by Brianna Crandall — December 19, 2014—Ecova, “the total energy and sustainability management company,” has just released a report with the results of its second annual survey, 2015 Energy and Sustainability Predictions: Findings from Leading Professionals. The report aggregates findings from a survey of more than 500 energy, facility, finance and sustainability professionals at U.S.-based companies and reveals an important shift in the way companies are approaching and viewing energy and sustainability management.
As energy and sustainability management become more complex and essential to operations, professionals are increasingly focusing on the bigger picture, according to the report. While cost savings is still the number one driver of energy and sustainability management decisions, this year’s survey results show professionals are taking a more strategic, long-term view. Fifty-two percent of respondents indicate their top priority for leveraging energy data in 2015 is to support strategic energy and sustainability initiatives and programs.
The report reveals an important shift in the way companies are approaching and viewing energy and sustainability management.(Click on image to enlarge)
“This year’s survey affirms the need for strategic, holistic and long-term energy efficiency and sustainability programs within an organization,” said Seth Nesbitt, senior vice president and general manager, marketing and technology, at Ecova. “While certain measures offer a quick and effective ROI, organizations will need to implement long-term programs in order to see increased savings and remain competitive as regulations and the price of energy and other resources increase.”
The report discloses additional challenges and opportunities that energy and sustainability management professionals will face in 2015:
Adoption of strategic energy and sustainability management programs will increase as companies become more sophisticated and low-hanging fruit is captured.
- More companies are investing in solutions to gather energy data, with nearly 50% of respondents indicating they have energy/building management systems in place and nearly 30% indicating they have budgets approved for future systems or are considering installing them.
- The majority of professionals, 57%, believe their organization will increase time or money spent on energy and sustainability management in 2015.
- While respondents said lighting projects were the smartest energy and sustainability investment made for the second year in a row, this was 5% lower than the year prior, indicating a desire to go beyond the low-hanging fruit.
Energy is the biggest opportunity for 2015, but water is increasingly important.
- For the second year, energy ranks as the top opportunity for savings: 60% of respondents expect energy prices to increase in 2015.
- There was a 10% increase in those viewing water as an area with the greatest opportunity for savings and improvement than the year prior.
Managing waste becomes an important business measure.
- Waste is an important issue for 60% of respondents across a wide range of job functions and industries.
- Companies are increasingly requiring a comprehensive waste solution, with over half of this year’s respondents indicating one or more priorities for leveraging waste data in 2015.
Ecova will present the findings from this year’s survey during a Webinar on Thursday, January 29, 2015. Registration for the 2015 Energy and Sustainability Priorities and Predictions Webinar is available online.
The 2015 Energy and Sustainability Predictions: Findings from Leading Professionals survey was conducted by Ecova in November and December 2014 with more than 500 professionals who are involved with their company’s energy and sustainability efforts. Respondents represent a broad spectrum of job roles and functions—such as C-Suite executives, energy managers, facilities managers, and accounting and finance professionals—and were drawn from a wide range of company sizes and industries.
Ecova is “the total energy and sustainability management company” whose sole purpose is reportedly to see more, save more, and sustain more for its clients. Using insights based on consumption, cost and carbon footprint data spanning thousands of utilities, hundreds of thousands of business sites and millions of households, Ecova provides fully managed, technology-optimized solutions for saving resources, which in turn are said to increase returns, lower risks, and enhance reputations. Ecova is a subsidiary of Cofely, the leading brand of GDF SUEZ Energy Services.
