You Don't Need a 12-Step Program to Fix Your Energy Problem.

Article by: Heidi Fritz Martinez CEO Re-Motor America

#ConfessionsofaMotorGal

I get it, you have a lot on your plate. It's a Thursday. You have electric doors and a power outage. You need to walk your fish. You don't have time. You can't decide. Bob, Bob is the problem and not you. (Sorry Bob: No, it is not you.) Trump is in office. They cancelled the season of your favorite show. Your facilities guy is on vacation for the next month, or so. Your decision maker is in Miami. You will start when the kids go back to school. You will start after Christmas. As a human, I do understand.

Your Facility Energy Problem can't be that bad right?

Whatever it is:

Please forgive me in advance, but these and any other that you can think of are excuses.

Don't get me wrong, I love the creativity and you can try me, but they are nothing but an excuse for inaction.

I used to coordinate a program for Vocational Rehabilitation in Boston. I had to take attendance for the Department of Transitional Assistance to make sure the adults in my program were complying to get their benefits. Mind you, these were adults with major barriers to employment looking for work. You would not believe some of the stories I was told.

One even authored her own doctor's note.

How could I tell?

Usually a person with a doctor's note from their doctor can correctly spell the word: Doctor.

I used to listen to the stories time and time again. Some were quite tragic. Over and over, I would take hours listening. Beyond that, I would spend hours of time analytically deciding whether they just thought I was dumb or they really believed the stories they were telling themselves and I just happened to be standing there.

Either way, one day I had an "Ah-Ha" moment. I took an old binder box, covered in in paper and that day was born the "Excuse Envelope Box" complete with monster on the front with an opening in the mouth. (I would be happy to make you one, but "Oscar the Excuse Eater" was a rough, low budget model.)

I told them:

"Whatever you tell me as an excuse. I will write down on your attendance sheet."

I meant whatever!

Whether it be: Watching an 8th episode of Maury Povich, dentist, doctor, child sick, or whichever it was, that is what I would write.

Yes, for an entire week in one of my student's attendance sheets I wrote what they wrote:"Just didn't feel like it" in the entry place on the sheet.

They would just write that down on a little note card, attach whatever proof they considered appropriate and stick it in the box.

I was just no longer going to spend my time on it.

Please do not mistake this for not caring, of course I cared. More so, I cared enough to really want help to solve their problem.

If I fell into the Excuse-O-Matic mindset, and allowed space for that, I was enabling the problem and useless to helping them solve it.

After a while, I refused to look at the excuses too. I had loads of helpful volunteers (who enjoyed a good chuckle) who were happy to take over that part for me. I, of course, glanced over the them for accuracy, but here is what I noticed:

Over a very short time, the artificial excuses got less and less. They started providing doctor's notes to go with the absences (real ones with letterhead) with their reason note card and they were willing to be accountable. People were attending the program and actually doing something about their issues.

It was as if, when I eliminated the emergency excuse room there was no reason for the excuses anymore.

Some of my longer term students, they would point to the box to newcomers and say:

"Just know, she isn't going to listen to any fish tales so just write down why you were absent and stick it in the box." (I still smile about that.)

To repeat, those were adults with significant barriers to employment.

However,

You,

Yes,

You the one reading this right now, perhaps are not in their category?

So, I offer you the same.

If you really want to solve that energy problem. Then just pack the excuses in a box for a bit and then after you get done working on real solutions to the problem, you can pick up the excuses on your way out. If you really don't want to do anything about it, own that too.

I will even write them down for you, stick 'em in an envelope, and mail em back to you for a good chuckle after we finish your projects.

Let's Give The Actual Emergency Room to The Real Problems

2 big scary monsters, contributing to your energy problem, we can start with today to actually solve your problem. (see if any resonate and a solution):

#1 Technology Decision Analysis Paralysis:

You are correct there are hundreds if not thousands of technologies being developed and expanded as you read this. There are so many to chose from that it may be impossible to tell which one is good or which one is bad.

