Energy Management
Capital-intensive projects where entitlement, financing, construction, and tenancy require multi-party coordination.
Inside this journey
-
Portfolio & Site Discovery
Capture portfolio energy baselines, failed-audit findings, tenant constraints, and decision-makers to define target savings and risks.
Discovery Questions
Quick Intro: Tell Us About Your Portfolio
- How many buildings are you responsible for today, and what are the dominant property types (e.g., mid-rise office, strip retail)?
- Which single building would you pick for a pilot if you had to choose one right now, and why that building?
- Roughly what percentage of your portfolio was built before 2000?
- What are the top three goals ownership has asked you to deliver this year (select up to 3)?
- Who will be our primary day-to-day contact during discovery and pilot?
Are You Comfortable With 'Good Enough' Energy?
- If you had to put a number on it, how confident are you that your current energy use is already optimized?
- When you see a spike or a higher-than-expected bill, what do you typically do—and how long does it take to resolve?
- Have past energy audits or assessments ever produced recommendations you didn’t implement? If yes, which kinds and why?
- How would missed savings make you feel internally—embarrassed in front of ownership, frustrated with vendors, or something else?
- What would have to be true for you to believe a controls retrofit could pay for itself within 24 months?
Where the Money Is Leaking (But Nobody's Noticing)
- Which recurring energy behaviors frustrate you the most—systems running off-schedule, weekend HVAC use, or large overnight loads?
- Can you share a recent month where utility costs felt out of line—and what you suspect caused it?
- How often do tenants or staff report comfort complaints that you suspect are actually control or scheduling issues?
- Which hours of the week do you suspect have the biggest waste (select all that apply)?
- If we could reduce those waste hours by 30%, how would that change your operational priorities?
Decision-Makers, Politics, and 'Who Signs the Check?'
- Who ultimately approves capital or O&M spend for projects like this—and how long does that approval typically take?
- Who else influences the decision—tenants, sustainability teams, procurement, or local government—and what role do they play?
- Have you ever lost a deal internally because projected savings felt unrealistic? Tell us what skepticism looked like.
- What political or organizational risks keep you awake when considering a pilot—tenant pushback, CAPEX limits, or vendor reliability?
- What proof or assurances do you need to move from pilot to portfolio roll‑out—audited savings, tenant satisfaction, executive buy‑in, or something else?
Tenant Experience: Comfort, Complaints, and Hidden Constraints
- If we optimize aggressively, how concerned are you that tenants will notice temperature or lighting changes?
- Do any tenants have contract clauses or service-level expectations that limit HVAC changes, after-hours access, or sensor installation?
- How many tenant comfort complaints do you receive on average per month, and which are most common (cold, hot, drafty, lighting)?
- What’s the emotional impact on you and your team when tenants complain—do you feel reactive, blamed, or resigned?
- Are there tenant hours or spaces (e.g., retail lobbies, data closets, labs) we must avoid touching or that require special coordination?
Technical Reality Check: BAS, Networks, and Data Hygiene
- Do your buildings share a common BAS or are they a patchwork of different systems and vintages?
- Which BAS brands or protocols are present across your properties (select all that apply)?
- How accessible is historical utility and interval data for the buildings you want to target—easy download, requires utility authorization, or not available?
- Have you previously connected any third-party analytics or energy platforms to your network? If so, what worked or failed?
- How comfortable is your IT team with installing sensors that rely on Wi‑Fi or building LANs, and what security concerns do they raise?
Pilot Criteria: What Success Actually Looks Like
- If a pilot could only prove one thing to you and your stakeholders, what should that one thing be—measured $ savings, tenant satisfaction, or operational simplicity?
- What minimum percent savings or dollar reduction would make a pilot a clear win for you?
- How long would you expect to run a pilot before deciding on a portfolio roll‑out?
- Which acceptance criteria must be met for you to sign off on success (select up to 3)?
- What level of measurement & verification rigor do you prefer—internal reporting, third‑party audit, or utility/ESCO verification?
Risks You'd Rather Not Admit (and How They Would Show Up)
- What’s the single biggest risk you worry a retrofit would create—tenant backlash, extended HVAC downtime, or inaccurate savings?
- Have you experienced failed installations or pilots before? If yes, describe what went wrong and how it felt to your team.
- How much HVAC downtime is acceptable per unit during install, and are evenings/weekends available for most sites?
