INDIANAPOLIS, IN  Steve Heinz, the Founder and CEO at the software company, EnergyCAP, addressed the topic of leaving an energy management legacy at a recent meeting of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).

Noting that the process is neither easy nor quick, Heinz said that, "creating an energy management legacy changes the organizational culture so that efficiency and sustainability become permanent priorities."

He said that the first step in making the overhaul is to show the value of energy efficiency to the organization on an initial and continuing basis.

While collecting and showing that value is important, he also said "measuring energy information is not that helpful unless people are held accountable for their continuing performance."

By implementing accountability processes, awareness of the issue is raised, and it becomes possible to track performance and reward success. In order to make certain that an energy management program is not short-lived, he recommended setting "visionary stretch goals as well as intermediary goals."