Self-funding a 31% cut at Sanlam.
Augos partnered with Sanlam on a multi-year energy management programme to hit aggressive sustainability targets. The strategy reallocated savings from low-to-no-cost behavioural changes to fund major capital projects, such as chiller and lighting retrofits. That continuous momentum delivered cumulative baseline savings exceeding 31.3% by year two, far surpassing the original long-term goal.
- A self-funding strategy used low-cost savings to pay for capital retrofits.
- Tariff optimisation delivered R3.2 million in year one, de-risking the whole programme.
- Year one alone cut consumption 11.8% through behavioural and operational change.
- Cumulative savings exceeded 31.3% by year two, beating the long-term target early.
The phased strategy: funding capital with behaviour
Sanlam approached Augos with a highly strategic, ambitious goal: to meet challenging sustainability targets through significant electricity savings over a three-year timeframe. The Augos proposal focused on a self-funding strategy, using verifiable savings from immediate, low-to-no-cost behavioural changes to finance the larger capital projects that followed.
The plan had three objectives: achieve immediate savings through behavioural change and operational tuning, reallocate those realised savings to fund comprehensive lighting and chiller retrofits, then reach a long-term total reduction target.
A core element of the success was R3.2 million in tariff optimisation savings realised in the first year. Identified and implemented by Augos, this strategic adjustment provided an immediate, substantial influx of capital, effectively de-risking the entire three-year programme and showing the importance of optimising utility financial structures before investing in expensive hardware.
Phase 1: low-cost interventions
The initial focus was on operational changes guided by energy data, delivering rapid return:
- Tariff optimisation: immediate strategic tariff adjustments yielded R3.2 million in the first year.
- Off-peak load optimisation: fine-tuning Building Management System settings and manual procedures maximised off-peak efficiency.
- Chiller operation: adjusting chiller set-points and optimising usage during colder conditions delivered quick wins in HVAC consumption.
- Investigative analysis: a study into the saving impact of moving from desktop computers to laptops across the organisation.
Phase 1 delivered an 11.8% reduction in energy consumption against baseline in year one, solely through these low-to-no-cost interventions.
Sustainable momentum: capital projects
The momentum from the initial savings funded the capital phases, which delivered large, sustained reductions:
- Year two: the lighting retrofit was completed, saving 6.2 million kWh against baseline for that year.
- Cumulative result: the continuous programme reached cumulative baseline savings exceeding 31.3% by the close of year two.
- Long-term impact: the year-eight target of a 10% reduction was already surpassed, securing the long-term efficiency of the Sanlam portfolio.
How did Sanlam achieve a 31% energy reduction?
Through a multi-year programme that combined behavioural change, tariff optimisation and funded capital retrofits. Cumulative baseline savings exceeded 31.3% by the close of year two.
What was the self-funding strategy?
Savings from immediate low-to-no-cost behavioural changes were reallocated to fund larger capital projects, such as lighting and chiller retrofits, so the programme paid for itself as it went.
How much did tariff optimisation save Sanlam?
R3.2 million in the first year. That early influx of capital de-risked the entire three-year programme before any expensive hardware was installed.
What did Sanlam achieve in year one alone?
An 11.8% reduction in energy consumption against baseline, achieved solely through low-to-no-cost interventions.
What low-cost interventions were used?
Tariff optimisation, off-peak load optimisation through Building Management System tuning, chiller set-point adjustments, and an investigation into moving from desktops to laptops.
What capital projects were funded?
A lighting retrofit, which saved 6.2 million kWh in year two, and chiller retrofits, both paid for out of the savings generated earlier.
Did Sanlam meet its long-term target?
Yes, and early. The year-eight target of a 10% reduction was already surpassed by the close of year two.
Find savings like these on your own site.
Book a demo with one of our energy experts.