Recently, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT), the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), state-mandated programs and the U.S. Green Building Council® (USGBC) have made a great deal of progress in creating awareness and driving change in regards to energy management and efficiency.

Due to this recovery act-inspired movement, many governmental and private sector entities are mapping out a systemic plan to reduce energy consumption and energy-related costs. The first step in doing this is usually an energy audit. A typical audit may identify energy-conservation opportunities that, when completed, may reduce a facility’s energy use by 20 percent. While this is a step in the right direction, without a plan, purpose and funding strategy, energy audits are of little value.

For an energy audit to be successful, the following must occur:

• The energy-management policy and/or commitment to energy-management strategy would be published
• Corporate/organizational energy-related goals and objectives would exist
• Energy-focused resources, roles and responsibilities would be defined
• Training on energy management and awareness would be conducted at all levels, and key performance indicators (KPIs) would be established and made visible to the organization
• Performance against energy goals would be systematically reviewed, and the energy strategy/plan would be updated

These factors are critical to the success of an energy-management plan, and without approaching the plan from a holistic perspective—incorporating all energy systems and all levels of an organization—the plan will have little value. It is essential to have awareness, visibility and buy in at all levels of an organization for improvement initiatives to be successful and sustainable.

Eaton’s Electrical Services & Systems (EESS) team is committed to providing energy audit support and solutions, including:

• Ensuring that energy solutions align with key business operating factors and corporate energy objectives
• Including all areas of energy systems in the audit and plan—technology, people and culture, and operational and maintenance strategies
• A holistic view of a facility—evaluating all systems—to provide an all-encompassing evaluation of energy-improvement opportunities, including cost savings and energy conservation
• Solid financial analysis to lend toward wise investment decisions, regarding timing, budgeting and resource allocation
• Identification of potential alternative-energy improvements, including utility- and government-related funding and incentives

When it comes to sustained energy cost reductions, consumption and compliance with corporate or regulatory goals and objectives, Eaton is committed to delivering real value with results. This is what sets an Eaton energy audit apart.

For additional information about Eaton’s energy audit solutions, please contact your local Eaton salesperson, Mark Miller or Jerry Spaulding.