- What contingency or rollback expectations would you need built into a pilot contract to feel safe?
- If a pilot underdelivered, how would you prefer we address it—refund, extended optimization, or performance guarantees?
If Everything Went Perfect: What Would That Feel Like?
- Imagine the ideal outcome 12 months after rollout—what are three measurable things that prove success?
- Beyond savings, what softer outcomes would matter—tenant NPS, lower service calls, or improved workplace ratings?
- How would you like savings and comfort metrics presented—daily dashboards, weekly summaries, or quarterly executive briefs?
- If a landlord or board asked for a headline metric to share publicly, what single KPI would you choose (e.g., % energy reduction, $ savings, or CO2 avoided)?
- What would success free you up to do differently in your role?
First Steps — Commitments, Access, and Next Actions
- What documents or approvals will we need to get started—utility bills, site access forms, or tenant consent?
- How quickly could you provide 12–24 months of metered utility data for our pilot building?
- Who will provide access on install days and who signs off on completed installs?
- What installation windows are available at your pilot site—weeknights, weekends, or daytime with tenant notices?
- Realistically, how ready are you to start a pilot in the next 90 days—ready, need approvals, or longer timeline?
-
Solution Experience
Use the customer’s utility data and a pilot-building scenario to model projected savings, tenant impact, and the calibrated future state.
Experience Meetings
- Solution Experience Prep & Data Confirmation
- Modeling Workshop: Baseline Analysis & Consequence Quantification
- Pilot Scenario Review — Calibrated Future State Proof
- Tenant & Facilities Impact Review
- Validation Criteria, Reporting & Commercial Alignment
- Set monitoring cadence and SLAs for rapid response during calibration.
- Both parties to sign off on M&V acceptance criteria and the pilot measurement window.
- One‑Sentence Future State
- Customer explicitly validates the calibrated future state as solving the named consequences.
- Agreement on tenant impact mitigation and operational runbook for pilot execution.
- Decision to proceed to pilot deployment planning or list of required iterations.
- If approved, seller to produce a signed pilot scope-and-install plan with dates and owners.
- If not approved, seller to capture feedback, adjust model inputs, and schedule a focused follow-up within 5 business days.
- Customer to confirm on-site contact, approvals, and tenant notification windows required for installation.
- Review Tenant Constraints & Acceptance Criteria
- Ensure tenant comfort risks are mitigated with concrete communication and escalation processes.
- Assign facilities operations owners and training schedule for pilot support.
- Introductions & Meeting Objectives
- Seller to provide tenant notification templates and a 1‑page occupant FAQ.
- Customer to supply tenant contact list, any lease constraints, and approve notification windows.
- Schedule a 60‑minute ops training session during pilot install week.
- M&V Plan Review
- Agree on rigorous M&V criteria and the reporting artifacts that will serve as the single source of truth.
- Set the commercial link between verified savings and pricing/rollout commitments.
- Establish remediation and reconciliation paths if pilot results deviate from projections.
- Seller to deliver the final M&V plan and dashboard template for customer review and sign-off.
- Customer to confirm signatories, decision dates, and any required procurement milestones.
- Both parties to record the pilot-to-rollout commercial trigger conditions in the pilot scope document.
- Produce a crystal-clear one-sentence current state agreed by both parties.
- Quantify the top-line consequence that gives urgency to the pilot (cost, comfort disruption, compliance risk).
- Confirm complete data set and ownership for delivery so modeling can proceed without assumptions.
- Agree on pilot building and immediate scope boundaries.
- Customer to upload 12–24 months of utility bills, BAS logs (1–5 min granularity if available), floor plans, and tenant constraints.
- Seller to create a short data intake checklist and confirm access credentials and delivery deadlines.
- Schedule the Modeling Workshop with relevant technical and decision-making attendees.
- Re‑state Current State & Consequence
- Validate baseline numbers and ensure the diagnosis is data-driven and undisputed.
- Produce a quantified consequence (dollars, kWh, % of baseline) tied to the current state.
- Agree on pilot scenario assumptions so the model output becomes a provable forecast, not a product tour.
- Set explicit M&V acceptance criteria and validation owners for the pilot.
- Seller to deliver the baseline analysis report, model inputs, and sensitivity charts within 3 business days.
- Customer to confirm or correct pilot assumptions and provide any missing BAS/occupancy data.
