Click here to view this full business plan
Energy Conservation Business Plan
Executive Summary
Green Power Consultancy is a start-up organization in Burlington, VT that offers designs and advice to architects and consumers regarding environmentally sensitive buildings as well as energy consumption recommendations. Green Power has identified three keys to its success. The first is the need to only offer solutions which are based on market demand. The second is to ensure that all of its offerings are based on economic justifications; the solution should make sense beyond the environmental considerations because it has long-term economic value.
Green Power will be targeting architects and individual consumers. Green Power will work closely with several architects providing them the ability to offer environmental solutions to their customers. This group is growing at 7% and there are 23 potential customers in the area. The second customer group is individual consumers; an environmentally conscious group that have sought out a service provider to help them implement their personal ethics into the design of their new or existing structure.
Green Power is an environmental energy consultancy that offers a wide range of services: advice regarding passive heating, grey water usage recommendations, renewable energy considerations and employee transportation options.
Green Power will be led by the seasoned management team of Dan and Sue Lang. Dan received a degree in environmental studies, business, and a Masters in architecture. Dan has several years of work experience within the industry. The second part of the team is Sue Lang. Sue has an MBA and work experience with the Bonneville Power Administration in their renewable energy department. Through a combination of excellent education and good work experience, Green Power’s management team will be able to successfully execute on its business plan.
Green Power has conservatively forecasted sales of $202,343 for year two, rising to $238,402 for year three. Net profit will be reached in the second year. Through a combination of a proven business model, a strong management team, and this comprehensive energy business plan to guide the organization, Green Power will be long lasting, profitable business.
Mission
It is Green Power Consultancy’s mission to provide the finest green energy solutions for new constructions as well as existing building owners/lessors. Through careful analysis, attentive customer support, and cost effective solutions, Green Power will become a stable business serving the Burlington community.
Keys to Success
Green Power has identified several keys to success that will be instrumental in creating a sustainable business. If these keys are followed, the likelihood of success will significantly increase.
- Offer solutions that are demanded by customers.
- Ensure all of the solutions have economic considerations built into the respective models.
- Only provide 100% customer satisfaction. All customers must have their expectations exceeded.
Objectives
Green Power has identified three objectives that it will pursue for the long-term success of the business:
- Proven cost-benefit analysis environmental approaches to structure building, maintenance and energy consumption.
- Become the premier environmental energy consultancy in the state within five years.
- Reach profitability within three years.
Company Summary
Green Power is a Vermont-based L.L.C green energy consultancy. Green Power offers its services both to architects who are constructing new businesses as well as existing building owners/users who are looking to make their existing structure more environmentally sound.
Start-up Summary
Green Power will require the following equipment in order to begin operations:
- Computer system including three workstations, standard laser printer as well as a wide mouth printer, Internet access, and assorted software such as Microsoft Office, QuickBooks and CadArchitect (the premier architect industry software).
- Three work areas including two drawing tables and the assorted office supplies for the standard workdesks as well as the drawing tables.
- Various bookshelves, lights, and couches (for clients).
- Bike storage unit/locker.
- Refrigerator, microwave, and assorted utensils for the lunch room.
Company Ownership
The two principal owners of Green Power is Dan and Sue Lang.
Services
Green Power offers a wide range of environmentally-conscious energy solutions related to new and existing structures. The main areas of consulting that Green Power will offer are:
- Passive heating: This applies to the construction of the new structures, designing the structure to capture and utilize heat that is either generated naturally or as a by-product of the building. Examples of passive heating include specific placement of the heating vents, the design and placement of the building and the windows.
- Grey water: This is the capture and utilization of grey water. Grey water is water that has been used for some other source such as in the faucets or rain water that can no longer be offered as potable, but still can be used for toilet flushing or land irrigation.
- Renewable energy: This service offers customers the information needed to make intelligent decisions regarding the use of renewable energy sources. Renewable energy sources can be defined as sources of energy where the rate of energy depletion is not faster than the production rate. Examples include: wind power, photovoltaics, hydro power, biomass, solar energy.
- Employee transportation: This service is to reduce the energy consumed by employees traveling to work. Typical aspects of the plan are outlining public transportation options, developing a company subsidized public/alternative transportation voucher, building covered bicycle lockers and shower facilities as well as other activities designed to increase the number of employees using bicycles as their main source of transportation to work.
- Efficient building construction: This focuses on the use of local building materials thereby decreasing energy needed for transportation as well as the utilization of recycled materials for construction decreasing energy demands for the manufacture of new building materials.