For example, VFDs have been in the market for almost 30 years, motors 187 years and you would think that every motor on earth has already tuned for maximum efficiency. Honestly, we haven't even begun to scratch the surface. To illustrate a visual on what is done vs. what is needed: Imagine trying to dig the entire Sahara desert with a toothpick compared to the opportunity.

Let me let you in on an insider secret: "There is good and bad in every technology." The real guys will tell you both, give you the information (and a fair price too) and let you decide.

No, you don't have to implement every technology but start somewhere! Pay attention to the areas of your facility that are "heart surgery material like uncontrolled motors" and of course take aspirin to fix the little energy pigs too.

Break it down into a short term and long term plan.

Start small, End Big. Start Big, End Small.

Just start.

Whichever you chose just know that nothing saves energy or generates energy until equipment is actually installed.

# 2 Money, Wish I had Some Syndrome:

There is more money being put today towards energy efficiency upgrades and generation than I have ever seen in a life time of watching this work.

Again, there is more money being put today towards energy efficiency upgrades and generation than I have ever seen in a lifetime of watching this work. (My grandpa started mfg. and motor rewind facilities in 1955 rebuilding up to 10,000 Horsepower, we have been at this a while.)

If you are in the United States and you are a commercial, industrial or municipal user of energy there are a lot of options available to help in affording the projects. There are also tons of options to have power providers compete for your power bill to reduce kWh rates too!

If you have the money to pay for your own energy projects without help, then come on now, just get started.

If you need help you can choose from the options available in your area: Rebate programs, Pace Financing, Green Communities, Requests For Proposals(R.F.P.s), Grants, Tax credits, Traditional Financing, and even "As a Service." There are literally tons of options depending on US geography and qualifying equipment.

Rebate or no rebate, you still have options and many financial companies are happy to help fund viable projects and allow you to pay over time. Plus when you have some third party assistance, you get the benefit of extra eyes on your projects so it will be a lot harder for someone to pull a fast one when a separate set of engineers are providing the project oversight. Options only work if you pick one or at least investigate it.

One company wants to help Commercial, Industrial & Municipals reduce energy costs so bad they will buy the equipment (as long as it is a viable proven technology), will even pay to maintain it over the agreed terms, and you get the benefit and they share the savings with you. They own the equipment but you get the shared benefits.

They have funded projects changing out all the toilets in a large facility and in another breath helped with an 8 million dollar project in a footprint of manufacturing plants. This is not just limited to motors and motor controls! (Vendors, this help a lot of stuck projects)

Of course there are program requirements and an application by why not apply?

Now you might get a little protective of your hypothetical savings money and say:

(Gasp)"Heidi, that guy is going take some of my savings!"

My response:

"You will have zero savings money if it remains hypothetical. If you wait another 5 years, or until the budgets allow (they almost never have room) by not implementing the technology that means $250,000 in 5 years (or whatever the shared number is) of actual dollars and that is assuming your power costs will remain the same.

So challenge yourself, to put the excuses in a box for a bit. (This literally works in almost any problem solving beyond motors and energy.) Make a plan with short term and long term goals and timelines. Ask for help from people who care enough about the problem to carry you through to actual solution.

Ask questions from your networks, experts and the industry providers who have chosen this as their passion and most importantly do not let outdated excuses and limiting beliefs stop you from doing something now about your facility energy problem and wasted energy costs. If you could just put the excuses away for a bit, then the solutions have space to rise to the surface.

Motor Namaste

We invite you to be part of the discussion and value any feedback or opinion.

If you have Oscar The Excuse Box Eater envy, feel free to copy the idea and make your own!

At Re-Motor America we want to help Commercial, Industrial and Municipal Energy Users to be empowered to make smart energy choices. It's time to Re-Motor America. We can not help the American Businesses and the American Economy without getting control of our energy problem. Let's start with action oriented legacy thinking.