Strategic Energy Planning

Remco Energy will work jointly with its clients to develop strategic energy plans that will reduce overall energy costs, position the client for deregulation and optimize energy usage.

In developing a strategic energy plan is to recognize that there is a problem and that there is an opportunity for savings. The foundation of a strategic energy plan involves decision-making by top management in four areas, short-term emergency preparedness, establishing energy planning objectives on the basis of corporate goals, resource commitment (in-house or outsourced) and the management for overseeing these resources. The starting basis of a good Strategic Energy Plan can be best summarized as follows: (see attached)    

1. Starting Steps for a Strategic Energy Plan:
   1. Recognize that there is an opportunity for savings.
   2. Fully grasp the economic impact on the organization.
   3. Summarize major goals and how these goals will be achieved.
   4. Integrate the plan with the company’s overall business plan.
   5. Determine aggregate cost and savings projections and what cost can be potentially avoided by the program..
   6. Developing an emergency plan to reduce current costs immediately.
   7. Develop short term, medium range and long range strategic energy plans
   8. Outline actions describing how objective will be achieved.
   9. Quantify major challenges and problems.
   10. Determine Resource requirements/Partner Selection Process.
   11. Develop a roll out schedule & time lines.
   12. Verify and report on savings. 

2. Project Identification (Partial List)

1. Utility Auditing (both landlord & utility company)
2. Rate Verification and Analysis 
3. Energy Monitoring 24/7 web based access
4. Energy Procurement
5. Back room motion detectors
6. High Efficiency HVAC Units & Energy Mgmt. Controls
7. White Roofs
8. Sky lights
9. More efficient lighting
10. Dimmable ballasts
11. LED signage
12. High efficiency pulse start parking lot lights
13. Dual pane glass

3. Define Energy Policies
   1. Organization Structure
   2. Resource Allocation
   3. Funding Criteria / Contingency Arrangements
   4. Use of Outside Services
   5. Determine the need for systems or outsource entire function
   6. Define Stores Best Practices

4. Energy Awareness Program (Get Everyone involved from the top to the bottom)

1. Create an Energy Task Force headed by the top management and department heads of Accounting, Lease administration, Store Operations, Construction and Store Planning. 
2. Meet every month to discuss progress and status of various energy projects.
3. Reinforce energy practices at the store level by monitoring energy consumption
4. Disseminate information to the stores on how they are doing
5. Discuss energy goals and objectives at associate meetings
6. Discuss energy rank amongst stores i.e. KWH usage, cost per sq. ft.
7. Establish an energy control hot line for energy waste.
8. Develop a program for communicating energy awareness among management & all associates and reward success.
9. Communicate results to shareholders, the board.
10. Tell your customers about the environmental benefits of the companies energy program.

To summarize retailers need to create the right business processes to protect the bottom line in uncertain times. Having a strategic energy plan in place is no longer a competitive advantage it is a strategic necessity. 

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