Current customer base and online project databases offer green project possibilities

Distributors wanting to enter or expand their current sales in the energy management market can use several sites on the Internet to find project leads, but your current customer base is the first place to look for growing sales. Consider revisiting all of the energy management proposals you might have made since 2007 and updating them to reflect current electricity prices; local, state and federal incentive programs, and new regulatory requirements. If the payback becomes shorter and more convincing, resubmit the proposals to the customer and highlight the changes. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency is the most comprehensive source of information on federal, state, local, and utility incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency is a core component of the LEED rating system, so any project that registers for LEED certification is likely to require energy products and services. The USGBC provides a searchable database of LEED registered projects. Looking for projects in your area can generate sales leads, especially since new construction projects and major renovations tend to have long gestation times.

The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement are both seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy management projects. Signatories have committed to improve the energy efficiency of the built environment within their jurisdictions. More than 1500 cities and higher education institutions, large and small, have committed to these changes; that’s a large number of potentially significant leads.

Knowing where to look for potential sales, how to pitch projects to customers, and how to present energy and environmental services and products can help proactive distributors stay ahead of the competition. For more tips on selling energy management projects, please refer to NAED’s Selling Toolkit.

Programs such as the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) help federal agencies meet green goals and provide new sales opportunities for the industry as a result.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has ambitious clean energy goals. Clean energy is an umbrella term that is used to encapsulate efficient, low-carbon, and renewable energy sources. As the largest energy consumer in the U.S., the federal government has embraced a prime opportunity to lead by example. FEMP is a key component of this task because it is responsible for helping federal agencies meet energy management goals, including:^[1]

• Reducing energy intensity 30% by 2015 from 2003 levels
• Reducing water intensity 16% by 2015 from 2007 levels
• Generating or purchasing at least 7.5% of electricity from renewable sources by 2013

Energy (or water) intensity measures the amount of energy (or water) required to produce a given level of output or activity. It can be used to measure the amount of energy it takes to manufacture a product or to produce a certain level of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). For instance, U.S. energy consumption in 2004 was about 100 quadrillion (10¹⁵) Btus and the GDP was estimated at $11.74 trillion. These figures produce an energy intensity ratio of about 8500 Btus (9 megajoules-MJ) for every dollar of GDP.^[2]

FEMP will use American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funding to develop an energy, water, and greenhouse gas emissions reporting and tracking system for federal facilities. This system will help the government achieve its energy management goals.^[3] As noted in NAED’s “Findings in Brief: The Green Market” white paper and “The Energy Management Market for Government Buildings” case study, the stimulus act and the government’s clean energy goals provide numerous opportunities for electrical distributors to sell energy management products and services.

^[1] http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/daily.cfm/hp_news_id=193 accessed August 12, 2009.

^[2] http://www1.eere.energy.gov/ba/pba/intensityindicators/total_energy.html accessed August 12, 2009.

^[3] http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/daily.cfm/hp_news_id=193 accessed August 12, 2009.