Numerous reasons push enterprises to become more energy-efficient. How do they know how to get started with that potentially daunting goal? The practical way to begin is to engage the services of an energy consulting firm.

What General Advantages does an Energy Consultant Offer?

An energy consultant collects data to show a company’s baseline energy usage. It then provides customized strategies for enterprises that help them get closer to their goals. An energy consultant also investigates which areas or practices within the company consume the most energy. That way, the company can make a plan for tackling the most problematic areas first.

Here is a look at five ways energy consultants work with businesses to optimize energy use.

1. Help Companies Transition to Greener Energy Sources

Energy industry analysts often highlight a connection between energy efficiency and renewable energy. Statistics indicate that more than a third of the energy in residential and commercial buildings in the U.S. gets wasted. If businesses transition to renewable sources of energy during their quests to become more energy-efficient, that decision could urge energy companies to boost investments in options that don’t use fossil fuels.

Energy consultants can assist with something called energy procurement, which deals with where a company gets its energy. If a company is eager to explore greener energy options while working toward an energy-efficiency goal, energy consultants offer reliable and pertinent information.

2. Give Instructions for Realistic Targets

Most company leaders realize if they want to make meaningful progress in energy efficiency, they need to create targets that are in reach but challenging. A 2017 study showed that 63% of Fortune 100 companies set at least one clean energy target. Making that move lets a company indicate it’s serious about improved energy efficiency.

Working with an energy consultant allows the responsible parties at a company to see where weak points exist and what can or should be done to make the enterprise more energy efficient. Similarly, consultants can continuously track metrics to determine whether a company is moving toward its goals or if adjustments to a plan are required for eventual success.

3. Provide Useful Information During Building Projects

If a company is considering retrofits, renovations or new construction, an energy consultant has the knowledge needed to guide those projects so that the result is maximally energy efficient. An energy consultant is a professional who possesses advanced knowledge of construction, engineering, laws, zoning and more.

Thanks to careful planning, a construction project could achieve precisely the gains that a company wants, setting an example for other enterprises to follow. But, if things go wrong, particularly if a business opts not to avail of the expertise from an energy consultant, the company could waste time and money.

4. Show the Connection between Better Efficiency and Business Value

Some business leaders see improving energy efficiency as an aim that doesn’t relate to an enterprise’s bottom line. The classic views are that businesses either create competitive advantages through differentiation or by keeping costs low. But, analysts weighed in and asserted that so-called energy maturity could make a business stronger in a challenging landscape.

If a company’s C-level executives don’t see the worthiness in improved energy efficiency when people from the company approach them about it, the education and experience that an energy consultant brings could help change their minds and get them on board. Efforts to become more energy efficient often don’t cause the expected payoff if they lack top-down support in an organization.

In cases where executives are still doubtful about how energy efficiency could promote business value, energy consultants can provide clarification and evidence that convinces leaders not to delay their plans any longer.

5. Encourage Companies to Stay Motivated

The benefits of energy-efficient operations are often not evident immediately. Sometimes, the lack of instant benefits can make company leaders complain that the decision to increase energy-efficiency was a bad one they wish they hadn’t made. Since energy consultants have substantial experience in helping enterprises of all sizes and types meet their goals, they can set the proper expectations so that people in the company don’t expect too much too soon.

Moreover, if companies encounter difficulties with their energy-efficiency initiatives, energy consultants can get to the bottom of what’s going on and prevent the organization from giving up. Becoming more energy efficient is not something that happens quickly or easily, but energy consultants can assist companies with navigating through the process, making the whole journey smoother.

Working with an Energy Consultant Is a Worthy Investment

It should now be clear that energy consultants can help companies succeed in the desire to become more efficient. The information and perspectives they offer could prevent companies from making costly and frustrating mistakes.

Source: Renewable Energy Magazine, at the heart of clean energy journalism