding to and diagnosing increased usage
COST
Utility tracking system, salary for part time or full time utility manager.
A measure of a building's or product's energy performance compared with that of similar buildings or products, as determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency / U.S. Department of Energy's ENERGY STARŪ Portfolio Manager. Energy efficiency is the process of using less energy to produce the same or increased functions. Often used mistakenly as a synonym for ENERGY CONSERVATION. The ability or potential of a physical body to do work. The most common forms of energy are heat, light, mechanical (moving parts), and electrical.
