Develop an Energy Management Plan

Effective energy management can reduce costs and increase profitability for any business, often for little initial cost. It starts with an energy management plan. Creating a formal, written energy management plan helps ensure that a company can successfully reduce energy use. An energy plan gives you a way to judge the effectiveness of energy-saving efforts and assigns specific responsibilities related to energy use.

To discover where your company can save energy, you will first need to look at how much energy your company uses, what it costs and where it's used. Start by looking at your energy bills for the last several years. Then identify energy-saving opportunities with an energy audit that looks at energy use, identifies potential energy savings and estimates the approximate cost and payback period for energy-efficiency improvements.

Jackson EMC can assist you with your energy audit with services ranging from a simple walk-through of your facility to a detailed investigation aided by onsite monitoring, process evaluation and computer analysis. Jackson EMC experts can also help with energy management systems; ways to reduce heating, cooling and lighting costs; and new technologies to make your processes more efficient.

Businesses can use the energy audit information to help develop their energy management plans. According to the ENERGY STAR program, successful energy polici

• Have a clear, measurable objective that reflects the organization's commitment, culture and priorities.
• Establish accountability and provide the authority for personnel to implement the energy management plan.
• Include provisions for evaluating and updating the policy to reflect changing needs.
• Link energy goals to the company's overall financial and environmental goals.

The first step in an energy management plan is to tackle obvious waste, such as steam and compressed air leaks, unnecessary heating and cooling, and lights left on after hours. Addressing these areas first is important because they offer initial successes and because that helps show employees that the company is serious about energy conservation.

Energy management plans can also include long-term plans for investing in energy-saving improvements such as increased insulation and energy-efficient lighting, as well as in more efficient equipment. Equipment changes to reduce energy consumption could include improved control equipment, high-efficiency motors and variable speed drives. The energy plan could also include investing in ways to better monitor energy use. Practicing demand control, which often comes with investment in energy management and control systems, can save you money under most Jackson EMC rates as well.

One key element of energy management planning is employee involvement. Employees are one of the best sources of ideas for reducing energy use, and continued employee involvement is important in the success of any energy management plan. Energy management programs should include plans for communicating with employees about energy management efforts and incentives that encourage employees to improve energy performance.

With the right plan, you can make cost-effective investments in energy efficiency that can pay off for years to come. For more information, see the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy planning at or contact your Jackson EMC Commercial/Industrial marketing representative.