Energy Answers · Starting an energy project
Start with the decision. Then choose the project.
Define the outcome, establish the facts, compare sensible options, and decide how success will be checked.
You will leave withA project brief with fewer assumptions and clearer questions for the people proposing to help.
- 01
Write down what success means.
Start with the business problem and constraints before choosing a technology.
- Ask at your facility
- What result must this project deliver, by when, and without disrupting what?
- You should end up with
- A one-page brief: objective, owner, deadline, constraints, and decision criteria.
Guide coming soonThe one-page energy project brief
- 02
Establish the billing baseline.
Check the accounts and applicable rates before using the bill as the starting point for savings.
- Ask at your facility
- Which bills, tariffs, and interval data are available, and who will validate them?
- You should end up with
- A data inventory and a named owner for gaps.
Read the written decision The part you want is Utility Bill Audit vs. Energy Audit: Two Different Questions. - 03
Check whether operating changes should come first.
When this appliesAn industrial example, not a universal prescription. Use Decision 24 for HVAC-dominant facilities.
Before buying a new system, examine a relevant existing one.
- Ask at your facility
- Is the proposed equipment sized for our current waste or our actual operating need?
- You should end up with
- One operational alternative to compare with the capital proposal.
Read the written decision The part you want is The Six-Phase Compressed Air Optimization Sequence.Other ways to take this step
- Preview the field guide
- Watch on YouTube
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- Variable Frequency Drives: When VFDs Save Real Money for Indiana Manufacturers (and When They Don't)
- LED Lighting Retrofit for Commercial and Industrial Facilities: Retrofit Path, Controls, and Real ROI
- 04
Compare options using the same assumptions.
Every option needs the same boundary, baseline, operating scenario, and treatment of cost and benefit.
- Ask at your facility
- Can we see the assumptions and downside case side by side?
- You should end up with
- A comparison sheet covering cost, benefit, risk, disruption, and ownership.
Guide coming soonCompare energy proposals on the same basis
- 05
Agree how results will be verified.
Decide before approval how performance will be checked and who will own follow-through.
- Ask at your facility
- What evidence will distinguish a working project from a good-looking proposal?
- You should end up with
- An acceptance and measurement plan with responsibilities and review dates.
Guide coming soonBuild an energy baseline and prove what changed
Bring this to your team
What you should be holding at the end of the five steps.
- 01A one-page brief: objective, owner, deadline, constraints, and decision criteria.
- 02A data inventory and a named owner for gaps.
- 03One operational alternative to compare with the capital proposal.
- 04A comparison sheet covering cost, benefit, risk, disruption, and ownership.
- 05An acceptance and measurement plan with responsibilities and review dates.
Turn the project brief into your Energy Decision Blueprint.
The Energy Decision Blueprint
Bring the decision, the available data, and any proposals. The Blueprint makes the analysis specific to your facility before the project moves further.
Get the Blueprint