Operations & Maintenance

Best Practices for Energy Management

O&M Energy Management Guide

Ten Steps to Operational Efficiency

Building a company mantra focused on energy efficiency is more important than any tool, guide, software, or automation system. This will ultimately save property owners and operators money and significantly lessen the burden of compliance.

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides the following “10 Steps to Operational Efficiency.” These 10 steps can be useful even for an incredibly small building operation with little to no budget for O&M technology. They are listed below:

    • Consider developing a maintenance mission statement and requesting/requiring management sign-off.

    • Consider developing a maintenance plan and requesting/requiring management sign-off. 

    • Begin the development of the OMETA [Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Training, and Administration] linkages.

    • Develop key points of contact within other departments that can participate in the O&M mission.

    • Understand where O&M time is spent. 

    • Understand where O&M dollars are spent. 

    • Strongly consider purchasing or enhancing a Computerized Maintenance Management System and commit to its implementation and use.  

    • Make a list of these systems and prioritize them.

    • Begin base-lining/tracking this system: operations, maintenance history, system costs, time to service, downtime, resulting overtime, etc.

    • Define how to properly operate and maintain this system. 

    • Define and complete operator training needs. 

    • Define and complete maintenance training needs.

    • Review Building Automation Systems (BAS) options. 

    • Take time to understand the data and changes over time.

    • Look for and develop “project opportunities” including appropriate cost justification metrics.

    • Start small, pick a project that will be a winner. 

    • Carefully document all findings. 

    • Present success in terms management will understand.

    • Consider writing an internal success story/case study. 

    • Submit finding to trade publication or industry conference.

    • Steps 1 and 2 are ongoing activites!