Importantly, they do so at a high level of granularity – every six seconds if required – which produces more detailed information than relying on standard half hourly meter readings.


Analysing the information to identify trends is just as important as gathering it. At Sustain, our building optimisation team does just that to evaluate building performance and develop the best approach to tackling improvement of systems and communication with occupants. This strategic analysis allows the right decisions to be made.


Ongoing analysis of this data is important if an organisation is to establish the behaviour patterns of occupants and choose the most appropriate equipment upgrades, while assessing whether incentives designed to change behaviour are working.


Changing behaviour of people in offices presents a particular challenge – they do not pay the bills and it’s difficult for them to make a connection between their actions and the amount of energy they are using. This is often because they are only made aware of their energy use infrequently, if at all, and after a period of time.


So what practical measures can be taken to address this? A drive from the top down coupled with gathering momentum from bottom up gives the best chance of success. This relies on board members making energy saving a priority while putting the incentives in place to help occupiers become enthused and motivated about energy saving.


Creating an energy steering group is a good way of keeping carbon reduction top of mind. It ensures there is a focused group of interested individuals who have responsibility for making things happen rather than allowing the issue to drop off the agenda. This can be combined with workshops to educate employees and give them the practical know-how about making positive changes to their energy use.


Asking employees to make a personal commitment to energy saving in both the workplace and at home can also be effective. This can be accompanied by a league table so that ideas are shared. Rewarding those who


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have managed to sustain the change over a period of time or saved the most carbon can also inject an element of healthy competition.


Frequent information sharing sessions, which use feedback and analysis from the energy monitoring systems, are also important so that employees can see the fruits of their efforts on a regular basis.


Creating energy awareness in any organisation can be a slow process, but those who commit to both technology upgrades and a behaviour change strategy will have the greatest chance of success. Ideally, these elements should be co-ordinated so that further efficiencies can be made. For example, physical upgrades, such as automated controls of equipment, may not be needed if employees can be incentivised to make those savings through manual controls instead.


Communication across the company, at all levels, is absolutely imperative. It’s only through actively engaging people on this issue that positive changes can be made. Involving stakeholders in the creation of carbon reduction solutions inspires a greater sense of ownership and allows solutions to be tested across a number of groups to ensure they are suitable.


Effective behaviour change requires a powerful three- pronged approach – gathering accurate real-time energy data, which informs technology upgrades that work, alongside a robust and integrated behaviour change strategy. The three elements need to combine to form a holistic energy saving programme that draws on calculation, communication and collaboration. This will result in a smoother journey towards carbon reduction, setting organisations on a path that will see energy saving become standard practice.


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