How do you know if your facilities are energy efficient or energy hogs? There are two ways to find out. First, one strategy to measure and analyze a facility's efficiency is available online at www.energystar.gov, which allows you to input your facility's attributes and the information from utility bills. Your facility receives a rating on a scale of 0-100 that indicates where it stands in terms of energy efficiency compared to similar facilities. The rating is a good indication of whether to proactively invest in the facility to get the most efficiency out of its systems, and your dollars.
The second strategy is benchmarking — an assessment in which energy-related metrics are measured or estimated at one facility and compared to other facilities of like size, building, industry, geographical area, etc. We use data from the CMMS to track, measure, and trend the performance of the facility. Then managers can establish metrics, key performance indicators (KPI), and goals. The array of metrics to be measured is vast. I suggest choosing the ones that are most beneficial to your group and the areas that need improvement. Suggested measurements include: maintenance backlog; percentage of emergency work orders versus preventive maintenance (PM) or routine work; mean-time-to-repair (MTTR); response time (RT); and trending energy costs.
Managers should develop benchmarks and subsequent KPIs to make comparisons among facilities as meaningful as possible to your operation. When comparing your facility with others, be sure to consider other criteria, such as climate. Weather is an important factor. Energy costs tend to be higher during winter months, as opposed to summer months. Hours of operation also must be considered.
Management Insight Column: Harnessing the Power of Data
Management Insight Column: Analyzing Facilities' Energy Use