- Demonstrated Comfort Outcomes
- Data Feeds & Dashboard Walkthrough
- One‑Sentence Current State
- Baseline Utility & Load Profile Review
- Model Outputs Tied to Problems (Diagnosis → Proof)
- Commercial Mapping: Pilot → Rollout Triggers
- Consequence Summary (impact statement)
- Tenant Comfort Simulation & Impact Mapping
- Failure Modes & Tenant Constraints
- Tenant Notification & Escalation Plan
- Operational Runbook Overview
- Pilot Scenario Assumptions
- Required Data & Prework Checklist
- Risk, Remediation & Reconciliation
- Facilities Ops Readiness & Training
- Decision & Validation Checkpoint
- Monitoring & Rapid Response
- Next Steps & Decision Timeline
- Live Savings Model: Projected Energy & Cost Reductions
- Pilot Building & Scope Confirmation
- Sensitivity & Risk Analysis
- Define M&V Acceptance Gates
-
Solution Scope
Define buildings in-scope, sensor/controller modules, integration points, pilot duration, installation windows, and M&V acceptance criteria.
Scope Configuration
- Install networked occupancy and ambient sensors
- Install and wire smart HVAC controllers
- Install networked lighting control modules and daylight sensors
- Integrate controllers with Building Automation System (BACnet/Modbus)
- Deploy cloud monitoring dashboard and provision user accounts
- Commission sensors and controllers for system functionality
- Execute 4–6 week occupancy learning calibration run
- Activate automated demand response and peak curtailment controls
- Perform firmware, cybersecurity, and device updates
- Provide monthly remote optimization and setpoint tuning
- On-site preventive maintenance and hardware inspections
- Replace faulty sensors and hardware swap-outs
- Install outdoor weather station and forecast integration
- Deliver monthly verified energy savings statement (utility-reconciled)
Scope Questions
Install networked occupancy and ambient sensors
- How many distinct zones or rooms should occupancy/ambient sensors be installed in?
- What space types will be instrumented?
- Are there tenant or landlord restrictions for visible sensor installation (e.g., no drilling, concealment required)?
- Is mains power available at planned mounting locations or should sensors be battery-powered?
- Do you require privacy-preserving occupancy modes (no cameras, anonymized counts) or tamper-resistant housings?
- Specify any preferred mounting heights, locations to avoid, or aesthetic constraints.
Install and wire smart HVAC controllers
- Approximately how many HVAC units, VAV boxes, or control points are in scope per building?
- Which types of HVAC equipment will require controllers?
- Is existing control wiring and terminal space available at the equipment control panels?
- Will controller installation require scheduled HVAC downtime (evenings/weekends) or can it be done live?
- Are there site safety, lockout/tagout, or vendor credential requirements for contractor crews?
- Provide any access constraints, electrical panel locations, or preferred installation windows.
Install networked lighting control modules and daylight sensors
- How many lighting circuits or fixture groups are targets for control per building?
- Do fixtures support line-voltage dimming, require smart ballasts/drivers, or need retrofit modules?
- Are daylight sensors required near windows/skylights and should they be networked for zoning?
- What level of zoning control is needed (per-room, per-floor, façade-side, whole-floor)?
- Is there an existing lighting control system or PLC we must integrate with?
- List any tenant aesthetics, fixture warranty considerations, or emergency lighting constraints.
Integrate controllers with Building Automation System (BACnet/Modbus)
- Is there an existing BAS on site to integrate with?
- Which communication protocols are supported by the on-site BAS or preferred for integration?
- Will you provide BAS network access, device point lists, and credentials for integration?
- Are there IP addressing, VLAN, firewall, or VPN requirements that affect integration?
- Who is the BAS owner or contact (vendor/third-party) for coordination and scheduling?
- Are there any cybersecurity policies or required network traversal procedures (jump boxes, bastion hosts)?
Deploy cloud monitoring dashboard and provision user accounts
- How many users and what role types should be provisioned initially?
- Which roles should be available (Owner, Facilities Manager, Energy Analyst, Tenant Rep, IT Admin)?
- Do you require Single Sign-On (SSO) or SAML/OAuth integration with existing identity providers?
- What reporting cadence and data granularity do you need (real-time, hourly, daily, monthly)?
- Do you need integrations or data exports to third-party reporting tools (PowerBI, Tableau) or APIs?
- If integrations required, list preferred tools, API endpoints, or export formats.
