Power: energy management

Energy strategy studies

utility management strategy studies

Halcrow's consultants have conducted a number of strategy studies for large users of energy and water. We have developed a philosophy based on the dual premise that (a) successful strategy must be based on proven tactics and (b) your organisation's people already have many of the answers.

mapping the territory

The process begins with a briefing from your project manager, to provide us with the background to your organisation, its long-term objectives, and an overview of your current arrangements for utility management.

We then begin in earnest auditing your procurement practices, information sources, record-keeping, reporting and budgetary control procedures. We gauge existing practice against the template of a utility-management process map which we have developed and refined over fifteen years of experience. This provides an exhaustive and very testing appraisal and invariably identifies many easily-achieved opportunities for improvement.

crunching numbers

Using our databases of performance indicators, historical market prices and weather conditions, we apply leading-edge analysis techniques to determine such things as the effectiveness of your past policies, the prevalence of 'avoidable waste' incidents (which give you a fund of no-cost opportunities), and how your installations compare with quantitative benchmarks. These studies underpin subsequent site-based investigations and provide objective baselines for subsequent recommendations.

'walk and talk'

Our expert staff conduct an intensive programme of semi-structured interviews. We meet as many people as we can, taking a cross-section at all levels from the cleaner to the chief executive and including key contractors (such as maintenance, security, and catering). We listen carefully to what they have to say, and later we form views about attitudes, awareness, the skills base and training needs, obstacles to progress, and - most importantly - opportunities, both technical and human.

Our team do look at technical energy-saving issues as well, but experience has taught us again to listen to what people tell us during technical surveys. Your junior employees and contractors may actually know more about what can be done than your managers do.

sensible conclusions

You need a practical and affordable strategy, which achieves your objectives without upsetting your existing corporate culture. However, by definition, some change will be needed in the way things are done. Our analysts will therefore prepare focused critiques of individual aspects of your utility management processes, and discuss their findings with you and interested colleagues in person (paradoxically, we find it easier to address critical findings face to face). Only when we are sure of our ground will we prepare the final strategy, again in consultation with those involved. We won't pull our punches, but you can rest assured we will be always be constructive and creative.