3 Advantages for Multi-Facility Energy Managers

By Michael Zaura

As a multi-facility energy manager, you have some opportunities available to you that single-facility managers don’t. And seizing these opportunities can help you be even more successful at energy management.

1) You can group your accounts together to achieve a lower rate.

In energy, we call this C&I Aggregation, which is typically available for facilities within the same utility. Aggregating your accounts can increase your buying power and can result in a lower rate than the buildings could have received on their own. This is especially helpful for facilities with poor load profiles.

C&I Aggregation is a win-win for you. Not only are you saving money, but accounting and budgeting become way easier when all your facilities have the same rate.

2) You can benchmark.

Benchmarking is the process of comparing the energy usage between two similar buildings. It’s a great way to see performance differences, and bonus: you can use it to identify possible efficiency project opportunities.

3) You have access to technology that can make your job easier.

Imagine having the usage data, estimated costs, and invoices for all your facilities. In user-friendly charts. Right at your fingertips.

There is software available that was specifically designed to do just that: make energy management easy for multi-facility managers.

Having all your energy data on one platform can make the benchmarking process simpler, and you can even track your Energy STAR or LEED Ratings. Single-facility managers don’t have access to this — they’re left to track their energy data themselves on spreadsheets.

Embrace the challenge!

Multi-location energy management can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Taking advantage of opportunities unique to managers like you can relieve stress and free up some time for you to focus on other projects.

To make this even easier on yourself, work with an energy advisor — especially if you manage facilities out of state.

About the Author

Michael is a Senior Strategic Energy Advisor in the Chicagoland area. He specializes in manufacturing, hospitality, transportation, and renewable/green energy. Michael helps his clients craft energy strategies specific to their current and future situations. He is passionate about renewable/green energy and its growth, continuously learning through reading and sharing publications. He enjoys spending his spare time with his wife, daughter, and triplet boys.