Commission sensors and controllers for system functionality
- Do you require factory acceptance testing (FAT), on-site commissioning, or both?
- Which commissioning standards or deliverables are required (ASHRAE, manufacturer checklist, owner spec)?
- Which functional tests should be performed (occupancy detection, setpoint control, schedules, alarms)?
- Who is the authorized sign-off authority for commissioning completion?
- Do you require as-built documentation, point-to-point wiring diagrams, and commissioning reports?
- Preferred dates or windows for commissioning activities and any blackout periods to avoid.
Execute 4–6 week occupancy learning calibration run
- What calibration duration do you prefer for the pilot learning run?
- Should calibration occur during normal operations or include simulated occupancy/test events?
- Are there seasonal events, holidays, or special tenant operations occurring during the proposed calibration window?
- What minimum average occupancy level is expected during calibration to yield valid learning (Low/Medium/High)?
- Will tenants be notified about the learning period and potential temporary comfort variations?
- Do you want interim performance reviews (weekly checkpoints) during calibration?
Activate automated demand response and peak curtailment controls
- Does the site currently participate in utility or aggregator demand response programs?
- Which DR signal types should be supported (OpenADR, utility manual dispatch, aggregator API)?
- Are there tenant-critical loads or protected equipment that must be excluded from DR events?
- What maximum setpoint or load reduction is allowable during DR events (percent or absolute)?
- Is revenue-grade telemetry or utility-grade metering required for settlement or incentive payments?
- Do you require pre-approval testing with the utility or aggregator before live events?
Perform firmware, cybersecurity, and device updates
- Do you have site cybersecurity policies that dictate firmware update windows, approvals, or testing?
- Would you prefer staged firmware rollouts (pilot batch then fleet) or immediate fleet-wide updates?
- Are devices hosted on a segregated IoT network with restricted egress and firewall rules?
- Who must approve firmware versions before deployment (Owner, IT, Vendor, Third-party)?
- Do you require vulnerability scanning, patch reports, or SOC-style reporting after updates?
- Preferred maintenance windows for performing updates (nights, weekends, specific dates).
Provide monthly remote optimization and setpoint tuning
- Should monthly adjustments be applied automatically or require manual approval before deployment?
- Which KPIs should optimization prioritize?
- Who should receive monthly optimization reports and alerts?
- Do you require a change log, rollback capability, and approval history for setpoint changes?
- Is a dedicated account manager or remote optimization engineer required as part of the monthly service?
- Specify any SLA expectations for response time to detected performance anomalies (hours/days).
-
Mutual Commit
Finalize pricing tied to verified savings, contract modules, SLAs, pilot terms, and mutual responsibilities for rollout.
Agreement Modules
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Master Services Agreement (MSA)
- Pricing & Verified Savings Agreement
- Pilot Terms & Acceptance
- Service Level Agreement (SLA)
- Hardware Purchase / Lease & Warranty
- Data Access, Privacy & Integration Agreement
- Site Access & Work Authorization
- Payment Schedule & Invoicing
- Rollout & Phasing Plan
- Change Order Agreement
- Maintenance & Optimization Agreement
- Insurance & Liability Addendum
- Termination & Decommissioning Terms
- Mutual Responsibilities & Governance Checklist
-
Deployment
Operationalize rollout with readiness checks, enablement, and outcome validation.
-
Pre-Deployment Readiness
Validate site access, BAS/network integrations, tenant notification windows, and owner approvals required for installation.
Readiness Questions
Getting Comfortable Together
- Which building(s) are we piloting and what is the primary street address for each?
- Who on your team will be our day-to-day point of contact during site prep and installation? Please include name, role, preferred contact method, and best hours to reach them.
- Which of these best describes your ownership model for the pilot building(s)?
- What are the top three outcomes you want this pilot to prove (e.g., % energy reduction, tenant comfort, non-disruptive install, integration with BAS)?
- When would you prefer the pilot installation window to occur? Select all acceptable windows and indicate any absolute no-go dates in the next 90 days.
If We Showed Up and Couldn't Get In...
- Who controls physical site access for each building (property manager, security vendor, owner, tenant) and how quickly can access be granted?
- Do crews require escort or badges to enter mechanical rooms or tenant spaces? If yes, how are escorts scheduled and billed?
- What’s your process for after-hours access and who must authorize it?
- Are there union rules, contractor pre-qualification, or insurance endorsements we must meet before crews can work on site?
