Managing energy is, in many ways, a balancing act. On a tightrope. Under a blazing-hot spotlight. Overtop a shark-infested pool. Okay, maybe not quite THAT bad – but still. Nobody wants to take on the task of measuring, monitoring and controlling something so crucial for every process. For companies without a dedicated energy manager, reducing energy consumption can feel almost counterproductive – as if you are holding back the rest of your team or business from doing its job.
This couldn’t be more backwards! Like it or not, energy is the second biggest annual cost after manpower for most companies, no matter which sector you work in. So managing it intelligently can deliver some serious savings – but don’t take our word for it! Actions speak louder than words, so here are some real energy management examples that show how your company can cut energy costs while continuing to grow and scale.
The Great Balancing Act
So how do you balance business growth with saving money through energy management? All you need to do is choose some kind of magical energy management platform, right? Although it’s a good place to start, you might need to offer some kind of justification to your CFO first. Need some inspiration?
There are companies out there that have generated considerable energy savings in your sector – and don’t think it has to be energy-intensive, like heavy industry! From retail to public services to education and culture, by the end of this post reducing your company’s energy consumption won’t seem like such a monumental feat. Let’s go!
10 Stellar Energy Management Examples
1. Spanish Ministry of Justice
Sector: Public Administration
Locations: 300
Total annual cost savings: €1,514,572
Why we’re inspired: The Spanish Ministry of Justice managed to save energy and cut costs in nearly 300 geographically dispersed locations – to the tune of 1.5 million euros – without compromising or interrupting service to citizens.
Are you a public servant looking to save more money by cutting costs for your department or administration? See how you can replicate the energy saving success of Spain’s Ministry of Justice by checking out the full case study here.
2. Burger King
Sector: Retail
Locations: 1
Total annual cost savings: €5,500
Why we’re inspired: This Burger King franchise in Avila, Spain exceeded its owner’s expectations when they combined powerful energy management technology with employee engagement.
Educational sessions with employees helped implement new on and off times, which reduced consumption without incurring any extra investment.
Curious to see whether the same approach would work at your franchise? Download the full case study here.
3. Radisson Blu – East Midlands Airport
Sector: Hospitality
Locations: 1
Overall energy savings (kWh): 30%
Why we’re inspired: A certified BREEAM Excellent Building with 218 rooms, conference facilities, a swimming pool and leisure facilities, the Radisson Blu Hotel (East Midlands Airport) is known as “the greenest hotel in the UK.”
Would a similar energy management programme work for your hotel? Get the full case study here.
4. Sant Gervasi School
Sector: Education
Locations: 1
Total annual cost savings: €12,000
Why we’re inspired: Sant Gervasi School in Barcelona, achieved 18% savings by involving the entire school community in efficient energy management of its facilities. We love how the idea of saving energy was integrated into the curriculum. If the kids can do it, so can you!
Why not try the same energy management approach at your school or university? For all the details, check out the full case study here.
5. GAMO Outdoor
Sector: Manufacturing
Locations: 1
Total annual cost savings: € 42,500
Why we’re inspired: Energy performance per unit manufactured fell by 28% within two years, with ROI payback period of less than 1 year.
Can your factory generate as much or more cost savings than GAMO Outdoor? Get the full case study here to see all the details.
6. Catania Più Supermarkets
Sector: Retail
Total annual cost savings: € 21,800
Why we’re inspired: Saving energy in supermarkets is not easy, yet Catania Più managed to find affordable ways to cut a pretty sizeable chunk off their energy bill.
Get the full case study here.
7. Berriak Supermercados
Sector: Retail
Locations: 4
Total annual cost savings: €20,300
Why we’re inspired: Going beyond simple energy monitoring and reduction, this supermarket chain in the Basque Country managed to transform its energy savings into a revenue stream.
Access the full case study here.
8. Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
Sector: Culture
Locations: 1
Total annual cost savings: €40,000
Why we’re inspired: Not only did the CCCB manage to surpass their initial savings goals by a long shot in the first few months of the project – they ended up achieving a record payback period of less than 5 months.
Curious to see if the same approach would work in your cultural centre or museum? Compare notes with the fully detailed case study here.
9. Francisco Godia Foundation
Sector: Culture
Locations: 1
Total annual cost savings: €25,000
Why we’re inspired: For this cultural foundation housing one of the largest art collections in Spain, energy management was probably the last thing on their minds. Yet today, the Francisco Godia Foundation is continues to honour a commitment to maximise energy savings. After generating a ROI in less than 3 months, the foundation decided to reinvest in future energy improvement projects.
Keen to discover how your museum can replicate similar results? Download the full case study here.
10: Costa Coffee
Sector: Fast Food/Retail
Locations: 1200
Total annual energy savings: Nearly 40% reduction in energy use from a 2009 baseline
Why we’re inspired: By analysing everything from equipment development and energy usage to supplier relations and behaviour change approaches, Costa Coffee was able to exceed energy reduction targets set for 2017 two years ahead of schedule, in addition to achieving reduction 14% higher than their original goal.
The behaviour change aspect of Costa’s overarching energy goal was underpinned by the implementation of the ISO 50001 energy management system standard. Costa became one of the first companies in the food industry to achieve such a high standard.
While Costa Coffee’s initial driver was to cut energy use, the business benefits of energy efficiency proved strong enough for them to justify expanding their energy management process across the entire Whitbread organisation.
What About You?
Hopefully by now, taking your first steps toward energy efficiency in your organisation doesn’t seem like such a monumental task, no matter what sector you work in.
In fact, it’s something we would love to help you with! Joining the DEXMA partner community means you’ll benefit from the kind of savings generated by the energy management examples we talked about in this post. Want to learn more? Get started below.
