We run a frozen foods plant . Our energy bills are one of the biggest expenses outside of labor. We’ve done basic stuff like lighting upgrades and maintenance routines, but there are always new suggestions: heat recovery, refrigeration controls, variable drives, etc.
As someone on the business side, it’s hard to know which projects are just “nice to have” vs. what actually moves the needle.
Would love to hear how others prioritize upgrades.
That’s a common struggle, Danielle. It’s hard to separate what’s impactful from what’s just trendy. All the suggested projects could result in a strong ROI based on your energy usage profile and breakdowns, which can help prioritize the projects based on payback and total annual savings. Your regional ITAC can provide a no-cost energy assessment for your facility which could help provide insights into your load profile and impacts from various energy efficiency projects and their paybacks, allowing managements to prioritize them. Feel free to connect with your regional ITAC and we are also happy to help you connect with them.
That makes sense. We’d definitely be interested in a no-cost assessment to get some real numbers and project paybacks. Can you help us connect with the ITAC that covers Alabama or the Southeast region?