We're continuing our journey through 13 different services offered by sustainability consultants, and today we're focusing on the #8 most popular type of offering:
8. Energy Auditing and Operational Efficiency (31.2%)
Realizing efficiencies in energy use and business operations.
This was certainly the most difficult topic to narrow down as it includes auditing in the sense of energy use as well as business operations, which are not always related. This category started simply as energy efficiency, but during the research it became evident that there was often a crossover between those that did energy efficiency and operational efficiency. So while energy is almost always a core element of the operational efficiency service, operational efficiency covers a much broader set of issues including water, waste, packaging, employee training, etc.
This category of "energy auditing and operational efficiency" consists of companies that primarily offer energy/operations auditing, but also may include more sustainability strategy-focused services in their arsenal. Many of the consultants that focus on "greening" business operations offer help for clients seeking to earn any of the hundreds of green certifications now available.
Common Jargon and Terminology: Green Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, Energy Audits, Green Operations, etc.
Where You’ve Seen It: Energy Advantage offers an enterprise-wide program framework - total energy and environmental management, or TEEM - that is comprised of managed services, systematic processes and comprehensive data analysis. Green Profit Solutions offers a proprietary green business certification. Balanced Scorecard Institute offers consulting and with a primary focus on its certification, which is rooted in green business operations.
See the other types of sustainability consulting we've already covered:
- #1: Strategic Planning and Implementation
- #2: Training/Education
- #3: Marketing/Communication
- #4: Sustainability Reporting
- #5: Stakeholder Engagement
- #6: Benchmarking and Competitive Analysis
- #7: Built Environment Consulting
Check out our past blogs to follow the “State of the Sustainability Consulting Industry” series:
- What Sustainability Consulting Is (and Isn’t),
- Types of Sustainability Consulting Organizations,
- By the Numbers: U.S. Sustainability Consulting Market,
- and State of the Sustainability Consulting Industry to learn more about the background for these findings.
If you are a new or aspiring sustainability consultant and would like to take your practice to the next level, check out the 2013 Consultant Cohort: a 6-month intensive program hosted by the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) and led by SSC President Jennifer Woofter.