Market Analysis Summary
Green Power has segmented the market into two distinct target market groups. The first group is architects who are building a structure either speculatively (infrequently) or for a client (generally). The second customer group is individual customers who desire environmental elements designed into their building. The niche that Green Power has chosen to participate in is a fairly new field. Green Power faces competition from eco-architects as well as from the local utilities that may have a small department that offers green energy consultation advice. The industry often operates to satisfy clients; it is the end customer that typically requests green energy designs and they either seek out a specific architect or they request their architect to receive guidance from firms such as Green Power.
Market Segmentation
Green Power has segmented its target market into two different customer groups, both equally attractive.
Architects
This customer group is made up of professional architects that design buildings and additions for clients. Architects have developed a strategic relationship with Green Power to offer value-added-services for their clients.
The architect firms typically have two – nine partners.
Offer both residential and commercial design work, however 67% of their work is commercial.
The firms typically have only a handful of service providers that they work with. This means that once they find someone they trust, they develop a long-term relationship with that service provider.
Yearly revenue ranges from $200 thousand – $5 million.
Individual customers
This segment contains consumers who are either having a residential home, or a commercial structure, designed. Due to their personal environmental concerns and a recognition that it can be cost effective to have building decisions with environmental considerations, they have requested Green Power’s assistance. They are generally working directly with Green Power for their design needs and will likely then take this design criteria to their builder.
The individual is an environmentalist and they take into account how their action will impact the environment.
The age range of clients is 35-49.
Average household income is $65,000. Please note that while the overriding concern in using Green Power’s services is the positive impact on the environment, a cost benefit analysis indicates that in the long term it is cost effective to adopt green energy considerations.
89% of the group have at least an undergraduate degree, 26% have a graduate degree.
Target Market Segment Strategy
Green Power has chosen these two market segments for compelling reasons. The architects have been focused on because they are the service providers that do the bulk of the design work for residential and commercial structures. The architects are used as sales people for Green Power’s services, they are the ones that can then sell these services to their customers. It benefits the architects because they are able to offer a wider range of value-added-services to their customers without spending capital of learning the information themselves. By aligning itself with architects, Green Power is able to offer their services to a larger group of people.
Green Power will also serve individual customers. These are people who know that they want environmental considerations made in the design of their structure and will seek out a firm such as Green Power to have this work done. Burlington is a wonderful place to locate Green Power as there is a high population of environmentally-conscious people in this city. This provides Green Power with a large market of interested customers. Additionally, this market group is attractive because people that have environmental tendencies are often vocal about their commitments or causes. By offering green energy services, Green Power allows this group of people to act on what they believe in on a personal level, adhering to the wise saying think globally, act locally.
Service Business Analysis
The environmental power consultancy industry is fairly new. Only recently has there been an emergence of firms that offer these services. This can be explained by several factors. First, people are becoming more environmentally aware these days, a function of many things including the recent problems with the Middle East and Fundamental Islamists. These recent problems have forced people to reconsider America’s dependence on oil and the need to maintain good relationships with Saudi Arabia only because of their oil. Another factor that has contributed to the growth of green power is that it has become increasingly cost effective to make business decisions while taking into account the decisions impact on the environment. For years an environmental decision was based on personal consciousness and ethics, not overriding economic factors. Now money can be saved when environmental impacts are taken into account. Please read the following section which will indicate the different players within the industry.
Competition and Buying Patterns
The competition generally takes two different forms:
- Eco-architects
These are architects that specialize in environmental design considerations. Typically their entire practice is based around structures that have environmental elements. Green Power could actually be within this industry niche, however they are able to serve a larger customer baser, therefore earn more revenue as well as make a positive impact in our world by offering its services to both end consumers as well as regular architects as opposed to the business model of only serving one set of customers.
- Local utility
The local utilities often have a department that offers free consultation for environmental design considerations. There are incentives for the utilities to attempt to curb their customer’s use of their energy. These incentives take the form of not needing to make as many capital expenditures to develop the power delivery infrastructure to accommodate the increased load for energy demands. Therefore, the more the utility is able to get their customers to conserve, the less money they have to spend on infrastructure improvements, the more money they earn. That being said, the utility often has a small department that offers tips on energy conservation. While these tips can be quite helpful, since they are offered for free for the power customers, they are not nearly as comprehensive as they could be. So while they provide good initial tips, the local utility is not a strong competitor to serve a client who is committed to making as much of a positive environmental difference as can be achieved by using a specialized firm.
The buying pattern for consumers is currently being defined as we speak, a function of how new the industry is. Currently, purchasing decisions are based on customers typically making requests for these services from their architect or they do a bit of research to determine who offers these services. As the industry becomes more mature, firms will become more established and reputation and visibility/awareness will shape buying decisions. Since there is a wide range of options regarding implementation, price is less of a consideration for the decision since most of the service providers can offer a wide range of inexpensive to expensive options.
