Presenting Energy Information to Decision Makers Therese Dorau National Association of Counties
Happy Earth Day! 2
Overview Introduction Value of Communicating Energy Data Interactive Case Study Four Corners of Communication
Who Am I?
National Association of Counties Only national organization that represents U.S. counties. NACo works to: Lobby on behalf of county government Educate people about role of county government Educate county leaders and staff Assist counties in operating efficiently 2,340 members, 75% of America s counties.
NACo Green Government Initiative Initiative areas include: Energy Efficiency and Renewables Waste Management and Recycling Green Building Green Jobs Green Purchasing Air Quality Water Conservation Green Fleet Management
Who Are You?
Why Are We Here? Facility management staff as knowledge workers Collaborating across organizations Tight budgets require increasing justification for requests Direct relationship between energy costs and success metrics Show value of active energy management/procurement
Value of Energy Data Identify inefficient facilities Catch billing errors Identify energy consumption trends and patterns Benchmark and compare Prepare budgets Generate sustainability reports Track impacts of facility upgrades or operational changes Get best energy rate or buy from market
Electricity Intensity (kwh/sq ft) Data Tells a Story not a priority data center lighting upgrades benchmarks and targets no information innovative operations Green Team! Square Footage 10
The most helpful case study is yours!
Case Study Worksheet Project Title: 12
Goals for Communication What did we learn from my data? What conclusion would I most like to share? What action would I like to see from communicating this message? Bring it all together: What is my goal?
Case Study Worksheet Goals For Communication: What did we learn from data? What conclusion to share? What action from communicating this message? 14
Now So What? What?
Four Corners of Communication Relevant Digestible Credible Actionable
Four Corners of Communication Relevant Digestible Credible Actionable
Relevant Know your audience Is the information timely? Make it meaningful
Relevant Know your audience What drives them? What does their boss need? What are their limitations? Who are their stakeholders? How do they like to communicate? How much detail will they want? What personality traits should I note?
Relevant Is the information timely? Connect to current interest or issue Let leadership know the information is coming
Relevant Audience: Case Study Worksheet Audience Notes: Why is this info timely? 21
Relevant Make it meaningful Kilo-WHAT? Let s talk about selecting metrics
Relevant EFFORT VALUE Measurement (Raw data) Performance Metric Raw Data + Methodology (Point in time) Progress Metric Data in Context + Methodology (View over time)
Relevant Make it meaningful Convert to engaging metrics (jobs, cars, trees, or good ole DOLLARS) Use relative metrics kw or kwh per sq ft, per occupant, per output Consider metrics needed for other reporting What goals/targets apply to your work?
Relevant Alameda County, CA Electricity 4.5 M kwh 4,500 MWh Coal 25 Rail cars Households 400 Homes
Relevant Make it Meaningful (con t) Several online calculators available Emissions: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energyresources/calculator.html
Meaningful Case Study Worksheet What metrics and relative metrics do we currently use? What are goals, targets, or reporting requirements at my organization? What metrics will resonate most? 27
Four Corners of Communication Relevant Digestible Credible Actionable
Digestible Simple and concise Easy to read
Digestible Simple and concise Written preferred, verbal via elevator speech ONE key takeaway Executive summary Walk them through Avoid jargon, use simpler words whenever possible
Digestible Easy to read Visually appealing don t be afraid of headers, colors, white space As short as possible Use charts when possible
Digestible Chart tips Charts > Tables > Bullets > Paragraphs Stick to basic chart types Remove excess backgrounds, lines, tick marks and other distractions Don t try to say too much Imagine the cut-and-paste scenario Double-check your numbers
Digestible Electricity Use (kwh) Electricity Usage 14,000 12,000 2006 Electricity Use (kwh) 10,000 8,000 6,000 2007 Electricity Use (kwh) 4,000 2,000 0 Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Digestible Case Study Worksheet Ideas for charts? 34
Four Corners of Communication Relevant Digestible Credible Actionable
Credible Data-driven Gather outside examples Cite technical resources Build trust
Credible Data-driven May help to have smart meters, sub-meters, or data loggers Choose data that spotlights or gives context to a problem or a new discovery Leave much of the data out or include in an appendix
Credible Data-driven Redundancy Document all sources, show all calculations Use standardized units, conversion factors, definitions (e.g. EIA or ISO)
Credible Gather outside examples Build list of case studies for organizations like yours Check industry websites (ESCOs, etc) Identify case study repositories (such as NACo s Green Government Database) Check out webinars, newsletters, and Faccebook pages Network!
Credible Cite technical resources Research trusted experts in the field Look toward your regional organizations
Credible Building Trust Weigh industry info before sharing Always be honest Don t exaggerate claims Base recommendations on data
Credible Case Study Worksheet What data will I need to gather? What other resources can I think of? Or where can I look? Who can I ask? What other organizations have done this successfully? 42
Four Corners of Communication Relevant Digestible Credible Actionable
Actionable Before you write, be sure to identify your target outcome.
Actionable Clearly state ask and benefit Highlight next steps Suggest responsible parties Identify knowledge gaps Provide cost estimates or suggested equipment Identify a timeline or deadline
Actionable Case Study Worksheet What is the ask? What are the next steps? Who will be the responsible parties? 46
Case Study Worksheet Actionable (con t) What knowledge gaps do you anticipate? Will you be able to provide cost estimates or suggest equipment? What is the timeline or deadline? 47
Take it Home! Use these tips and this Case Study framework to communicate Facility Management requests and successes to decisionmakers. 48
Thank You! Therese Dorau tdorau@naco.org www.naco.org/greencounties 49
Presenting Energy Information to Decision Makers: Case Study Worksheet FacilityDude University, April 22, 2013 Project Title: Goal for Communication: Relevant Audience: Audience Notes: Why is this info timely? Meaningful What metrics and relative metrics do we currently use? What are some goals, targets, or reporting requirements at my organization? What metrics will resonate most? 1
What relative metrics will resonate most? Digestible Ideas for charts? Credible What data will I need to gather? What other resources can I think of? Or where can I look? Who can I ask? What other organizations have done this successfully? 2
Actionable What is the ask? What are the next steps? Who will be the responsible parties? What knowledge gaps do you anticipate? Will you be able to provide cost estimates or suggest equipment? What is the timeline or deadline? 3