Is your business missing out on energy and decarbonisation opportunities?

South Australian Business News

Cathi Buttfield

Wednesday, April 16th 2025

At the South Australian Business Chamber, we are always on the lookout for how our members can help other businesses to strengthen their operations, reduce costs, and plan for long-term success. One increasingly vital area is energy management. It’s not just about technology or solar panels, it’s about governance.

We regularly engage with our valued ThirtyNiner members, including Jed Durdin, CEO and Co-Founder of SE247, a company that helps businesses make smarter decisions around energy and emissions.

Energy Governance: Why It Matters

Jed explains that successful energy and emissions strategies are built on two pillars:

Governance – the systems, data, tools, and internal processes that support decision-making.
Impact – the visible outcomes, like reduced bills, lower emissions, creating new revenue with assets you have onsite, and improved sustainability credentials.

Many businesses aim for the second without fully establishing the first.

Without good governance, projects often stall, go over budget, or opportunities are missed. While we know business owners are time-poor, investing in governance upfront can save serious time, money, and headaches later. Common issues include:

Scattered or unreliable energy data
Ad hoc projects lacking strategic direction
Undefined or unclear roles and accountability
Increased risk and less predictable results

What Good Governance Looks Like

Jed and the SE247 team use a scoring system based on four essential governance elements to help businesses move from reactive to proactive energy management and unlock the impact opportunities:

Energy Data – A single source of truth for energy usage across all sites and meters.
Tools & Measurement – Clear visibility of what’s happening in real time and over time.
Organisational Capability – Clear ownership, transparent reporting, and aligned responsibilities.
Energy Planning – A roadmap that connects business goals with measurable targets.

Real-World Impact: The Solar Example

One of the many impact opportunities a business has is to install solar. Doing this without first understanding its energy profile and infrastructure might:

Over or under-size the system
Running over budget because of missed hidden infrastructure costs
Experience project delays due to poor planning
Having no oversight of solar system performance (the set and forget mistake)
Lost savings by relying on quarterly power bills to indicate system outages 3 months too late

With strong governance in place:

The system is designed to match actual demand
Costs and risks are identified early
Internal teams and suppliers are aligned, ensuring smoother delivery
Visibility of system performance in real-time to ensure issues are fixed well before savings are lost
Future proofed systems to maximise savings and emission reductions over the long term

Why This Matters for Your Business

Energy is no longer just an overhead — it’s a strategic lever. Done right, it reduces costs, boosts resilience, and contributes to sustainability targets. With upcoming changes to reporting standards and growing market pressure, the need for integrated, strategic energy governance is only going to increase.

Through partnerships with experts like SE247, we encourage South Australian businesses to take a fresh look at their energy approach. The return on investment is real – it can reduce costs and risk, meet stakeholder expectations, and create new value.

Let’s Talk

If you’re unsure where to begin or how your business stacks up, now is the time to act. Start with a governance review. Align your team. Build a plan that puts you in control.

The Chamber is here to support our members through this transition with our energy and sustainability advocacy, and SE247’s Sustainable Energy Insights Report for South Australian SMEs provided great insight into the challenges and opportunities you are facing.

We’re always keen to hear from you – connect with our Policy Team at policy@sabusinesschamber.com.au or visit sustainableenergy247.com for expert guidance and to get started with an energy and emission management review.