- Have there been prior access problems (missed escorts, locked rooms, lost keys) that slowed past projects? Tell us one example and how long it delayed work.
- Do you have a designated staging/loading area, and are there any size, time, or permit restrictions for deliveries?
What's Hidden Behind Your Network Closet?
- If our team needs to integrate with your BAS or corporate network, what protocols and interfaces are supported in the building (BACnet/IP, BACnet MSTP, Modbus, Niagara, LonWorks, other)?
- How open is your IT group to granting temporary firewall/VPN access for vendor devices, and what is the typical approval cadence?
- Do you require devices to be on a dedicated VLAN, use certificate-based authentication, or pass a security review before connecting?
- Are there existing remote access methods (site VPN, jump host, cloud BAS credentials) we should plan to use? Please list access type and any temporary credentials policy.
- Has your IT/security team required onboarding questionnaires, SOC2 evidence, or penetration testing results from past vendors? If so, what slowed approvals most?
- Who will be our technical liaison in IT/BAS and what are their escalation contacts for network issues during install?
Who Really Signs Off When Something Changes?
- Which stakeholders must approve a planned HVAC downtime or controller swap (owner, tenant, FM, engineering, legal)? Please indicate lead approver and backup.
- What is your typical internal approval timeline for operational changes—same day, few days, 1–2 weeks, or longer?
- Are there formal change-control or work-order systems we must submit to (e.g., CMMS ticket, owner portal)? If yes, which and who submits them?
- Do any owners or tenants require legal review or specific contract language before sign-off on pilot work or pilot terms?
- How do you prefer acceptance be documented after pilot install—email signoff, site acceptance form, digital signature, or other?
- Tell us about a past sign-off that took longer than expected—who stalled it and what would have made the process smoother?
How Will Tenants Really React?
- Which tenant notification rules apply in your building(s)—advance notice windows, language requirements, or consent for technicians to enter tenant spaces?
- Do any tenants have specific hours or days when HVAC or electrical work is absolutely prohibited?
- Have tenants previously complained about HVAC downtime or maintenance—what were the most common impacts (comfort complaints, lost revenue, service disruptions)?
- Which tenants are highest risk for escalation (e.g., critical operations, medical labs, franchise rules)? Please name them and note sensitivities.
- Do tenants require a specific template or legal addendum for notifications or access agreements, and if so can you share it before scheduling?
- What tone and channel do you find most effective for tenant outreach—formal email, building bulletin, in-person notice, SMS, or property portal?
- If a tenant is upset during installation, who is empowered to make on-site decisions and what is the escalation path?
What's the Worst That Could Happen (and Do You Have a Backup)?
- If an unexpected outage occurs during controller replacement, what systems are considered mission-critical and must remain online or have immediate rollback?
- Do you require a written rollback plan, and who must authorize execution of that rollback if the pilot causes instability?
- What liability or insurance concerns should our crews be aware of (named insured, certificate holder, parking/road damage, special permits)?
- Have you experienced a failed integration or data feed in past projects—what broke and how long did recovery take?
- If a regulatory or compliance issue arises during work (e.g., fire marshal, tenant regulator), who coordinates the response and how quickly can remedies be implemented?
- What contingency budget or time buffer do you usually allow for pilot installations to handle surprises?
How Do We Know We're Done?
- What are the acceptance criteria for the pilot from an owner's perspective—measured kWh reduction, tenant comfort metrics, uptime, or data feed reliability?
- Do you already have M&V parameters defined (baseline period, measurement interval, verification method)? If yes, please summarize or attach the spec.
- Who signs the final M&V acceptance, and what evidence do they require (dashboard screenshots, raw meter data, signed report)?
- What monitoring period post-install do you consider necessary before declaring success (2 weeks, 4–6 weeks calibration, 90 days, other)?
- Would you like a formal calibration review meeting after the initial learning period to adjust setpoints and tenant expectations?
- What format of handover and documentation do you prefer at closeout (operation manual, credentials list, training session, recorded walkthrough)?
Practical Logistics: Where Do Crews Eat, Park, and Store Gear?
- Where can installation crews park and are parking permits or validated spaces required?
- Will elevators need reservations for moving equipment between floors, and are there size/weight limits we should plan for?
- Is a secure, climate-controlled storage or staging room available for spare parts and equipment during the pilot?
