6 ways to help your organization save energy, reduce costs, generate additional revenue, and reduce your organization’s environmental footprint this year.

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Business, Facility, Association or Municipality

Just as many individuals dedicate January 1^st as the time to start saving more money and working towards better health for themselves and their environment, organizations can also take steps to do the same. As they say: “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

1. Save more money.

If you’re in a deregulated electricity markets, you have the ability to shop around and find suppliers who are able to provide the most competitive rates and contract terms. But, be aware that the process involves more than simply acquiring multiple competitive bids from retail electricity suppliers and choosing the lowest rate. You have to be able to evaluate both rates and contract terms as well. But there are so many other ways to lower your energy cost. A holistic energy procurement strategy can help you assess your options.

2. Be more aware.

Knowing how your organization consumes energy and resources is crucial in being able to make informed business decisions regarding lowering energy costs. To be fully informed you should have a thorough energy audit – one that includes a complete onsite inspection of your facility, provides a complete utility bill analysis, benchmarks your organization’s energy usage against your peers, and monitors your load over time.

3. Waste less.

According to the EPA, about 80 to 90% of the solid waste generated in the average workplace is recyclable. Organizations can save money in avoided disposal costs. The right program could also generate new revenue for your organization through the sale of recovered materials such as scrap metals, electronics, and more. Food service providers such as restaurants, hotels and grocery stores could also benefit greatly from a food recovery program.

4. Make smarter investments.

According to several reports and industry experts, energy efficiency represents a highly profitable and secure investment opportunity. After all, the cheapest and cleanest fuel is the kind you never need to burn, right? But knowing which projects and retrofits in which to invest is crucial for seeing an acceptable rate of return. And, to realize the quickest real return on investment, it’s also important to know which financing options are available to reduce capital investment costs. When done intelligently, investing in energy efficiency yields significant rewards.

5. Support Renewable Energy

There are many ways for your organization to support the continued growth and development of new clean renewable energy resources such as solar and wind. Why would you want to? Because renewable energy is good for the climate, is good for the local economy, and sends a positive message. Consider getting new renewable generation projects off the ground through community solar gardens, or support existing projects through power purchase agreements (PPAs) or renewable energy certificates (RECs).

6. Generate more revenue

There are many ways to generate additional revenue for your organization. For example, if your organization is within the PJM Interconnection, your energy efficiency project or lighting retrofit could be a source of additional revenue.  Another example of a potentially lucrative revenue stream is through a demand response program. If your organization needs additional revenue to improve current services or develop new initiatives, take a look at how Alternative Utility Services’ Affinity Partner Program works.

Do you think these New Year resolutions could benefit your organization? Leave us a comment! Wishing you the very best into the New Year!