Energy consulting is a service that identifies and secures the best deals on gas, electricity, and other forms of energy production on behalf of clients. While an energy consultant’s role has traditionally been associated with businesses, more and more consultants are now taking on residential clients as well. There are a few core responsibilities that define the role of an energy consultant in both scenarios.
The primary goal of an energy consultant is to assist a customer in understanding the various energy options available, identifying the options that will provide the type and volume of energy required, and then assisting the client in securing that energy at the most cost-effective price possible. This typically entails spending time with the customer to assess his or her needs, then researching energy options, and finally presenting the client with the recommended options.
The energy consultant will typically examine how the customer uses various energy sources as part of the initial energy assessment. This can sometimes entail introducing new technology to the client that allows the operation to utilize multiple energy sources. For example, the consultant might discover that a particular client would benefit from a hybrid electrical system that combined power from the utility grid with energy captured and stored a solar energy system. With any luck, the consultant will not only identify strategies to assist in energy conservation, but also ways to reduce the customer’s current energy costs.
However, an energy consultant’s job entails more than just conducting research and providing data to a client. Many of these consultants also work as energy brokers. In this role, the consultant negotiates with the energy vendor to obtain the best possible unit price for the customer. It may be possible to close the deal with the vendor right away, or introduce the customer and vendor at the final round of negotiations, pending the establishment of a mutually agreeable service contract, depending on the amount of authority granted to the consultant.
It’s not uncommon for the energy consultant to supervise the installation of any new equipment needed to implement the new energy services. This allows the consultant to ensure that the installation is completed in accordance with the contract reached between the vendor and the consultant’s customer, and that those who will actively manage the energy source at the client’s end receive adequate training and orientation.