- Do we need to coordinate with any other contractors or maintenance activities during our install (roofers, electricians, fire system testing)? Please list overlaps and timing.
- Are special PPE, induction, or safety training sessions required for our crew to enter mechanical or tenant spaces?
- Who will be the on-site contact on each install day and what is the preferred channel for real-time updates (SMS, call, Slack/email)?
-
Deployment Enablement
Schedule building-level installs, assign crews, coordinate HVAC downtime windows, and manage execution with clear owners and milestones.
-
Validation Checklist
Verify sensor placement, controller calibration, data feeds, and that measured performance meets the agreed M&V benchmarks.
Validation Questions
Quick Intro — help us focus where it matters
- How many buildings in this portfolio do you want us to analyze first?
- What types of properties are we talking about? (pick all that apply)
- Who am I speaking with today and what's your role in building energy decisions?
- What are the top two outcomes you need this engagement to deliver (pick up to two)?
- What recent event prompted you to explore solutions now (select one)?
If this keeps going, what breaks next?
- What would you say is the single most serious consequence of doing nothing about energy and controls in the next 12–24 months?
- Can you describe a recent example where energy or comfort issues caused a visible problem (tenant call, complaint, maintenance escalation)?
- How quickly do these problems escalate to ownership or corporate (choose one)?
- When those issues hit the balance sheet or occupancy, how does it feel to you and your team—frustrating, helpless, pressured, other?
- How long have you been living with the energy or comfort problem you just described?
What surprises are hiding in your energy numbers?
- Do you have whole-building utility data we can access for modeling (electric, gas) and for what baseline period?
- If you have utility data, are there known anomalies we should be aware of (meter swaps, vacancies, major retrofits)?
- Have past audits or a failed audit surfaced specific issues (e.g., fixed schedules, sensor failures, BAS problems)? Please summarize the most urgent findings.
- On a scale from 1–5, how confident are you in the accuracy of your current energy baseline data?
- Would you be open to sharing a sample month of interval data for a pilot building so we can model realistic savings?
Who actually signs the checks — and who gets blamed?
- Who are the decision-makers for capital or OPEX tied to energy projects (names / roles / approval thresholds)?
- Which stakeholders must be consulted before a pilot or install (operations, leasing, tenants, IT, legal, ownership)? (select all that apply)
- How long is your typical procurement / approval cycle from proposal to signed agreement?
- Who will be our primary day-to-day contact during a pilot and deployment? Please include role and preferred contact method.
- Have you run pilots before with third-party vendors? If so, what worked and what caused friction?
- What approval or oversight does IT or BAS require for new sensor/controller network access?
Where can we install without starting a tenant revolt?
- Which tenant spaces are off-limits or have special constraints (sensitive tenants, labs, critical operations)?
- What are your preferred installation windows (weeknights, weekends, daytime) and any restrictions we must honor?
- How tolerant are tenants for temporary HVAC downtime during controller swaps from 0 (not acceptable) to 5 (fully acceptable with notice)?
- What tenant notification process would you prefer we follow (email, onsite signage, building rep coordination)?
- Are there union rules, vendor insurance limits, or credentialing requirements for crews on site?
- If a tenant raises a comfort complaint during calibration, who do we escalate to and what response window do you expect?
How do you define 'working' for a pilot?
- What success metrics will convince you a pilot is ready to scale (energy kWh reduction, cost savings $, comfort complaints down, tenant satisfaction)? (select up to three)
- What minimum duration do you expect for a pilot to be a fair test (weeks/months)?
- Do you have a preferred M&V approach or acceptance threshold (e.g., % of projected savings verified, weather-normalized savings)?
- Which data feeds can we reliably connect for verification (BAS points, submetering, interval meters, Wi‑Fi occupancy, other)? (select all that apply)
- Who will sign off that the pilot met acceptance criteria (role/title)?
- If the pilot misses targets, what remediation or next-step options would you consider (extended tuning, change scope, cancel)?
What would make you sleep better after rollout?
- What keeps you up at night about switching to an automated controls provider (financial risk, tenant backlash, tech outages, warranty/maintenance)?
- How comfortable are you with pricing models tied to verified savings versus fixed-fee contracts?
- What level of vendor SLAs and reporting would make you confident—daily alerts, weekly tuning reports, monthly executive summaries, real-time dashboard?
- What internal teams will support ongoing ops after rollout (in-house technicians, third-party contractors, vendor-managed)?
