CLEAResult Consulting
At a Glance
Industry
Professional and Technical Services
Project Types
Commercial Energy Efficiency, Data Analysis, Engagement and Behavior Change, Sustainability and Energy Management Strategy
Year
2019
Location
Portland, OR
Annual kWh Savings:
6,870 kWh
Annual CO2 Reductions:
520 metric tons
Summary
Austin Morton worked with CLEAResult to create a GHG inventory and to help jumpstart sustainability in offices without green teams or energy management plans.
Goals
CLEAResult, an energy efficiency solutions firm with over 60 offices in North America, is committed to lowering GHG emissions from its business operations. The company wanted to create a starting point for a carbon reduction program and enlisted EDF Climate Corps fellow Austin Morton to calculate energy usage across its business operations and to develop a complete greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory. Morton was tasked with using this inventory to recommend strategies for reducing CLEAResult’s carbon footprint and elevating corporate sustainability across the company’s offices.
Solutions
After collecting and analyzing energy data across CLEAResult’s 120+ offices and warehouse sites, vehicle fleets, and Scope 3 emissions data, Morton established a GHG inventory and established three tracks of emissions reductions. Working with CLEAResult’s procurement team, Morton determined that CLEAResult’s Scope 1 emissions were larger than its Scope 2 emissions due to a large and high mileage car fleet. He assessed the car fleet using the National Argonne Laboratory’s AFLEET model and recommended a purchasing policy to reduce carbon-emitting vehicle types and to lower the total cost of ownership within the company’s fleet.
Morton utilized CLEAResult’s network of industry-leading energy professionals to pilot office walkthroughs for improvements in strategic energy management (SEM). He then blended EDF and CLEAResult SEM strategies into a single process. Working with pilot volunteer professionals in two offices and engaging with building administration, he developed a process for involving each office in the SEM improvements. Morton and his sustainability manager also coordinated with CLEAResult’s internal engagement and communication teams to outline a strategy that could influence each office’s energy management to lower emissions through investments in positive net present value (NPV). Morton mapped an implementation strategy and a how-to guide to help report annual GHG inventories in Portfolio Manager and internal reporting processes.
Potential Impact
By adopting hybrid-electric vehicles in its car and SUV fleets, CLEAResult can lower its Scope 1 emissions by 514 tons of CO2e while saving more than $2 million over the planned ownership of company vehicles. Using the best practices from the two pilots, CLEAResult can also lower energy usage by 3,000 kWh and reducing up to 17% of an office’s GHG emissions. The pilot program can be scaled to 26 other offices with similar conditions. Additionally, Morton’s implementation strategy and how-to guide for GHG reporting create a structure aligned with important reporting frameworks for future corporate sustainability reports.