How to Help National Businesses Cut Energy Waste Across Every Territory

For businesses operating hundreds or thousands of locations across multiple states and utility territories, consistently managing energy costs is a major challenge. Energy and sustainability teams need portfolio-wide results, but identifying and correcting operational inefficiencies at individual locations can take more time and resources than teams can spare.

Much of the opportunity is hiding in plain sight. HVAC running after closing, lights left on overnight, and heating equipment operating in mild weather can quietly drive up electricity use. Across a national portfolio, these inefficiencies add up to substantial, recurring costs.

Power TakeOff’s Virtual Commissioning® (VCx®) program helps utilities and their national customers address this challenge at scale. Using utility smart-meter data and expert analysis, VCx identifies operational waste, prioritizes locations by savings potential, and guides facilities teams through targeted fixes remotely, without requiring capital projects.

For national businesses, that means a practical way to improve energy performance across existing locations. For utility key account managers and implementation partners, it offers a repeatable approach to delivering measurable savings across customer portfolios and utility territories.

What It Looks Like at Scale: A National Apparel Retailer

A national apparel retailer with approximately 2,500 U.S. locations partnered with Power TakeOff to identify energy savings across its portfolio. Since 2023, VCx has delivered results at 68 participating locations across 11 states and 20 utility territories:

• 16% average reduction in electricity use per participating store
• 3.11 GWh in annual electricity savings
• $350,100 in recurring annual savings

The savings came from practical operational changes. VCx identified excess overnight lighting and HVAC schedules that did not match store hours. The retailer incorporated lighting checks into its existing security-camera review, avoiding the need for additional headcount or a separate process, and aligned HVAC schedules with operating hours.

Building on these results, the retailer is now reviewing more than 400 additional locations, creating an opportunity to extend the program’s impact across a much larger portion of its portfolio.

The example illustrates how a repeatable process can uncover and address energy waste across multiple utility territories while asking relatively little of local facilities teams.

How VCx Works

VCx combines smart-meter analytics, expert guidance, and measurement and verification to identify operational inefficiencies, support corrective action, and track results over time.

1. Portfolio screening. VCx analyzes interval smart-meter data to identify unusual consumption patterns and prioritize locations by savings potential, without installing additional monitoring hardware.
2. Expert review. A Power TakeOff Energy Advisor works with facilities personnel to investigate likely causes, such as HVAC schedules that do not match operating hours or equipment settings changed during a service call and never restored.
3. Targeted recommendations. Facilities teams receive specific operational adjustments, including changes to HVAC schedules, temperature settings, and equipment controls.
4. Measurement and verification. Power TakeOff uses its Verify™ M&V platform to model energy savings and track performance. Verify supports whole-building IPMVP Option C modeling, with transparent savings calculations and audit trails that help demonstrate program results.
5. Ongoing monitoring. Continued analysis helps identify operational drift, track performance, and uncover additional savings opportunities. Portfolio-level modeling and automated alerts can help program teams identify underperforming projects that may need further investigation.

Verify supports energy-savings modeling using hourly, daily, or monthly data, with support for independent variables and non-routine events. This provides a framework to evaluate savings, track performance over time, and support program-level forecasting and planning.

Together, VCx and Verify link operational waste identification to measurable results. For energy and sustainability teams, this helps demonstrate portfolio performance. For utilities and implementation partners, it supports tracking and evaluating savings across customer locations and programs.

What You Need to Know About the Program

• Utility-funded. VCx is delivered through utility demand-side management programs, with Power TakeOff engaged through the utility. There are no additional costs to participate in the program.
• Minimal effort for customers. Energy or Facilities teams spend less than 30 minutes per site. There are no site visits, tenant disruption, or new software to learn.
• Works with existing systems. VCx works alongside existing building automation systems, helping identify operational drift and inefficiencies that can persist between equipment upgrades and other capital projects.
• Established delivery. Power TakeOff partners with more than 30 utilities across North America, bringing experience in delivering energy savings across diverse customer portfolios.
• Supports sustainability reporting. Meter-verified energy reductions can strengthen the energy and emissions data underlying sustainability reporting. Depending on the applicable framework and requirements, these data may also support relevant GRESB indicators and building performance standard reporting.

For national businesses, the result is a practical way to reduce energy costs and improve existing building performance without waiting for major capital projects. For utilities and implementation partners, VCx can complement existing efficiency offerings by addressing operational opportunities that might otherwise go undetected.

Commercial Office Results

The same approach can deliver measurable savings in other building types, demonstrating its potential across commercial portfolios.

At a REIT-owned building, Power TakeOff recommended changes to boiler and chiller lockout temperatures, an extreme-weather operating plan, and staggered equipment start-ups. The building reduced annual electricity use by nearly 25%, saving 881,000 kWh, and generated $88,100 in annual net operating income. At a 7% capitalization rate, that NOI increase represents approximately $1.25 million in estimated property value. The changes required no capital investment and maintained occupant comfort.

This example shows how operational improvements can benefit commercial office properties and retail portfolios. Results vary by building, operating conditions, and the opportunities identified.

What VCx Is, and What It Isn’t

VCx does not replace equipment upgrades, comprehensive retrofits, or long-term capital planning. It addresses operational waste that can persist while larger projects compete for budget.

By improving the performance of existing equipment and building systems, VCx complements capital-focused programs and gives customers another way to reduce energy use and operating costs. It can also help utility teams and implementation partners extend the impact of existing efficiency offerings.

Bring VCx to Your National Accounts

For utility key account managers, VCx offers a concrete way to help national customers reduce energy costs across multiple locations. For energy and sustainability teams, it identifies operational savings opportunities across existing buildings without requiring capital projects. Implementation partners can also explore how VCx complements their existing program delivery.

To learn more about the VCx program, visit https://powertakeoff.com/national-portfolios/. To schedule a free portfolio consultation, visit powertakeoff.com/contact-us.

 

Bridget Bray is Director of Partnerships, where she leads the management of the company’s corporate partnerships with National Accounts and Commercial Real Estate owners and operators.