Businesses such as colleges and universities, hospital and healthcare facilities, and commercial properties operating large and diverse building portfolios can find it challenging to reduce energy consumption across their entire building stock. Addressing energy consumption holistically can help drive energy efficiency and improve the bottom line.
When reducing energy costs across a portfolio of buildings, it pays to consider the big picture. Rather than implementing discrete measures to improve individual buildings, reviewing the campus portfolio as a whole can help identify strategies to deliver larger benefits that capitalize on economies of scale, maximize energy savings, improve occupant comfort, and enable building owners and managers to focus on their core mission.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) helps facility managers identify and develop strategies for portfolio-wide energy improvements through expert advice and planning, taking some administrative burden off of facility staff, freeing them to focus on other initiatives. No matter how large or far-reaching a business' energy improvement plans may be, NYSERDA can provide guidance throughout the energy-efficiency planning and investment process and provide incentives to help offset costs.
Together, NYSERDA and the facility manager can take a comprehensive look at an entire facility to determine all the ways energy improvements and financing opportunities can help the organization meet its business goals. In addition to incentives that make energy-efficiency initiatives more cost-effective, NYSERDA provides objective technical assistance to owners and managers of buildings spread across a region or across the state. NYSERDA's technical experts and network of specialized energy consultants are available to help prioritize buildings for energy improvements, identify opportunities for energy savings, evaluate return on investment, develop and implement an energy-efficiency action plan, identify the energy-efficiency measures that best fit the institution's needs, assist with implementation of energy-efficiency improvements, and address questions or concerns.
Energy-efficiency improvements reduce operating costs, enhance operations, and improve occupant comfort. Whether the customer's building portfolio focuses on improvements to existing facilities, construction of new buildings, or both, NYSERDA's team is here to help owners and building managers get the most value from its programs - improving the return on energy-efficiency investments that deliver on their core mission, maximize building performance and have long-lasting benefits.
Lindsay Holle is an assistant project manager for NYSERDA, Albany, N.Y. Tags: