Know Your Own Operation When Selecting for Energy Optimization

Beyond the criteria for selecting good energy optimization products and services, there is a range of best practices to adopt, both before and during the purchase deliberations. These include having a good profile of your current energy use, ensuring that the current system is being used as efficiently as possible, and thinking through what you really need in the way of products or services.

Having a good handle on your energy use means understanding where, how, and how much energy is used at your facilities. Otherwise, it's going to be very difficult to prove the results of any energy optimization effort. In addition, it helps to narrow down where to invest effort. Focusing energy optimization initiatives by investing in the largest loads will yield greater immediate rewards.

Further, before buying a new product or service, make sure what you already have is being operated as efficiently as possible. If what is on site is not being operated optimally, expected savings will likely be affected.

Before making the first calls to sales reps, facility managers should be clear on their criteria for a product or service. And they should also be clear on needs versus wants, experts say. This will help ensure the needs of the facility will be met, versus installing a new system because it has shiny bells and whistles.

Tied to having clear performance criteria in mind is removing prejudice, say experts. Sometimes a facility manager may associate a negative connotation with a company and so write them off completely, even though they may have the best product on the market. This could keep facility managers from even considering the very product or service that might be a perfect fit for their goals.

To learn more about how to make the right choice when selecting energy optimization products and services, read this.

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