For most of us, it seems like common sense: reduce energy use and see a reduction in operational costs. Unfortunately, it’s really not so simple. While the low-hanging fruit like lighting switch-outs and weatherization are fairly achievable, for most business owners, investments in big-ticket items (like a generator or advanced energy management system) can be harder to justify—particularly in lieu of our current economic crisis.

Writing for The Guardian, journalist Justin Gerdes explores the ways in which investments by Wall Street could aid businesses large and small in their energy efficiency efforts.

“Rebates and tax credits aren’t sufficient to break open the market,” explains Gerdes. “For many, the upfront costs of a new furnace or deep retrofit are still too steep” (http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/finance-business-case).

So what’s the solution?

For starters, better financing tools should be made available to business owners and contractors, tools that need support from a “diverse coalition” of policy makers, utilities, and lenders “working together to introduce new financing tools and address investor concerns.”

At the local level, programs like PACE can prod property owners to explore a variety of energy efficiency options with an eye on positively impacting their tax burden and/or utility bills. OBR (On Bill Replacement) is one way many states are encouraging investments in energy efficiency retrofits and installations, and in many cases, the OBR transfers right along with the title in the event of a foreclosure or property sale, an alternative that can reduce some of the anxiety many business owners feel when looking down the barrel of a multi-year ROI.

Of course, of equal importance is making sure all of the players are on the same page. There needs to be an establishment of common energy efficiency goals and benchmarks. Everyone should be aiming for the same horizon, even as individual goals and abilities are acknowledged and accommodated.

As Gerdes concludes, “Much of the effort involves getting stakeholders to speak the same language.”

“To that end,” he explains, “the US Department of Energy this month released a so-called “energy efficiency data dictionary” that will help contractors, bankers, policymakers, software vendors, and utilities aggregate, share, and use energy data.

Shared data, shared outlooks, and shared resources are an important aspect of any successful outreach program. And when it comes to energy efficiency, access to information is key. Here at Business Energy, we will continue to provide you with success stories, technology updates, and all the details that can help you on the road to reduced demand and increased efficiency.

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Business Energy
As our September/October edition lands on your doorstep, you may notice that we’ve changed our masthead. Welcome to our newest incarnation, Business Energy. As I explain in that issue’s editor’s comments, this decision comes at a time when the nation’s businesses are staring down the barrel of increasing energy costs and decreasing financial resources. EPA estimates the nation’s small businesses spend more than $60 billion a year on energy—a sum that could be reduced by up to 30% with the implementation of energy efficiency programs and protocols. And according to the US Department of Energy (DOE), commercial buildings “represent just under one-fifth of US energy consumption”—that includes office space, retail space, and educational and commercial facilities.

And so the time is ripe for a shift in focus. 

While we still believe in the importance of distributed generation and onsite power to improve resiliency, reduce energy use, and increase efficiency, we are excited about expanding our coverage to include commercial energy interests. In this way, we can better serve you with more precise treatment of the topics and projects that are most relevant to your needs and interests.

Check out my Editor’s Comments in our latest issue to learn more about our decision to modify our area of inquiry so that we are centered more directly on energy efficiency and onsite power generation as it relates to businesses and commercial interests. And as I urge in our print edition, by all means, drop me a line and let me know what you think. Let Business Energy be your soapbox, your water cooler, and your go-to source for all your efficiency, conservation, and power generation needs. Contact me any time at ecutright@forester.net or 805-679-7601.