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Scott Rouse: Energy Manager of the Year (2023)

October 16, 2023 – Scott Rouse—managing partner, Energy@Work Inc.—has been declared Energy Manager of the Year (2023) in Energy Manager Canada’s inaugural awards program. Congratulations, Scott!

“Thank you for the recognition, but I also want to recognize my team, Energy@Work, for supporting both me and especially our clients,” says Rouse. “And, of course, our clients… we are very fortunate in that we have great clients that really want to make a noticeable improvement.”

Rouse is a veteran of the energy efficiency scene. He developed Ontario Hydro’s in-house Energy Efficiency group, which went on to win the Canadian and U.S. EPA awards for energy efficiency results and GHG reductions.

In 2003, he founded Energy@Work to help clients achieve similar, sustainable results. Originally focused on improving their “Triple bottom line: Economic Prosperity, Environmental Performance, and Social Responsibility”, the focus has evolved to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).

Perhaps Rouse’s pièce de résistance is the Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP), which was developed (and evolved) as a comprehensive approach to reducing energy use and emissions without compromising safety, tenant comfort, or equipment reliability.

E-MAP is pivotal in uniting building management, operations, stakeholders, occupants, and tenants, notes Rouse’s nominator. “This collaborative approach facilitates a deeper comprehension of ongoing actions and encourages everyone to actively contribute to the collective endeavours.”

Toronto Hydro reviewed and approved 29 E-MAPs as part of its CDM program (OPSaver), where a collective savings of 16,000,000 kWh were third-party measured and verified, and $2.9 million-worth of electricity that did not need to be purchased.

You cannot manage what you do not measure. To champion bona fide energy management efforts over “greenwashing”, Rouse encourages the market to adopt Efficiency Valuation Organization’s (EVO) International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP).

Rouse is also the creator and founding chair of the Canadian Energy Manager Network, continuously sharing best practices, innovative ideas, and actively engaging with others in developing superior solutions.

“Scott’s ‘secret to success’ lies in the respect he has for clients, employees and partnerships that deliver win-win-win outcomes,” stated Rouse’s nominator.

“We bring a fresh, vibrant focus on energy management,” Rouse says. “As an example, when we look at those 16 million kWh that were saved across 28 properties, we find it comes down to three things: people, process, products.”

“Products are the tools that we use that aren’t necessarily available in-house, and which have been built and fine-tuned over 20 years,” Rouse explains. The process of uncovering savings is a systematic approach, which is customized to the individual client and what they are trying to achieve.

“But the real differentiator is with people; understanding who they are, their motivations, and so on. After all, every person has a role to play, and having an external specialist in energy management who can relate to them and their needs is invaluable.”

“I am extremely pleased with the selection of Scott Rouse as our inaugural Energy Manager of the Year,” says Anthony Capkun, editor-publisher of Energy Manager Canada. “Through a passion and dedication that spans decades, Scott serves as an example to everyone of the valuable expertise and insights provided by an expert in proactive energy management.”

READ ABOUT our 2023 Honourable Mention: GLEN MACDOUGALL.

About Energy Manager Canada

For nearly two decades, Energy Manager Canada has been publishing news and information on proactive energy management. Earlier this year, we hosted the virtual RETScreen World Conference, which attracted registrants from 63 countries around the world. In Summer 2023, we launched the national Energy Manager of the Year awards program to recognize the often unsung professionals who combat rising energy costs—and, increasingly, emissions—in their organizations through proactive energy management. Visit energy-manager.ca.

About ABB

ABB is the proud sponsor of this year’s awards program. With its diversity of products, solutions and advanced technologies, ABB is taking a leap forward in smart home, smart building and intelligent communities by providing real-time information; reducing carbon footprint; helping to make better data-driven decisions; curbing energy costs with intelligent control systems; and increasing safety, security and comfort to foster a better quality of life. Visit ABB Buildings and Living Solutions.