How can sustainability drive both environmental and business success? In this episode, Kristen Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer at General Motors, shares insights on how GM is integrating sustainability into their core business strategy. Discover how GM is tackling Scope 3 emissions by not just focusing on electric vehicles, but also ensuring that the electricity powering these vehicles comes from renewable sources. Learn about GM's approach to working with suppliers and stakeholders to achieve shared sustainability goals and how the company’s culture and commitment to continuous improvement drive their long-term success.

Listen in to understand how you can apply these principles to your own business and why sustainability isn’t just an option but a strategic imperative. Kristen’s insights offer a roadmap for balancing environmental responsibility with business profitability, showing that progress is made through continuous efforts rather than waiting for perfection.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• How Kristen got involved in sustainability.
• The importance of collaboration.
• How GM tackles Scope 3 emissions with electric vehicles and renewable energy.
• The importance of working with suppliers to meet sustainability goals.
• How to engage stakeholders in sustainability efforts.
• Why continuous improvement and goal-setting matter for success.
• How GM’s company culture supports its sustainability strategy.

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Kristen Siemen: LinkedIn
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/3m5yjsdm

How do you ensure you're getting the best value from your suppliers? In today's episode, we dive into the crucial role of supplier diversity and the importance of driving competition when bringing a project to market. We’ll explore the latest customer insights, discuss the impact of regional players and suppliers, and uncover strategies related to equipment and labor that can significantly affect project outcomes.

You’ll learn about the importance of aligning with suppliers who match your internal metrics and how incentives and grants can give one supplier an edge over another. Listen in as we share practical advice and real-life situations that demonstrate how driving competition can lead to substantial cost savings. This episode will equip you with the knowledge to understand your market position and make strategic decisions that benefit your bottom line.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• What customers think about when buying an energy system.
• Why it’s important to expand the pool of suppliers.
• The importance of understanding your position in the market.
• How to drive competition and opportunity in the market.
• Why driving competition is important.

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/mry9uehc

Curious about the best way to finance your onsite energy systems? In this episode, we explore the crucial decision between self-financing and debt financing, breaking down the benefits, risks and key considerations for each option. You’ll gain valuable insights into whether it’s better to own your energy systems outright or let someone else take on the ownership—and what that means for your business.

Listen in as we dive into the different financing mechanisms available, from loans and capital leases to PPAs and REAP grants, all while addressing the essential questions every business leader should ask before making this strategic decision. By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap for financing your energy projects, ensuring predictable costs and reliable inputs for your business. Don't miss this opportunity to make informed, impactful decisions that could shape your company's financial future!

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• The three primary paths to financing an onsite energy system
• The benefits, risks and key considerations of each financing option
• The three questions business leaders need to ask to determine which financing mechanism is ideal
• How tax credits work
• How to take advantage of REAP grants

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/hfd9azpj

Now that we’ve designed the right onsite energy system, how do we buy them from developers and contractors? This is a crucial topic for business leaders who want to harness the power of onsite energy. Choosing the wrong contractors could have a very damaging effect on your progress and implementation, so listen in to hear about how you can get multiple quotes, manage risks, and ensure that you’re getting a competitive deal.

If you want to ensure you get a solution that matches your criteria for success and delivers value in the long term, we have important tips to share to help you do just that. Don’t miss our advice on selecting the most qualified contractors and why it’s so important not to take shortcuts in this area of the process. We will give you a step-by-step plan to ensure you are getting the best bids and, ultimately, making the best decisions for your facility.


What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode:

• How to prepare for a successful partnership.
• Why running a competitive process is important to finding the right fit.
• How to set expectations and ensure you get the best contractors to choose from.
• The best ways to pre-qualify contractors and evaluate bids.
• Tips for meeting suppliers and using a marketplace platform.
  
  

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/3s5jmkmb

Are you one of the many people who want to understand heat pumps? We've heard plenty of our customers express their pain points surrounding industrial energy and how they want to learn more about heat pumps, so today, we are joined by Arun Gupta, Founder and CEO of Skyven Technologies. Arun is here to shed light on solving industrial heat issues, how heat pumps work, and more.

Listen in as he breaks down the basics of the Skyven Arcturus steam-generating heat pump, as well as its various industrial applications. You'll learn the financial benefits of using heat pumps, what made Arun pivot away from solar thermal, and tips for business leaders on how to handle the challenges that can come with implementing energy efficiency measures.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• The problem with industrial heat and how Arun went about finding a solution.
• Why he pivoted away from solar thermal and into more energy efficiency as a service.
• What they discovered when looking into efficiencies that manufacturers are deploying.
• Introduction of Skyven's steam-generating heat pump.
• Efficiency and financial benefits of using heat pumps over natural gas
• Advice for business leaders on decarbonization and cost management

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Arun Gupta: LinkedIn
• Skyven Technologies
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn

VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/2pa5v2yb

Are you struggling to engage stakeholders effectively in your projects? In this episode of our pain point series, we tackle the crucial topic of engaging stakeholders and how early conversations with internal stakeholder groups can streamline your process. We’ll share real-world examples, such as a project that faced months of delays due to the need to integrate union labor, and an aerospace firm that lost nearly $2 million in value due to misalignment among senior leadership. By engaging the right stakeholders early, you'll learn who needs to be involved, what they need to know, and how to get them engaged to prevent setbacks.

