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A Healthy Bottom-Line Enables a Healthy Australia

This article was first featured in the Australian Energy Efficiency Council's July Update & Outlook. To view the original, click here.

Given the scale of the transformation underway in Australia’s energy markets, a business as usual approach to energy strategy and management risks operational profits, business productivity and competitiveness.

Businesses that are leading in energy strategy have recognized this, and are optimizing their energy position in three key areas:

1. Leveraging data

Granular, real-time data is providing businesses with a deep understanding of how energy is being used across their operations. This information can unlock performance improvements, drive strategic decision-making and investment, and enable reporting and communication of progress against targets.

2. Calibrating investment

Businesses are using this data to understand where they should invest resources and capital, whether it be in energy efficiency, demand management technologies or renewable energy. Identifying opportunities to change how and when energy is used, and investing where cost effective, is setting these businesses up for future growth and competitiveness.

3. Optimizing procurement

As well as optimizing their own operations, businesses are exploring innovative energy procurement strategies to source the remainder of their energy requirements. Businesses are ensuring they are not passive price-takers, and are assessing alternate solutions to meet their energy needs.

CASE STUDY: A healthy bottom-line enables a healthy Australia

Fitness & Lifestyle Group, as one of Asia-Pacific’s largest health and wellness groups, includes well-known brands Fitness First, Australia, Goodlife Health Clubs Australia, Barry’s Bootcamp Asia-Pacific, Jetts Fitness and Zap Fitness. The group helps 725,000 members in Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia live healthier and more active lives.

With a portfolio of over 400 owned and operated fitness clubs across Australia, Fitness & Lifestyle Group has a considerable energy load. And with some of the group’s gyms operating 24/7, the company works with a leading energy services company to optimize its energy strategy.

One of the ways in which Fitness & Lifestyle Group was able to improve its energy management was by working with its energy services provider to monitor energy market behavior and model future market trends. By doing this the Group has been able to enter into a two-year fixed term electricity contract that is saving the company $3 million.

In addition to energy procurement, Fitness & Lifestyle group is engaged in an Active Energy Management journey with its energy consultant where the company not only procures energy at a competitive price, but also optimizes its energy usage through the uptake of energy efficiency measures.

 

For more stories on how Schneider Electric helps its Australian clients optimize their energy procurement strategies, we invite you to visit our Australian Content Hub.