BEEP Industrial Course 4: Building the Business Case

Attendees will examine the use of financial metrics and tools to calculate and sell sustainability projects to owners, asset managers and tenants by highlighting the positive financial and environmental impacts of improved performance. Learn how to put energy efficiency in the context of “what’s important” to financial decision-makers.

BOMA BEEP for Industrial Property Management courses are available for limited use (30 days after purchase). For an extended license please contact Pamela Colman at pcolman@boma.org.

Learning Objectives:

Present a business case for EE improvements to management/ownership.
Identify both financial and non-financial benefits.
Use standard financial metrics to communicate costs and savings.
Take advantage of standard reporting formats and tools.
Understand a range of financing options to cover the cost of EE improvements.

Billy Grayson

Founder & Principal, Brent Branch Strategies

Billy Grayson is the Founder and Principal of Bent Branch Strategies, an energy and sustainability consulting firm. Prior to founding Bent Branch Strategies, Billy served as Director of Sustainability at Liberty Property Trust - a diversified REIT with over 100 million square feet of assets under management. At Liberty Billy spearheaded a national energy efficiency retrofit program, supported green building certification, and launched a nationwide tenant sustainability engagement program, helping Liberty earn a GRESB â€œGreen Starâ€ and an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award.

Prior to Liberty, Billy worked in supply chain sustainability as VP of Social and Environmental Sustainability at the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), and managed energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies as Director of Corporate Sustainability at WESCO International, a Fortune 500 electrical distributor. He has a MBA and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Maryland and is a LEED AP.

Brenna Walraven

President & CEO, Corporate Sustainability Strategies, Inc.

Brenna is Founder and CEO of Corporate Sustainability Strategies, Inc (CSS). Brenna is the former Chairman of BOMA International and was a founding developer of the BOMA Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP), and the BOMA Energy Performance Contract (BEPC) model. Brenna has spoken nationally and internationally on topics of efficiency/sustainability, leadership, technology and the value of association membership/involvement.

She is an international leader in executing energy efficiency and sustainability strategies and satisfaction goals, she helped drive management leadership. With 25+ years experience in property operations, and through partnering with Energy Star, has learned how to successfully lead a national effort of improved energy management, efficiency and environmental stewardship.

USAA Real Estate Company was named Energy Star Partner of the Year for the category of Leadership in Energy Management for 12 straight years. Due to USAA Realcoâ€™s success in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship, Brenna was asked to serve on former Governor Schwarzeneggerâ€™s Real Estate Industry Leadership Council that served to help the public and private sector real estate in State of California reduce energy consumption and also serves on the Department of Energy and US Environmental Protection Agencyâ€™s National Steering Committee for the National Commercial Real Estate Energy Alliance, now part of the DOE's Better Building Alliance. Under Brenna's leadership, USAA Real Estate Co has been recognized as a Green Star ranking in the top 5 for at least one fund in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).