Webinar Recap: EDF Talks Energy Data and Energy Efficiency

Guest Author | January 24, 2013

By Pia Kristiansen

Thanks to everyone who joined today's webinar, "Getting to the Bottom Line of Energy Efficiency Investments," with Jake Hiller, Project Development Analyst for Environmental Defense Fund. For those that missed it, see below for four key takeaways:

  • The key to data is that it is useful. Energy managers need to be supported by data that is sufficiently comprehensive and detailed to give them the information to make good decisions. Good decisions are possible when managers can identify projects, quantify the financial and environmental benefits of those projects, and track the value/results created after the projects are implemented. An approach to data that enables ways to most effectively use it is key to success.
  • Scorecards are great storytellers. Many energy managers know that scorecards can be useful in organizing data, benchmarking, and highlighting investment opportunities. Yet, a great opportunity exists to share these with different audiences in your organization. Sharing scorecards can increase system-wide accountability, validate progress, inspire learning, and pave the way for external reporting.
  • Success comes down to great people AND great technology. Software tools can be extremely helpful in centralizing data and putting it into a form useful for making decisions. For tools to be successful, however, they need to be supported by the right people, effective reporting mechanisms, integration with the processes already in use by facility managers, and fit well with the organizational culture to ensure that the tools are actually used consistently.
  • More data can help you go beyond the low hanging fruit. Leading organizations leverage initial wins to invest in increasingly sophisticated tools for collecting data so that more and more opportunities can be identified over time using more detailed metering. If building managers start monitoring electric, gas, and water consumption today, they will be able to quantify the savings and added value tomorrow. While the first step is to create baselines and identify data gaps, the ultimate goal is the ability to address the organization’s building portfolio comprehensively, supported by enough detail to gain insight into individual facilities to find specific opportunities.

Be sure to check back soon for our next webinar.

This content was originally published on ENERNOC's EnergySMART blog.