Businesses Look To Energy Efficiency
As the world searches to uncover new sources of clean energy, energy efficiency is often overlooked, even though it is the only existing source that is clean, abundant, affordable and immediately available.
People tend to think of energy efficiency as an abstract concept — a philosophy, framework or approach to reducing energy consumption. And because of this, many disregard efficiency and its ability to assure energy security and environmental and economic sustainability.
Listen to local business leaders and you’ll hear that energy efficiency does matter to our regional economic strength and in building strong vibrant communities, especially in these uncertain economic times. Supported by federal and regional funding programs such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, state grants and by ratepayers themselves, energy efficiency measures bring jobs to our region and deliver real money to our communities. Every dollar invested in efficiency returns $2.60 to New Englanders, according to a report compiled by my organization, the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP).
Energetic Honors
For six years, NEEP, a regional nonprofit in Lexington, has been recognizing Business Leaders for Energy Efficiency from across the Northeast. NEEP’s business leaders have been able to implement energy-saving measures that reduce costs, increase productivity, decrease emissions of carbon and other pollutants and contribute to a more stable regional economy. The benefits for businesses are clear: business leaders show how a strong commitment to implementing energy efficiency solutions maximizes energy savings, promotes business and customer growth, enhances the competitive edge, streamlines processes, takes advantage of technological innovation and minimizes environmental impact.
This year’s leaders, companies such as Yankee Candle, Cabot Creamery Cooperative and Cape Air, come from a diverse spectrum of fields and represent a cumulative single-year energy cost savings of more than $3.3 million resulting directly from energy efficiency measures. These measures, which will continue to accrue savings for many years to come, also show us all that efficiency measures can be implemented across many industries, with positive effects on the environment, the community and the bottom line.
A major theme amongst all the business leaders we recognize is that they consider energy efficiency at the forefront of their work. This consideration builds close ties with their local utilities or other efficiency providers and the incentives available through state, regional and federal energy efficiency programs that can help fund energy efficiency projects.
It needn’t take a major corporate initiative to start to look at where savings can be achieved through energy efficiency. An energy audit can identify and prioritize measures to take, which can be as simple as replacing old bulbs with new high efficient lighting, or considering off-the-shelf technologies such as advanced power strips, which help reduce energy use at work stations. The power of efficiency lies in the amplifying effect it often has. Once a business sees the real effects efficiency measures can have on its bottom line, it’s hard not to consider further measures to increase savings.
Business leaders are key ingredients to making energy efficiency matter for our communities, our states, our environment and our economy. Policy makers can see the real savings behind efficiency investments, consumers see commitment to climate change mitigation, and our businesses succeed in building strong, sustainable, competitive industry here in the Bay State. Make energy efficiency matter in your business and make a difference in your community.
Sue Coakley is the executive director of Northeast Energy
Efficiency Partnerships. She can be reached at scoakley@neep.org.
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