Energy Management for Portfolios – Getting Started in 2014

 

Self-Check
It is important for a portfolio or property to conduct a thorough self-assessment of its current performance, goals and requisite level of effort in 2014 before deciding to embark on an energy management program. For firms with energy management procedures already in place, it may be less of a reach to take on the self assessment and make adjustments. For firms just beginning the practice, the exercise will be more intense and may require a significant cultural shift. And even though this is a checklist, there are varying degrees of implementation—ranging from an informal checklist and action items to achieving full certification through independent auditing. Determining the path and achievable success depends on business capabilities, goals and strategies. The checklist below is a good place to start:

 

Energy Management Plan Self-Assessment

Questionnaire

Portfolio/Property   Name:

Date:

Completed   By:

(answer all questions Yes or No)

 

1.       Load Management (Consumption Data)		Yes/No
1.A	Are monthly utility bills reviewed for trends, variations in use and mistakes?   (electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, water, trash etc.)
1.B	Are monthly consumption (load factor) and cost data recorded and readily available in dashboards?
1.C	Are electric, gas, water, and sewer load profiles analyzed for trends and anomalies?
1.D	Are quarterly energy consumption budget targets set and compared to actual,   (electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, water, sewer, trash, etc.)?
1.E	Are properties and operating units held accountable for energy consumption   i.e.  Is there a budget for rates and consumption?
1.F	Does the energy team manage vacant apartments and set goals?
1.G	Does the energy team manage vacant recovery and set goals on move-in and move out   tenants?
Overall   Rating	Sum of Positive Responses	0
2.       Rate and Procurement Management
2.A	Has the utility company completed a rate review for all accounts? (electric and   natural gas)
2.B	Have  alternate fuels for large energy using equipment been evaluated?
2.C	Have trash contracts been evaluated?
2.D	In  communities where supplier choice is available for electricity, are   competitive supply offers being solicited?
2.E	In communities where supplier choice is available for natural gas, are   competitive supply offers being solicited?
Overall   Rating	Sum   of Positive Responses	0
3.       Energy Conversation
3.A	Have significant energy consuming systems been identified and quantified?
3.B	Are systems appropriately controlled when operating level or load is reduced?   “Shut-it-Off” program
3.C	Has an energy audit been completed within the past two years to identify   conservation opportunities?
3.D	Is there a list of completed energy conservation projects documenting cost and savings?
3.E	Is there a prioritized list of planned energy conservation projects documenting   cost and savings?
Overall   Rating	Sum of Positive Responses	0
4.       Exception  Management
4.A	Are Prior Period Variances (both monthly and annual) reviewed and actions taken   where variations exist?
4.B	Are Units of Measure, like kWh, normalized for benchmarking? As well as Weather   Normalization?
4.C	Do your properties interface with Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager to obtain   Direct and Indirect GHG emissions?
4.D	Are Meter Descriptions for ease of use decisions edited and updated versus just   account numbers?
4.E	Do  Building Characteristics for properties exist to filter comparable benchmarking statistics?
Overall   Rating	Sum of Positive Responses	0
5.       Organization
5.A	Is there a cross-functional portfolio energy team responsible for each of the   items listed above?
5.B	Does the energy team communicate goals and track progress by benchmarking?
5.C	Do you have a representative to participate in regulatory affairs at the Department of Public Utilities and local state level on energy and water issues?
Overall   Rating	Sum of Positive Responses	0
Total   Score of out of 25		0