Controlling energy costs requires having an active Stragetic Energy Plan. Utility and landlord invoice auditing will insure that your company is only paying for the energy your business consumes, but a comprehensive and active Strategic Energy Plan will identify where energy costs can be reduced, and outline programs and disciplines for keeping your energy costs at a minimum.

At REMCO Energy Solutions, we have extensive experience working with medium and large multi-site businesses developing Strategic Energy Plans. Our staff of auditors and energy engineers can review your existing Strategic Energy Plan and use their expertise to draw attention to areas of previously unrealized cost savings and to recommend new ways of further reducing costs. We can also work with your management team to develop, from the ground up, a comprehensive and workable Strategic Energy Plan.

The first step in developing a strategic energy plan is to recognize that there is a problem and that there is an opportunity for savings. The foundation of a strategic energy plan involves decision-making by top management in four areas: 1) short-term emergency preparedness, 2) establishing energy planning objectives on the basis of corporate goals, 3) resource commitment (in-house or outsourced), and 4) the management for overseeing these resources. The starting basis of a good Strategic Energy Plan can be best summarized as follows:    

1. Starting Steps for a Strategic Energy Plan:
   1. Recognize that there is an opportunity for savings.
   2. Fully grasp the economic impact on the organization.
   3. Summarize major goals and how these goals will be achieved.
   4. Integrate the plan with the company’s overall business plan.
   5. Determine aggregate cost and savings projections and what cost can be potentially avoided by the program.
   6. Developing an emergency plan to reduce current costs immediately.
   7. Develop short term, medium range and long range strategic energy plans.
   8. Outline actions describing how objective will be achieved.
   9. Quantify major challenges and problems.
   10. Determine Resource requirements/Partner Selection Process.
   11. Develop a roll-out schedule & time lines.
   12. Verify and report on savings.

2. Project Identification (Partial List)
   1. Utility Auditing (both landlord & utility company)
   2. Rate Verification and Analysis
   3. Energy Monitoring 24/7 (web-based access)
   4. Energy Procurement
   5. Back-room motion detectors
   6. High-Efficiency HVAC Units & Energy Management Controls
   7. White Roofs
   8. Skylights
   9. More efficient lighting
   10. Dimmable ballasts
   11. LED signage
   12. High-efficiency pulse-start parking lot lights
   13. Dual pane glass

3. Define Energy Policies
   1. Organization Structure
   2. Resource Allocation
   3. Funding Criteria / Contingency Arrangements
   4. Use of Outside Services
   5. Determine the need for systems or outsource entire function
   6. Define Best Practices for each location

4. Energy Awareness Program (Get Everyone involved from the top to the bottom)
   1. Create an Energy Task Force headed by the top management and department heads of Accounting, Lease Administration, Store Operations, Construction and Store Planning. 
   2. Meet every month to discuss progress and status of various energy projects.
   3. Reinforce energy practices at the store level by monitoring energy consumption.
   4. Disseminate information to the stores on how they are doing.
   5. Discuss energy goals and objectives at associate meetings.
   6. Discuss energy rank amongst stores i.e. KWh usage, cost per sq. ft.
   7. Establish an energy control hot line for energy waste.
   8. Develop a program for communicating energy awareness among management & all associates and reward success.
   9. Communicate results to shareholders and the board.
   10. Tell your customers about the environmental benefits of the company's energy program.

To summarize, retailers need to create the right business processes to protect the bottom line in uncertain times. Having a strategic energy plan in place is no longer a competitive advantage—it is a strategic necessity.  REMCO Energy Solutions can help you develop a cost-effective Strategic Energy Plan.