Energy Conserved (OI6697)

This metric is intended to capture the amount of energy saved by the organization through specific energy-efficiency improvements. Improvements can result from energy-efficient construction/renovation investments within the organization’s operations or by reducing the amount of energy needed to carry out the same processes or tasks. This metric is not intended to capture reduced energy consumption that results from reduced organizational activities (e.g., partial outsourcing).

Organizations should footnote the types of energy-conservation techniques employed (e.g., process redesign) and the types of energy reduced (e.g., fuel, electricity, steam).

Organizations should footnote all assumptions used, including the basis for calculating reductions in energy consumption (such as base year or baseline) and the rationale for choosing that basis. For example, if the reporting period is annual, organizations should report on the difference in energy consumption between the current year and previous year. Additionally, organizations are encouraged to footnote energy conserved as a percentage of the total energy consumed by the organization.

Organizations are encouraged to report this metric in conjunction with Energy Generated for Use: Total (OI9624), Energy Purchased: Total (OI8825), and Energy Conservation Strategy (OI4531).

In some contexts, this metric may help measure the HOW MUCH Depth dimension of impact, which helps estimate the degree of change in outcome that the stakeholders experienced. For more on the alignment of IRIS metrics to the five dimensions of impact, see IRIS+ and the Five Dimensions of Impact (https://iris.thegiin.org/document/iris-and-the-five-dimensions/). No single metric is sufficient to understand an impact; rather, metrics are selected as a set across all dimensions of impact. When possible, the selection of metrics to measure and describe the five dimensions should be based on best practice and evidence.