by Rebecca Walker — May 8, 2009—Energy efficiency has never been more important, according to new research commissioned by Johnson Controls and the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).
More than 1,400 leaders at the front lines of energy management and efficiency were polled through an on-line survey, conducted in April 2009. The majority of respondents were chief executive officers, vice presidents, general managers or facility directors.
The Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey, a research report targeting professionals responsible for energy management, revealed barriers to investing in energy efficiency. These include limited funding, uncertainty about future energy prices, government incentives, and energy and climate legislation.
“These findings highlight the fact that business leaders across the U.S. are increasingly aware of the need for energy efficiency and its potential to reduce operating costs while cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” said C. David Myers, president of Johnson Controls Building Efficiency division. He added, though, that “Economic and regulatory uncertainty, however, are inhibiting organizations from investing in proactive measures.”
According to the EEI results, 71 percent of business leaders are paying more attention to energy efficiency than they were one year ago. Fifty-eight percent responded that energy management was extremely or very important. Of the organizations making public carbon commitments, 45 percent identified energy efficiency in buildings as their top carbon reduction strategy.
Don Young, vice president of communications for IFMA, said that the findings indicate, “that as the economy recovers, we will see greater investments in energy reduction and sustainable initiatives.”
Sustainability continues as a focus for new construction projects, as 38 percent are seeking green building certification, while 45 percent plan to incorporate green elements, but not certify their facilities.
The study also revealed a likely 10 percent decrease from last year in the use of facility capital budgets to fund energy efficiency projects. It also revealed a 6 percent decrease in the number of respondents planning to make investments using their operational budgets.
When asked about the barriers to capture potential energy savings, limited capital availability for investments (42 percent) and unattractive payback (21 percent) were cited. Nearly 50 percent of executives who oversee energy efficiency investments expect a payback period that is less than three years.
For more information about these findings, see the Johnson Controls Web site.
