Thought Leadership from Sieben Energy Associates

A groundbreaking interactive exhibit called Future Energy Chicago opened at the world-renowned museum in the fall of 2013. Sieben Energy Associates played an important role in the development of the Museum of Science and Industry exhibit, uncovering and validating the simulation data for the real-world scenarios encountered by museum guests.

MSI describes the grounding of the simulation in real-world data that Sieben Energy Associates contributed to the exhibit: "The Future Energy Chicago Simulation is based upon real-world information and data. MSI partnered with Sieben Energy Associates to seek out, organize, and interpret the data, which provided the basis for the simulation game's scoring system."

IKEA, the home furnishings company, has a stated goal of becoming "energy independent" by 2020. Their plan for energy independence required a substantial investment of time and resources. IKEA developed their strategic plan following several years of painstaking energy data collection, extensive energy audits, and an assessment of portfolio energy needs. 

In "How IKEA Plans to Take Its Buildings Energy-Neutral", an article published on GreenBiz.com, author Judith Nemes describes IKEA's business case for pursuing energy independence, and their steps to date towards achieving their goal. As the article notes, Sieben Energy Associates served a critical energy consulting role for IKEA.

Jerry Burin and Phil Keuhn of Sieben Energy Associates discuss the benefits of accessing information about energy-consuming systems in an article titled "The Energy Doctor Is In" from the November 2012 issue of Facility Management Journal.

A building's "vital signs" (system performance and trending data) provide energy engineers the opportunity to identify and implement efficiency measures and verify energy savings.

​Energy data is collected and analyzed as never before. Nearly every industry has been revolutionized by the continuous processing of numbers at unprecedented speed and scale. Purposeful data analysis elicits new perspectives on how value is assigned to products and services. Data collection and handling is important, yet we find that the value is in the interpretation as well as the response. 

While there are costs associated with data management, if leveraged appropriately the advantages will produce significant ROI. The more accurate and in-depth the data analysis, the more value is derived from it. The same is true of data use: the more an organization uses data to inform day-to-day operations and to develop long-term goals, the greater the return.

Energy planning has become essential business practice at many major corporations. Understandably, smaller organizations have been slower to join the trend. Now may be the time to act. After falling sharply during the recession, energy prices are expected to escalate substantially in the near future. In addition, sustainability and energy benchmarks have become increasingly important to potential customers and investors looking to differentiate organizations. For these reasons, an actionable, effective energy plan is a valuable tool in the hands of leadership of any organization, large or small. 

This overview of energy planning first examines how select corporations have integrated energy into their strategic planning. Regardless of size, industry, budget, or location, thinking about energy and implementing steps to improve energy consumption and procurement have the potential to reduce cost, improve efficiency, and excite existing and potential clients and customers. Whether you employ four, four hundred, or forty thousand people, a realistic energy plan can help sustain and grow your business.Copy this template before you save.