Mastering Energy Management in a Disrupted Market

In this episode of Connected FM, host Dean Stanberry, former Chair on IFMA's Global Board of Directors, welcomes Gabe Phillips, CEO of Catalyst Power, for a practical conversation about energy management in an increasingly disrupted market. Gabe explains how facility managers can move beyond treating energy as a fixed operating expense and instead take a more strategic approach to procurement, efficiency and resilience planning. The discussion covers energy contracts, market volatility, demand management, on-site generation and how organizations can evaluate opportunities such as solar, combined heat and power and battery storage. The conversation also highlights the importance of understanding energy baselines, gathering operational data and conducting energy audits before making major investments. Gabe shares why facility managers should focus on building a strong data foundation, leveraging expert advice and carefully evaluating the financial realities behind emerging energy technologies. This episode is sponsored by SiteMap®, powered by GPRS. Learn more at sitemap.com/ifma Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 3:01 Meet Gabe Phillips and Catalyst Power 5:17 The Biggest Sources of Avoidable Energy Costs 7:23 Why Energy Procurement Strategy Matters 9:00 Resilience Planning and Backup Power Decisions 11:20 What Drives Energy Investments: Cost, Stability or Sustainability? 12:25 Sponsor Message: SiteMap by GPRS 13:03 Evaluating Solar, CHP and Other Energy Technologies 15:26 Why Energy Baselines and Audits Come First 18:00 New Energy Technologies Facility Managers Should Watch 18:42 The Reality of Demand Response Programs 19:53 How Better Data Is Transforming Energy Management 21:27 Are Battery Storage Systems Worth It? 22:36 Why Data Is the Foundation of Energy Strategy 24:02 Closing Thoughts and Outro Connect with Us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ifmaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFacilityManagementAssociation/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IFMAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifma_hq/YouTube: https://youtube.com/ifmaglobalVisit us at https://ifma.org