- If something goes wrong after deployment, what escalation path and response time is acceptable to you?
- What would success look like one year after rollout—metrics, stakeholder sentiment, and operational changes?
Let’s plan the first week — practical next steps
- Which pilot building would you like us to start with and why (operational simplicity, high consumption, tenant openness)?
- Which documents or credentials can you provide this week to accelerate scoping (site plans, BAS point list, meter IDs, past audit reports)? (select all that apply)
- Who will grant site access and network/BAS permissions for install and testing (name & role)?
- Which days/times in the next 30 days are off-limits for installs or tests so we avoid tenant disruption?
- What would be a realistic date to start a pilot analytics model once we have data access?
- Who should receive the pilot kickoff summary and weekly status updates (names or roles)?
-
-
Success
Confirm realized energy and comfort outcomes, review calibration learnings, and maintain a shared channel for issues and enhancements.
Success Reviews
- Success Review & M&V Validation
- Calibration & Optimization Workshop
- Tenant Comfort & Stakeholder Review
- Operational Support, SLA & Shared Channel Setup
- Financial Reconciliation & Rollout Decision
Issues & Enhancements
- Provision the agreed shared channel and invite all operational contacts.
- Agree on a prioritized list of calibration fixes and optimizations with clear owners.
- Define measurement/validation plan (metrics, duration) that proves each optimization.
- Minimize risk by specifying rollback criteria and verification checkpoints.
- Apply approved configuration/firmware changes to pilot controllers and record change log.
- Schedule targeted 2-week validation window with telemetry export at midpoint and endpoint.
- Replace or relocate sensors flagged for poor performance and update inventory records.
- Pre-work: occupant feedback packet
- Resolve outstanding comfort issues with an agreed remediation list and owners.
- Align on trade-offs and operating guardrails that balance savings and occupant comfort.
- Establish the tenant communication plan and assign a point of contact for tenant escalations.
- Implement short-term setpoint or schedule exceptions and log expected impact windows.
- Publish tenant-facing communication and FAQ via agreed channel.
- Track comfort metrics daily for two weeks and report back at follow-up meeting.
- Agree on SLAs, escalation paths, and monitoring thresholds to ensure reliable support.
- Confirm shared channel technology and access
- Create and provision a shared operational channel with correct access and notification rules.
- Establish a regular optimization and reporting cadence with owners assigned.
- Pre-work check
- Document and publish the SLA and escalation matrix in the shared channel.
- Configure monitoring alerts and verify end-to-end delivery with a test incident.
- Pre-work: finance packet review
- Finalize financial reconciliation and agree any credits or invoices tied to pilot performance.
- Obtain a commercial decision to proceed, defer, or modify the rollout with clear conditions.
- Assign owners to produce contract amendments or SOW for the next phase.
- Issue any agreed credits or adjusted invoices and confirm receipt with customer finance.
- Prepare SOW and pricing for portfolio rollout and circulate for procurement approval.
- Schedule executive approval meeting if required for capital commitment.
- Confirm verified energy savings and accept M&V results (or capture specific disputes).
- Validate occupant comfort outcomes and agree remediation for any issues.
- Secure a clear decision: accepted, accepted-with-conditions, or escalate for further analysis.
- Define concise next steps and owners for financial reconciliation and rollout planning.
- Deliver final signed M&V report and source data to customer within agreed SLA.
- Record formal pilot acceptance signature or list of outstanding remediation items and owners.
- If savings trigger performance fee or credit, issue billing adjustment instructions to finance.
- Pre-work: calibration data pack review
- One-sentence calibration summary
- One-sentence comfort baseline
- One-sentence current state
- Support model & escalation paths
- One-sentence financial outcome
- Monitoring, alerts & dashboards
- Consequence & targets recap
- Correlation of complaints to system events
- Calibration telemetry & diagnostics
- Verified savings vs pricing reconciliation
- M&V results presentation
- Continuous optimization cadence
- Root-cause analysis for anomalies
- Short-term remediation options
- Contract modules & commercial options
- Proposed configuration changes & A/B tests
- Enhancements backlog and funding pathway
- Comfort & occupant metrics
- Long-term improvements & trade-offs
- Decision and conditions for rollout
- Reporting & escalation templates
- Variance analysis
- Tenant communication & escalation plan
- Timeline, owners, and success criteria