At Navigate Power, we have one goal and one goal only and that is to help our clients better navigate the often-confusing energy market. We work with them to get the most competitive offers out there using our business energy supplier network. Here’s how we have helped three of our clients with different needs that each demanded a different approach.
Case 1 – How Navigate Power Helped Liebovich Steel & Aluminum
Brief introduction about the client:
- Company/Organization: Liebovich Steel and Aluminum
- Industry type: High-quality metal products
- Location: Rockford, Illinois (with over 60 years in business)
- Total Area: 500,00 square-foot service center on 50 acres of land
- Employees: Over 300 qualified workers
Their state-of-the-art facility provides plasma cutting, flame-cutting, grinding, saw-cutting and more, meaning significant energy bills and a significant potential impact on costs with the help of Navigate Power.
What We Accomplished
We were able to use our network of top tier suppliers to help Liebovich replace their previous non-communicative providers and helped to establish budget certainty for a company in a volatile market. With a complete review of their energy usage history and service agreements, we greatly increased reporting and market updates.
Added to the energy budget certainty and reporting improvements, we also helped the company navigate the electricity and natural gas market, securing the $31,900 in annual savings and a total of $95,700 in savings for the whole terms of both their electricity and natural gas savings.
What The Problem Was
Inconsistency in costs was a major problem for Liebovich Steel and Aluminum. Due to both market volatility and the impact that weather had on their operations, the company was experiencing dramatic swings in both electricity and natural costs.
While facing volatile energy costs, Liebovich had the additional problem of an energy supplier that had not been in contact with them for over 18 months.
Liebovich needed a more reliable energy supplier that could help them handle both the electric and natural gas power they so heavily relied on with costs that were easier to predict and fit into their budget in the long-term. Facing a lot of uncertainty and plenty of unanswered questions, they got in touch with Navigate Power.
How We Solved The Problem
In order to solve the problem, we began by recommending a complete review of Liebovich’s energy usage history as well as their energy service agreements.
Since market volatility leading to varying energy costs was a serious issue, we helped the company execute a 36-month, multi-hedge fixed-rate contract. This new contract offered immediate savings, not to mention the long-term budget certainty they weren’t getting from their previous business energy supplier.
On top of the electricity contract, we helped Liebovich effectively navigate the natural gas market, as their supplier played a major role in their operational costs. Tapping into our extensive supplier network, we helped the company find a 16-month, fixed-rate natural gas agreement that further cementing budget certainty on top of delivering immediate savings.
Case 2 – How Navigate Power Helped Austintown Local Schools
Brief introduction about the client:
- Company/Organization: Austintown Local Schools
- Industry type: Education
- Location: Austintown, Ohio
- Total students: 29,000 residents (with elementary, intermediate, middle school, and high-school education)
A progressive school district, they work to continuously improve the quality of education, learning, administration, and environment and getting in touch with Navigate Power was just another step in that journey.
What We Accomplished
Navigate Power helped Austintown Local Schools make $53,100 in annual savings and $159,300 in term savings. We also helped the school district cement a level of energy budget certainty that they didn’t have before and increased their reporting and market updates.
What The Problem Was
Austintown Local Schools sought our services primarily because they were looking for a way to reduce their operating costs. Their energy budget was one of the line items on their agenda and the staff wanted to take advantage of a competitive electricity market but didn’t have the expertise to navigate it alone.
Facing offers from multiple suppliers and energy consultants, the process was getting bogged down, requiring more time, further analysis, and ongoing multi-department discussions.
How We Solved The Problem
We provided our full market expertise using our proprietary procurement platform, Navigate Exchange (NEX). Following our recommendation, we created an online reverse auction that allowed them direct access to the nation’s leading retail energy suppliers.
Rather than having to consider multiple bids and analyses one-at-a-time, the online reverse auction allowed them to see suppliers competing in real-time. With this perspective, they could more effectively compare and contrast offers to find the most competitive bids amongst them.
The process lasted only thirteen minutes and attracted over 27 qualified bids. This made it much easier to compare them on an apples to apples basis, with both costs and terms outlined in full.
Case 3 – How Navigate Power Helped March Manufacturing
Brief introduction about the client:
- Company/Organization: March Manufacturing
- Industry type: Manufacturer ( Centrifugal Sealless Magnetic Drive Pumps)
- Location: Glenview, Illinois
- Managed by: Zimmerman family (founded in 1954 by William Zimmerman)
A manufacturer of Centrifugal Sealless Magnetic Drive Pumps, they came to Navigate Power with an expensive lighting problem.
What We Accomplished
Helping March Manufacturing partner up with Verde Solutions (our sister company), Navigate Power facilitated the wholesale replacement of an outdated lighting setup with a brand new LED system both inside and outside.
Employees immediately noticed the benefit, suffering less eye strain and fatigue thanks to the new crisp, clean lighting. The change in lighting meant a big change in the energy budget for March Manufacturing, too. We helped reduce their overall energy consumption by a dramatic 77.62%.
With a total project cost of $197,689.82, annual savings of $57,285.58 and rebates and incentives received of $57,848, this helped them see a return on investment of only 1.84 years for the entire project.
What The Problem Was
With a 120,000-square foot manufacturing facility that runs 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, high energy costs were becoming a major problem for March Manufacturing. In particular, the company had an issue with a severely outdated lighting system.
Not only was existing lighting system responsible for using up a severe amount of energy, contributing to higher operational costs, but the dull pulsating light created a poor work environment and caused employees to suffer from eye strain.
How We Solved The Problem
When March Manufacturing got in touch with us, we reached into our network of top-tier suppliers. Many of whom we have built relationships with overtime, giving them business while they give us competitive rates.
We then partnered March Manufacturing with Verde Solutions. With energy audits to measure consumption both after and before the fitting, Verde installed a new state of the art LED lighting system for both the interior and exterior of the facility.
Beyond the major reduction in energy consumption and energy costs leading to a quick return on investment, the change was of significant benefit to the employees as well. The LED system’s crisp clean light created a healthier work environment with less risk of eyestrain and fatigue for the employees.
How Can We Help You?
Whether it’s through our network of top tier suppliers, our energy bill audit services, our Navigate Exchange reverse auction tools, or any of the other resources at our disposal, Navigate Power is here to help you get the best deal you can out of the energy market.
Beyond the auditing services and online reverse-auction tools we offer, we are able to maintain competitive pricing thanks to the relationships we have built with our supplier network during our long years in the industry. It’s the history and the relationships we have built that helps us get our clients affordable contracts.
We find top-tier contractors and help them find work, while they help us offer better prices. This helps us find you the deals that help you save you money and improve your energy efficiency. That’s how we create relationships that work for everyone.
Get in touch with Navigate Power today and tell us what your problem is and what your aims are or let us take a closer look and find the problem for ourselves. We have broken down the market and the myriad of options we work with for a wide range of clients.
Whether you’re a for-profit company, a non-profit organization, or something entirely different, it doesn’t matter how big or small you are or what industry or field you are in. Navigate Power will have the right supplier and contract tailored to both your specific problem and your individual needs.
About Navigate Power
Navigate Power is a leading electricity and natural gas consulting firm, headquartered in Chicago, IL. Ranked no. 550 on the 2017 and no. 856 on the 2018 Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing companies in the nation, Navigate Power continues to expand into new markets nationwide and currently manages over 30,000 commercial energy accounts and over one billion dollars in energy budgets.
