ABSTRACT

Energy master planning (EMP) is the process of transitioning an organization's culture from the traditional “fixed cost, line item” view of energy to one in which energy is recognized as both an opportunity and a risk that can be managed. An EMP can guide an organization in longer-range planning of energy cost reduction and control as part of facility maintenance, management, and design. Though an EMP encompasses traditional efforts to cut energy costs, it also includes many steps not usually taken under conventional, technically oriented energy management, including energy procurement, energy-related equipment purchasing, measurement and verification (M&V), staffing and training, communications, and setting energy consumption targets and tracking/feedback loop systems. A critical difference between energy master planning and traditional energy management is an orientation toward the future. An EMP deals with a longer timeframe than just simple payback periods and goes beyond merely reducing energy use. EMP requires sustained commitment from top levels of an organization down through the rank and file, a dedicated energy manager, and creation of an energy team with membership from across the organization.