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Reduce Utility Bills with Retail Energy Management

By Daniel Stouffer

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 05Apr2010 Word count: 487 Viewed: 322 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

With the U.S. Congress set to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, many store owners are focusing on retail energy management to improve energy efficiency. The bill calls for lower carbon emissions, a cap and trade program for certain industries, and dependence on renewable energy sources for 25% of energy use by 2020. The measure also sets energy efficiency standards for a large number of companies.

The U.S. and several foreign governments are considering some mandatory retail energy management standards to reduce global warming. Scientific research shows that utility usage, including electricity, heating oil and other fuels, emit greenhouse gases that have the potential to cause adverse climate change.

Many businesses are currently dealing with intricate regulations regarding carbon emissions, such as refrigerant gas commonly found in commercial refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) systems or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. On top of these regulations, they will be faced with a new set of energy efficiency requirements. However, there are energy management programs that can handle tracking and reporting through an automated system.

Retail energy management uses smart technology to reduce utility usage and identify renewal energy sources. This helps to create a healthier environment by reducing greenhouse gases associated with energy use. For retailers, the benefits include a reduced carbon footprint, lower energy costs, the ability to obtain the best energy rates for their sites, and the opportunity to tap into local, state and national rebates and incentives.

Studies show that if an average supermarket reduces its energy consumption by 10%, it would realize a 16% increase in net profit margins. A service restaurant reducing energy use by 10% could see a 4% increase in net profit margins. The savings would quickly pay for the cost of asset management software used to identify, maintain, track and report the operational status of all equipment in use.

There are several steps to retail energy management. The first is to make a commitment to energy conservation, whether upgrading an existing facility or building new. For the next steps of assessing performance, setting goals, creating an action plan, implementing an action plan and evaluating progress, a comprehensive automated energy management program can quickly and easily provide the data needed.

Retail energy management tracks a buildings energy use and is a valuable way to see your enterprises entire energy portfolio, regardless of the number and location of sites. It is best utilized with Energy Star rated equipment and an automated program that provides key information about past and real time energy use, areas of opportunity to better manage energy use, and benchmarking goals and comparisons.

Retail energy management creates a comprehensive energy saving operation for one or multiple retail locations. It is particularly beneficial for any size and type of facility with a HVAC, extensive lighting, or refrigeration units installed. By controlling energy use, you can optimize the efficiency of equipment and other operational assets and significantly reduce operational costs.

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