Listen in as we discuss key moments in the project procurement process where scope alignment is essential among stakeholders. Misalignment, indecision, and frequent changes can drag out the procurement process and increase costs. Understand the importance of involving finance, sustainability, and legal teams early in the process to ensure smooth execution and avoid unexpected rejections or missed considerations.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• How to engage the right stakeholders across the board.
• Who needs to be involved in your project.
• Why you should get other people involved in your project.
• The importance of getting finance involved early.
• When sustainability should be considered in these projects.
• Why legal must be involved in the execution.

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/yc76u858

Today we’re thrilled to have Josh Bachman, a seasoned expert in energy efficiency and decarbonization. As a leading figure at Cascade Energy, Josh brings knowledge on the intersection of energy technology and financial strategy. He dives deep into the critical role of industrial heat pumps, electrification trends, and the evolving energy efficiency landscape.

Listen in as Josh uncovers the challenges and opportunities facing businesses in their decarbonization journeys. He discusses the financial implications of energy projects, the challenges behind implementing new technologies, and the promising future of virtual power plants. You will hear Josh’s advice on achieving transformative energy efficiency and his vision for a net-zero future in the industry.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• How Josh’s interest in energy started.
• What Cascade Energy does in the energy space.
• The primary hurdle in adopting energy-saving measures.
• How energy efficiency projects can lead to significant savings over time.
• The importance of energy and decarbonization beyond just financial returns.
• The gap between corporate goals and practical implementation.
• Advice for mid-level facility managers.
• How heat pumps work and their role in decarbonization.
• What virtual power plants are and their potential.
• Josh's vision for success.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• "In my experience, energy efficiency is 90% about people and 10% about technology. We can upgrade to smart technology, but there's an operator behind it and if that operator doesn't understand how to use that technology or maintain it, the savings won't be fully realized." - Josh Bachman
• "Business leaders should be jumping on top of energy use as quickly as they would if their bank account was losing the 10% or even 40% equivalent of how much energy rates are increasing or the amount they're leaving on the table by not owning their power. This is not just an emissions thing, it's also a financial thing." - Dan Roberts
• "While the operation of buildings is not the core business of most companies, given the increase in energy prices and the pressures to decarbonize, the building and how it operates is increasingly becoming a part of their core business." - Dan Roberts

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Josh Bachman: LinkedIn
• Cascade Energy
• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/skgjc

If you're looking to choose the best energy technologies for your site, this episode is a must-listen! In our Pain Point series, we're here to help you make informed decisions about the right onsite energy system. Gain valuable insights into common (and costly) mistakes, and learn how to better address the unique needs of your site. Tune in to ensure you're making the best choices for your energy solutions!

With every week that passes, onsite energy needs become more topical and we are seeing key areas where businesses can plan better to ensure things go more smoothly and efficiently than ever. Listen in to hear about some of the cases we have heard about where people have learned hard lessons when it comes to onsite energy and what we recommend to combat issues that happen in the planning process. We also outline important indicators that will help you determine the most valuable and effective system elements to put in place.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

• Common questions we get from people navigating onsite energy system implementation.
• The various energy needs and goals for each individual site.
• Important questions to ask when you are planning for a system that is resilient far into the future.
• Who you need to involve in these important energy system decisions.
• Key things to notice when looking at each site to look into new energy options.
• The importance of considering market conditions before choosing a system.
• How to simplify the process and get better outcomes.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• "When considering what system is right for a particular facility, the first question to answer is 'What do we want to gain from this system?' Am I doing it because I'm suffering from power outages and I want to improve resilience? Is emissions reduction super important to my operation because I have contracts that are dependent on it, or is the public expecting and demanding it?" - Gareth Evans
• "By doing the analysis upfront and determining what system is right for the business, it provides the cheapest insurance policy to ensure that this 25-year plus investment is going to yield the most value for you." - Dan Roberts
• "When companies own their power and proactively plan and invest, it will unlock millions (if not hundreds of millions) of trapped value." - Gareth Evans

Resources In Today's Episode:

• Gareth Evans: LinkedIn
• Dan Roberts: LinkedIn
• VECKTA: News

You can view a video of the conversation on VECKTA's website here: https://tinyurl.com/mu66r3rs