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Energy management: Most consumers and businesses push for cleaner energy

by Marlene Motyka, Suzanna Sanborn, Andrew Slaughter, Scott Smith
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15 May 2018

Energy management: Most consumers and businesses push for cleaner energy Deloitte Resources 2018 Study

16 May 2018
  • Marlene Motyka United States
  • Suzanna Sanborn United States
  • Andrew Slaughter United States
  • Scott Smith United States
  • Scott Smith United States
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Businesses and consumers are producing a virtuous circle of sustainability, with each group appearing to drive the other toward cleaner, greener energy and sustainable practices. Our eighth annual energy resources study examines these and other findings.

Growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible products and services, along with residential consumers’ interest in managing their own energy consumption, is driving more businesses toward sustainable energy sources and prompting many to take a leadership role in implementing clean energy solutions. At the same time, residential consumers are seeing businesses act and beginning to learn from their example.

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That’s the overarching theme that emerges from the eighth annual Deloitte Resources 2018 Study, which asked more than 1,500 US residential consumers and 600 US businesses about their attitudes and actions regarding energy management.

The findings suggest that residential consumers and businesses are engaged in a mutually reinforcing relationship where residential consumers’ interest in reducing their carbon footprint—and in using digital technologies to help them do so—is leading many businesses to develop and deploy new tools for monitoring and reducing energy consumption, evolve their energy management policies and practices, explore expanding their use of renewable energy sources, and integrate their resource management programs more closely with their operations. And as businesses take these actions, residential consumers are watching and learning, and ultimately striving to do more to pursue greener energy practices.

That businesses are responding to consumer demand for cleaner energy is clear. Seven in ten businesses in the study said that their customers expect them to procure a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable sources. This demand for greener energy is having a ripple effect throughout the supply chain: 21 percent of surveyed businesses cited the need to meet supplier/business partner requirements as a primary motivation for their companies’ resource management efforts. Many consider renewables to be a large part of the answer, with nearly half (48 percent) of business respondents saying that they are working to procure more electricity from renewable sources.

For their part, consumers continue to profess a growing concern about their impact on the environment. Residential consumers, particularly younger ones, seem increasingly keen on using clean energy sources in general, and on expanding the use of wind and solar power more specifically. Indeed, residential solar is increasingly being seen as a clean, affordable, and resilient source of energy; several negative perceptions about solar seem to be waning as consumers become more familiar with the technology.

While the desire to use cleaner energy sources and save costs on electricity bills was the main driver for their increased interest in renewable energy, consumers also link renewables to other benefits such as job creation and economic growth. Energy independence is also seen as an important potential benefit, with 76 percent responding that greater development of renewables can be extremely or very impactful in achieving energy independence. Perhaps based on this belief, the consumers surveyed overwhelmingly believed that the US government should shape the country’s energy strategy.

Despite the groundswell of support for renewables, household participation in green energy programs remains low. Only 14 percent of surveyed consumers say that they’ve ever been offered green energy—and of those that have been offered green energy, only 6 percent have purchased it. Expense emerged as the top barrier among those who declined the offer. Yet consumer interest in green energy programs seems to outpace opportunities to participate in them. Among consumers who had not been offered green energy or were unsure if they had, nearly half (45 percent) claimed that they would like to have the chance to purchase it.

What does all this mean for electricity providers? For one thing, it seems to challenge utilities to get to know their customers to a much greater extent. For residential consumers, the consequences of their energy management decisions could be significant, since greener solutions such as solar PV, batteries, and home automation systems generally involve a greater upfront investment and longer-term commitments than conventional energy sources. But consumers may not know where to turn when seeking to learn more about new energy technologies. Utilities will need to find a way of addressing these insecurities in order to break through and meet consumer needs before potential competitors step in.

On the business side, the specter of utility disintermediation continues to rise as more and more companies take energy matters into their own hands. Fifty-nine percent of businesses surveyed this year say they generate some portion of their electricity supply onsite, citing price certainty, diversification of energy supply, cost savings, and resiliency as the top reasons for doing so. These motivations suggest that businesses want to have greater control over their energy supply in terms of price, quality, and reliability than would be possible if they were wholly dependent on external providers. Here, utilities would do well to understand their business customers’ needs in detail to identify areas where they can add value. Making it easier for businesses to evaluate offerings, manage their energy supplies, and deploy batteries and renewables will likely be key to winning and retaining corporate customers.

Read the full Deloitte Resources 2018 Study, Energy management: Businesses drive and households strive

Deloitte Resources 2018 Study

Authors

Marlene Motyka is Deloitte’s US and Global Renewable Energy leader and is based in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Suzanna Sanborn is a senior manager in the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions and is based in McLean, Virginia.

Andrew Slaughter is the executive director of the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions and is based in Houston, Texas.

Scott Smith is Deloitte’s US Power and Utilities leader and is based in San Diego, California.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Kartikay Sharma of Deloitte Support Services India Pvt. Ltd for his research and analytical support.


Cover image by: Ben O'Brien

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Marlene Motyka

Marlene Motyka

US Renewable Energy Leader

Marlene is Deloitte’s US Renewable Energy leader and a principal in Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics LLP. She consults on matters related to valuation, tax, M&A, financing, business strategy, and financial modeling for the power, utilities and renewable energy sectors. Marlene has been at Deloitte for more than 22 years and holds a Master of Business Administration in finance from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University.

  • mmotyka@deloitte.com
  • +1 973 602 5691
Suzanna Sanborn

Suzanna Sanborn

Senior research leader, Power, utilities & renewables

Suzanna is a senior manager in the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions of Deloitte Services LP, analyzing global energy trends, with a focus on the power and utilities and renewable energy sectors. She has more than 20 years of experience in research, analysis, marketing, communications, and program management in the power and utilities, oil and gas, and renewable energy sectors.

  • ssanborn@deloitte.com
  • +1 703 251 1930
Andrew Slaughter

Andrew Slaughter

Executive Director | Center for Energy Solutions

As an executive director for the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions, Deloitte Services LP, Andrew works closely with Deloitte’s Energy, Resources & Industrials leadership to define, implement, and manage the execution of the Center strategy; develop and drive energy research initiatives; and manage the development of the Center’s eminence and thought leadership. During his 25 year career as an oil and gas leader, he occupied senior roles in both major oil, gas, and chemicals companies and consulting/advisory firms.

  • anslaughter@deloitte.com
  • + 1 713 982 3526
Scott Smith

Scott Smith

Partner | Power, Utilities & Renewables

Scott serves as the Audit Energy, Resources & Industrials leader for Deloitte & Touche LLP. An audit partner based in San Diego, Scott has more than 25 years of public accounting experience working with power and utility clients throughout the United States and Europe. Scott serves on the Global Power leadership team, and he also serves as lead client service partner, advisory partner, and concurring review partner on several of our largest power and utility clients.

  • ssmith@deloitte.com
  • +1 619 237 6989

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