Step one? Change your thinking! Since everyone loves change, this should be easy as pie, right? Ok, I know, change is hard – but it doesn’t have to be. Behavioural changes can include putting up reminders for people to turn off the lights when they leave a room. Or, asking staff or family to turn their computers off at night and unplug electronic chargers when the device isn’t attached. Technical changes can be retro-fitted and implemented in almost all houses and/or commercial buildings – and most of the time, theses are set-and-forget type implementations. Yup, that sounds pretty easy. Organizational changes, such as the creation of an energy committee, can help increase the awareness of your goals. People have to know that bus is there before they get on it, so start spreadin’ the news, as they say.
Establishing baselines is our government’s second step. Reviewing utility bills is a good place to start, but employing the services of energy management service providers – *coughcough* – will ensure you get a detailed analysis and audit of your energy usage. Once you have a good understanding of that usage, you can then start setting out a plan on how to rein it in a bit.
Next step? Compare yourself to others. We do this every day (don’t lie), so comparing energy usage against others should be natural, am I right? It’s not a competition, but it does provide a good reference for knowing where you and your business stand in comparison to others. The Government of Canada offers up these helpful tools for your side-eyeing of other companies.
Our halfway point is understanding payback. Saving energy is a win-win situation; the more energy you save, the more money you save (not to mention contributing to saving this rock we live on). If you spent your hard earned cash money on implementing strategies to save money, you will eventually see that money back in your pocket in the form of savings. If you spend $5000 upgrading your electronic equipment with energy saving measures and it saves you $1000 per year on your utility bill, your payback will be 5 years. Everything after that is gravy. Mmm, gravy.
Step 5 is determining your measures for ensuring your success. After identifying where your energy is being most consumed (lighting, hot water heating, space cooling, etc.) you can determine the most efficient method of developing savings. Efficiency in being efficient? Hello bandwagon! It’s suggested that a holistic approach to saving energy will result in a shorter payback period as “you can often subsidize longer-payback projects with shorter payback projects”. Do your research on equipment and take the steps to ensure that everything is working as it should. No sense in implementing cost-saving changes if the changes throw irony in your face by not saving at all. Not cool, changes. Not cool.
So, you’ve changed your thinking, side-eyed the others and done your research. Now, you may need the cold, hard cash to implement your plan, depending on what your plan is, of course. If you don’t have piles of gold lying around, you may have to arrange for financing. There are many incentives and programs out there as well that can be fantastic in terms of reducing your payback period as well as reducing the hit your wallet may take. Remember, if you’ve thought things through enough, you will see a return on your initial investment. Think ahead.
Step 7, according to our nation’s leaders, is simple: Track your savings. You don’t even have to get out of your chair to do this one, folks. Well, ok, you might have to get up and look at your utility bill and/or bank account, but once you have those items, you can sit down and passively watch your savings grow. Software and specialized equipment is also available that can send your system’s information directly to you. This is an important step – don’t let the passive sitting fool you. This step will keep you on track, provide opportunities for maintenance and identifying billing errors and it will ensure that you are sitting shotgun in the energy efficiency bandwagon.
Lastly, it’s time to celebrate! You saved money, you’ve saved energy, and you’re saving the planet! That’s the point here, everyone. Now, spread the word! Encourage others to do what you’ve done and keep up your own good work. Seek out awards for your business and apply for them. Be vocal and champion yourself and your company. If we all do our part, perhaps people won’t be so quick to jump off this bandwagon and we’ll all be around much longer to focus our bandwagon jumping on where it belongs – the N.H.L. Playoffs!
