STEP ONE: Upper Management Understanding and Commitment

The first step in developing an energy performance program is to have next>edge conduct a high level review of your organization's energy performance and present the potential opportunities to senior management to gain approval to move forward. A recognizable ongoing commitment to energy performance from top management will drive the creation of an environment for energy efficiency and cost savings.

The key initial measure toward understanding overall performance and gauging potential opportunities is to collect and analyze one to three years of energy data on a portfolio-wide basis, providing a global picture of energy consumption, procurement, and conservation.

The second important step is to assess the potential impact on your organization in terms of cost savings. It should be reasonable to expect that a focus on energy management can save 10% to 60% annually in energy costs.