Energy advice and strategy for museums and zoos

Plan energy costs and facility improvements around collection care, animal habitats, and visitor operations.

Climate control, habitat equipment, and visitor facilities have different energy requirements. Some systems need to operate beyond public opening hours, limiting when consumption can be adjusted. Your team needs to account for those requirements when preparing budgets, reviewing contracts, and planning for outages.

5 reviews your usage, utility rates, and agreements to recommend purchasing strategies and identify opportunities for further analysis. We also help evaluate efficiency, solar, and backup power options based on your facility’s needs and available funding.

How we help

• Energy purchasing and budgeting: Evaluate contract options and prepare budgets using consumption history, seasonal patterns, and expected operating changes.

• Utility rate review: Analyze rate classifications and charges and work with utilities and suppliers to address identified issues.

• Usage analysis and benchmarking: Review when and how energy is used and compare consumption across meters or facilities to identify patterns that need attention.

• Efficiency and demand planning: Assess opportunities to adjust energy use within collection care, animal care, and facility requirements.

• On-site solar: Evaluate project costs, utility arrangements, and implications for existing energy agreements.

• Reliability planning: Review backup power and other resiliency options, including financial analysis, proposal review, and vendor selection.

• Sustainability: Support ESG strategy development, implementation, and communications, along with participation in sustainability education initiatives.

Frequently asked questions

How does 5 account for collection and animal care requirements?

5 reviews operating needs alongside energy usage and building systems. Those requirements inform purchasing recommendations and whether changes in consumption are practical.

Can 5 help make energy expenses easier to forecast?

Yes. 5 prepares budgets based on historical consumption, contract terms, and anticipated changes. Purchasing strategies can limit some price exposure, but total costs still depend on usage and the charges covered by the agreement.

Can 5 help identify utility rate or billing issues?

Yes. 5 reviews rates and charges, investigates discrepancies, and works with utilities and suppliers to address them.

Can 5 help evaluate solar for a museum or zoo?

Yes. 5 assesses solar proposals using project costs, available incentives, utility rules, and energy contract provisions. The analysis helps your team compare options before committing to a project.

What does resiliency planning include?

5 reviews energy usage, operating requirements, and available space to evaluate backup power and other resiliency options. Support can include financial modeling, proposal review, and vendor selection.