Benchmarking for Energy Success

The following content appears courtesy of Lincoln Electric System's EnergyLine Newsletter.

Key Points

• Benchmarking is a comparison of your energy performance with similar facilities.
• Benchmarking programs spot inefficiencies and provide information for energy-management decisions.
• The benchmarking process includes a focus on continuous improvement.

With rising energy costs and increased environmental awareness, more companies are becoming concerned with conservation and energy efficiency. Before you institute an energy management program or embark on an energy upgrade project, find out how energy efficient your facility is currently. While your energy bill will tell you how much you are spending on energy, it does not tell you how you are doing. For a good frame of reference, compare the energy consumption of your buildings and systems to similar facilities, particularly ones that have been recognized as energy efficient or have instituted energy best practices. Known as energy benchmarking, this is a useful tool in analyzing the energy performance of your facility.

The concept of benchmarking began in the manufacturing sector as a component of total quality management (TQM). It is used as a performance-measurement tool by which companies compare themselves to their competitors as a means of instituting process improvement measures. Energy benchmarking is the collection and analysis of energy-use data that provides facilities with a context for making comparisons. Armed with this information, facility managers can spot inefficiencies, identify energy-saving opportunities, and monitor performance improvements over time.

Energy benchmarking will benefit your facility in a number of ways, including the prioritization of your energy investments. Across your building portfolio, benchmarking provides a foundation for making solid energy-management decisions. Moreover, by comparing benchmarking scores, you can assess the cost-saving potential of efficiency improvements; tracking and evaluating them over time. Finally, by documenting superior energy performance, you can generate positive publicity for your organization by communicating a green image.

Read more, including steps for energy benchmarking, at http://members.questline.com/Article.aspx?articleID=5001&accountID=82&nl=10370&userID=149277