How can you set measurable energy goals for your facility?

1 What are SMART energy goals?

SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These are the criteria that help you define clear and realistic energy goals for your facility. For example, a SMART energy goal could be: Reduce electricity consumption by 10% in the next 12 months by installing LED lighting and upgrading HVAC systems. This goal is specific (it states what you want to achieve and how), measurable (it quantifies the desired outcome and the baseline), achievable (it is within your budget and technical capabilities), relevant (it supports your facility's mission and values), and time-bound (it sets a deadline for completion).

2 How to set SMART energy goals for your facility?

The first step to set SMART energy goals for your facility is to conduct an energy audit. An energy audit is a systematic assessment of your facility's current energy performance, consumption patterns, and improvement opportunities. An energy audit can help you identify the areas where you can save energy, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency. You can conduct an energy audit yourself or hire a professional energy auditor to do it for you. The results of the energy audit will provide you with a baseline for your energy goals and a roadmap for your energy action plan.

The second step to set SMART energy goals for your facility is to prioritize your energy improvement opportunities. Based on the findings of your energy audit, you can rank your energy improvement opportunities according to their potential impact, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness. You can use tools such as a cost-benefit analysis, a payback period calculation, or a return on investment estimation to compare and evaluate your options. You can also consider factors such as your facility's size, type, location, occupancy, and operational hours to determine the best fit for your energy goals.

The third step to set SMART energy goals for your facility is to write them down and communicate them to your stakeholders. Writing down your energy goals can help you clarify your expectations, track your progress, and hold yourself accountable. Communicating your energy goals to your stakeholders can help you gain their support, feedback, and involvement. Your stakeholders may include your facility's management, staff, customers, suppliers, contractors, regulators, and community. You can use various methods to communicate your energy goals, such as newsletters, posters, meetings, workshops, or social media.

3 How to measure and monitor your energy goals?

Once you have set your SMART energy goals for your facility, regularly measuring and monitoring your energy performance can help you assess your achievements, identify gaps, and adjust your strategies accordingly. To do this, you can use energy meters to measure the amount of energy used by your facility or specific equipment or processes. Additionally, analyzing energy bills can track energy usage, cost, and savings over time and across seasons. You can also use energy dashboards to visualize your performance, compare it with goals and benchmarks, and detect trends and anomalies. Finally, conducting energy audits at regular intervals can evaluate progress towards energy goals and update the action plan.

4 How to celebrate and communicate your energy achievements?

The final step to set measurable energy goals for your facility is to celebrate and communicate your energy achievements. This can help motivate yourself and your stakeholders, recognize efforts and results, and share best practices and lessons learned. You can do this in a variety of ways, such as rewards and recognition, case studies and stories, or testimonials and reviews. By following the SMART criteria and the steps outlined in this article, you can set clear and realistic energy goals that suit your facility's needs. You can also measure and monitor your energy performance regularly, as well as celebrate and communicate your energy achievements. Doing so can optimize energy resources, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and minimize environmental impact.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?