Successful businesses work every day to become more efficient, but when it comes to energy efficiency, the advice a business will find is all over the map – ranging from small, easy fixes to large (and often expensive) capital improvements. Inserting professional and local knowledge into this information gathering phase was one of the driving forces behind “BEER,” the Business Energy Efficiency Rally.
Some business owners reading this article may remember the “10% Challenge,” which was an initiative much larger than the Monadnock Region, but which enlisted local businesses to monitor energy use and ultimately aim for a 10% reduction in their greenhouse gas emissions. This is a noble goal, and BEER is the new iteration of the program.
However, BEER plans to take the 10% challenge to the next level by providing an energy efficiency assessment “walk-through,” a competitive spirit, and ongoing support. The “Rally” portion of the BEER acronym is one of these new features; the idea behind a rally, after all, is a race or competition. While businesses won’t be racing – per se – the program asks businesses to share benchmark information to measure your savings and in an effort to build regional data about business impacts, in an effort to inform potentially more substantive solutions that will benefit us all.
Businesses who participate will enjoy numerous benefits. There are the obvious ones, such as a reduction in energy consumption and costs associated with that consumption. The trend in energy costs is up so reducing energy expenses has a positive effect on operating income for many years. Beyond those, however, businesses who participate also stand to gain a marketing edge – both by participating, and by besting their competition. From national and international research, we also know that consumers respond especially well to businesses who are working to reduce their carbon footprint, and thus recognition resulting from BEER participation can increase customer loyalty, and even attract more committed employees.
Participating in the program is easy:
1. Sign up to become a participant in the program. Your participation in BEER starts with a nominal commitment of $50 to support the coaching, advice, and networking.
2. Identify a baseline of last year’s energy use enabling you to see what savings your efforts produce.
3. The walk through with an energy efficiency pro will give you some suggestions on where to start to save money, and a relative grade of where you stand compared to other buildings.
4. Take actions and keep track of them so they can be measured and compared & shared with others in the Rally.
5. Calculate your savings each year as you continue to improve your energy efficiency, start with a baseline of last years’ energy usage, keep track of your actions/changes and then tabulate the progress and savings at year end.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate in a new way of thinking about and working towards meaningful, regional solutions to climate change. Learn more about BEER today!
John Kondos is a founder of Home-Efficiency Resources, Solar Source, a division of the Melanson Co. and the Monadnock Sustainability Network, whose mission is to promote credible, sustainable/ “green” practices in the region.