Feature Story: Strategic Energy Management Planning
Many of our clients in reviewing their current assets, liabilities and operations, are starting to ask the question: Where are we going next?
Over the past number of years at HiH, we have witnessed an evolution in how building owners and operators consider asset management planning.
Energy & Carbon reductions strategies are increasingly important tenets of the planning process alongside the traditional focus on operating costs, system reliability and user satisfaction.
Enter Strategic Energy Management Planning (SEMP). A robust SEMP allows you to:
- Leverage the benefits of your internal talent
- Assign capital budgets to impactful projects
- Rally teams and raise morale around a shared ambitious goal
- Communicate your achievements to clients, stakeholders and the broader public
What is SEMP?
Localized system renewals and energy retrofits can often seem disconnected from the overall planning process. To address this and to help an organization reach its full potential, many clients employ Strategic Energy Management Planning (SEMP).
SEMP is a tool used by organizations to focus on an ambitious energy reduction goal. Key aspects of a SEMP include establishing a baseline, energy reduction project identification and implementation, and post implementation monitoring.
How ambitious are organizations when goal setting?
Many organizations are targeting net Zero Carbon from operations as their goal.
And they’re in good company. The RE100 Group now consists of 193 Companies worldwide who have committed to 100% Renewable Electricity by 2050 at the latest. Many have already achieved it!
Organizations should set a goal that makes sense for them. Just make sure that it’s sufficiently ambitious to capture the attention of your staff and clients and that you attach a timeline.
What are the steps in developing a SEMP?
When we work with our clients on strategy, we find buy in and communication from the Executive level is critical to success. We also highly recommend that a champion be identified internally to advocate for the goals identified in the SEMP.
Some of the key aspects of the planning process include:
Baseline: Energy use, carbon emissions and other metrics across operations
Goal Setting: Align organizational values & capital planning with an ambitious goal tied to a deadline
Plan: Create milestones at regular frequencies to achieve the goal
Engage: Seek input from staff and empower them to achieve local goals
Communicate: Regular reporting on progress both internally and externally
Where are we going next?
SEMP is an excellent tool to supplement traditional asset management planning, by considering the longer terms goals of energy and carbon reductions.
From high-level reduction strategies, specific technologies and projects are identified that can be both costed and actioned.
At HiH we are proud to help our clients plan, implement and measure energy and carbon reductions through our energy, mechanical engineering and project management focus.
If you’d like to learn more, feel free to reach out to us at any time to chat SEMP. We love to chat.
