Building the business case for energy efficiency projects

 

Training and one-on-one project support to help energy practitioners improve the success-rate of business case proposals for energy efficiency projects

 

 

• How can I use my 15 hours of post training one-on-one project support?

 

There are a number of different ways in which your one-on-one project support can be used. The aim is to identify a specific focus that will improve the success rate of business case proposals in your organisation or your client's organisation.

 

Three recent examples are:

 

1. Review and improve an existing business case proposal

A training participant had recently submitted a business case proposal for a large project to the organisation's Board. While the Board did not reject the project outright, they have requested additional information and greater clarity in the proposal before it is resubmitted. The participant is currently working with the training consultants to rewrite the proposal. This will include restructuring the proposal for greater clarity and impact, reviewing the assumptions that underpin the financial value proposition and conducting sensitivity analysis on three relevant scenarios.

 

2. A plan to improve the development of and decision making protocols for business case proposals

A training participant has recently been successful in obtaining funding and support for a large solar PV project. Building on the success of this proposal the participant is working with the consultants that delivered the training to identify the most effective strategies to streamline the business case process for energy efficiency projects. Strategies being considered include bundling projects to enhance the commercial viability of projects, establishing technology-specific cross functional teams to develop business case proposals and leveraging a recent organisational restructure to integrate energy efficiency considerations into the organisations business planning processes.

 

3. Improving the ability of an air conditioning consultant to communicate the value of energy efficiency in projects

A specialist air conditioning consultant has found it challenging to compete with equipment suppliers and consultants offering technology options to clients that offer lower cost upfront but high life cycle costs. The training consultants are reviewing and improving existing business case proposals and working with the air conditioning consultant to develop a client presentation that will highlight the business drivers for and multiple benefits of more energy efficient solutions. An additional output is the development of a business case proposal template that the consultant will use to enhance the clarity and impact of future proposals.