How Many Ways Can Your Portfolio Save Energy, Cut Costs and Make Life Easier?
August 24, 2026
Energy efficiency shouldn’t simply be a procurement decision. It needs to be a thoughtful, well-planned strategy based on what you really need and what is going to provide you with the most return.
Let’s start by turning on the lights.
The better the lighting, the easier it is to see the numbers:
- 50% - 70% Your typical energy savings by upgrading your lighting
- 2-4 years Your typical payback period to recoup your costs
And utility incentives can often cover from 20% - 40% of your project’s cost.
Improved lighting:
- Increases tenant satisfaction and that helps retention
- Lengthens the lifespan of your fixtures
- Reduces your maintenance burden
- Supports ESG reporting and sustainability commitments
Remember, lighting for your building isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The size, configuration, location, specific use cases and more add up to make your portfolio require a thoughtful strategy.
How well is your Building Management System managing?
A Building Management System (BMS) by its very definition is responsible for coordinating, monitoring and maintaining your lighting, HVAC, emergency systems, EV charging stations, battery backup and more. Your BMS is charged with giving you a single, clear view of your entire portfolio’s performance. That’s a pretty heavy load to carry.
Add to that, building performance standards in major metropolitan areas are getting tighter. An outstanding BMS helps you measure your infrastructure to make it easier to stay in compliance.
After all, your building should work as hard as you do. And smart building controls will connect every system into one, responsive network. Now your buildings can automatically adjust to changes in occupancy, weather, utility pricing and operational needs. You can even install an Enterprise Lighting Technology system (ELT), which is EMCs proprietary platform that gives multi-site portfolio managers real-time dashboards, automated reporting and centralized control.
What kind of outcome can you expect? How about a 15% - 35% additional energy use reduction on top of any lighting upgrades.
Might want to look at your HVAC system ASAP.
HVAC systems have the unfortunate fate of often being ignored until something goes wrong. And your old rooftop units (RTU), which are one of your buildings’ largest energy users, are more than likely well past their “use-by” dates.
An aging RTU isn’t just gobbling up energy, far more than it should. It’s driving up your maintenance costs, creating reliability issues that become frustrating to tenants and it represents deferred capital that’s compounding over time.
What could you save by replacing aged RTUs? 30%-50% on your energy costs. Less downtime and fewer maintenance and emergency calls. Better comfort and air quality for tenants. Instant support for ESG and carbon reduction goals. And extended life for your assets, which defers future capital expenditures.
One last item: when you combine new higher-efficiency RTUs with up-to-date building control systems you can reduce HVAC energy spend by as much as 60% versus your current baseline. Not bad, right?
Keeping your HVAC coils clean is like keeping your arteries unblocked.
Think of your HVAC unit as the heart of your building. When plaque invades the arteries, it causes your heart to work far too hard and far less efficiently. And that can lead to failure.
A rooftop unit installed last year — and not maintained — is already as much as 20% less efficient. The evaporator coils inside your existing HVAC units will accumulate biofilm, mold and particle build up that’s not only gross looking but it reduces heat transfer efficiency and forces your RTUs to work even harder. You can try cleaning them manually...but it’s a long, slow process that most often doesn’t completely eliminate the buildup. So you just have to do it again. And again. And so on. It’s costly and ultimately shortens the lifespan of your units.
Installing UV-C lamps is your answer. They continuously irradiate the evaporator coils, which continuously gets rid of the buildup. The result? No manual cleaning required. Energy consumption drops, which can result in typical energy use reduction of up to 20% per unit. And air quality is improved.
EV chargers? The future is already here.
By 2030, the U.S. will need 28 million EV charging stations, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Many of your tenants more than likely have EVs and being able to charge them at work would be a huge benefit.
Want to find ways to offset the cost of adding Level 2 and DC fast charging stations? Bundle the installation with other lighting and controls projects.
Whatever you do, you’re going to need site planning, incentives, experienced installers and ongoing monitoring and maintenance.
If you’re not finding incentives, you could be leaving money on the table.
Finding incentives for your project can save you a significant amount on your investment, anywhere from 5% to 100% of the cost. But finding the right incentives at the right time from the right utilities can be complicated. It helps to have a resource that has an in-house ability to monitor and take advantage of incentives on your behalf.
Utility incentives can take the form of lighting rebates, HVAC rebates, incentives for smart controls and tax credits/incentives for installing EV infrastructure.
Navigating the changes in incentive programs is a full-time job. Rules are changing constantly and deadlines are not negotiable. Applying for incentives requires technical documentation that most project teams simply don’t have the time or resources to provide. That’s why having a resource with a full-time incentives team can be critical.
Is your service actually serving you well?
“Fixing stuff that doesn’t work right” is certainly one definition of “service.” It’s essential to have a provider that can respond immediately. But you need service that goes well beyond repairs. How about a service provider that can conduct professional energy audits, fine-tune all of your HVAC and smart building control equipment, and alert you ahead of time that you will need to upgrade technology.
Service should also include annual system inspections, warranty claims management, replacement parts sourcing, and annual performance reports. In other words, a lifecycle approach to your lighting, HVAC, building management system, EV charging stations, and more. That’s how you’re going to save on maintenance costs as well as overall energy efficiency.
Oh, yes...and it’s important that you have a provider that covers all 50 states so, no matter where you have locations, you’re covered.
Battery Storage and Peak Shaving
Using batteries to store energy during off-peak hours to be used when there is peak demand can save you up to 50% on your utility bill over having to pay demand charges. It also provides power during outages and allows you to participate in utility demand response programs such as peak shaving, where building owners agree to lower electrical use for short periods during peak usage.
EaaS? How can whatever that is help you?
Energy as a Service (EaaS) delivers guaranteed utility savings without the up-front investment or the typical technology, performance or maintenance risks commonly associated with large-scale efficiency projects.
- No up-front cost
- Cash flow positive accelerated savings
- Potentially off-balance sheet financing
- No technology, performance or maintenance risks
At the end of the agreement, you own the assets and enjoy 100% of the efficiency savings going forward.
EaaS helps you break out of legacy procurement models that prevent you from moving forward with energy efficiency projects.
Think of EMC as the energy efficiency authority to help you create your strategy.
Energy Management Collaborative (EMC) is built to do what most energy firms can’t—help you with the entire process, from strategy to installation to ongoing service. And we do that without pushing you towards any specific products.
We provide an objectivity that’s harder to find than you’d think. We don’t sell or install solar panels, but if careful analysis indicates that’s what you need, then that’s exactly what we’ll recommend.
Since 2003, our proprietary EnergyMAXX® project management approach has delivered thousands of lighting and energy upgrade projects, saving clients more than 27 billion kWh. EnergyMAXX® covers prioritization, auditing, product sourcing, design, installation, and maintenance for LED lighting, building management systems, HVAC, and specialized projects across the U.S. That turnkey approach has helped EMC complete more than 2,000 locations in a single year.
Talk with us to see if we’re a fit for you.
Is it time for you to stop guessing what you need to create energy efficiency and start with a strategy? Connect with us below. And be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay current on what’s happening in energy management and how EMC is staying ahead of the field.
