What is a Project Owner, and what responsibilities does this role carry in energy projects?

A Project Owner is a named role assigned responsibility for managing specific energy improvement projects. In our delivery framework, the Project Owner holds accountability for project execution across the six stages: assessing opportunities, building the business case, capturing value through funding or certificates, delivering implementation, procuring energy and environmental attributes, and sustaining performance. We recommend appointing a clear Project Owner at project inception to coordinate evidence gathering, liaison between facility teams and advisers, and accountability for meeting decision deadlines and maintaining project documentation.

How does a Decision Owner differ from a Project Owner, and why does each role matter?

A Decision Owner is the person or role responsible for approving the next step at each project stage, while a Project Owner manages day-to-day project execution. A carbon-management diagnostic, for example, requires the Decision Owner to be identified before the workshop begins. In energy projects, the Decision Owner approves audit scope, investment decisions, measurement plans, and procurement choices. Our six-stage approach relies on both roles: the Project Owner coordinates evidence and delivery, while the Decision Owner ensures alignment with business objectives and approves resource allocation at each gate.

What does Northmore Gordon mean by its 'six-stage delivery approach,' and how does it guide project management?

Our six-stage framework organises energy projects from initial assessment through sustained performance: Assess (identify opportunities and evidence gaps), Build the Case (evaluate technical and commercial viability), Capture Value (identify funding or certificate pathways), Deliver (implement and verify), Procure (secure energy and environmental attributes), and Perform (sustain outcomes and plan next steps). Each stage supports specific management decisions. Starting at the correct stage prevents scope creep and focuses effort proportionately. For example, a site with an existing audit moves directly to Build the Case, while a site without reliable data begins with Assess and metering planning.

What is a Project Brief, and how does it help a project manager start an energy assessment?

A Project Brief is a structured document that captures the business problem, site details, available evidence, chronological milestones, and decision requirements before formal assessment begins. We recommend it as a foundational tool for initiating energy-related assessments and improvements. A practical brief includes the decision required, operational requirements, site and equipment information, a dated chronology of prior studies or commitments, available energy data and responsible roles, and the requested output scope. This documentation establishes clarity regarding project stage, objectives, and state of readiness, enabling Northmore Gordon to scope appropriate next steps without delay.

How should a project manager handle environmental certificates in a project file, and what separate questions apply?

We recommend keeping different forms of support for an energy project separate in the project file: grants, certificate transactions, and financing arrangements should appear distinctly. For environmental certificates, project managers must establish the activity type, jurisdiction, project stage, intended claim, eligible instrument, ownership arrangements, and retirement requirements before proceeding. Certificate eligibility depends on the specific scheme and method, not on technology alone. We provide certificate assessment, engineering and commercial evaluation, and support for project registration, certificate creation and trading. Project managers should avoid promising certificate price or payback based on historical cases and instead compare a base case without certificates against an incentive scenario.

What role does measurement and verification play in project management, and when should planning begin?

Measurement and verification (M&V) determines what energy use would have been without the intervention, establishing actual savings. Project managers must plan M&V early, ideally during project scoping, because baseline data must exist before equipment changes. An M&V brief should state the purpose (internal performance, investment contract, certificate scheme), measurement boundary, baseline conditions, implementation record, and reporting method. We advertise M&V services including project-boundary selection, baseline modelling, savings calculation and reporting. A practical starting structure involves specifying instruments, intervals, quality checks, and who holds data responsibility, then separating engineering estimates from verified results.

How should a project manager align project timing with funding and certificate eligibility?

Project timing directly affects funding and certificate eligibility. We emphasize raising funding and measurement questions while projects are still being scoped, not after installation. For ACCU projects, certain investment or asset commitments may indicate commencement before registration is possible. For NSW Energy Savings Scheme projects, the baseline measurement procedure must be deemed appropriate by an M&V professional before the implementation date. Project managers should create a decision record capturing investigation stage, commitments made, evidence collected before and after installation, and commissioning details. Appointing one person to coordinate the evidence file and tracking missing items with owners and dates prevents technically sound projects from losing eligibility through late information gathering.

What information should a project manager prepare before engaging Northmore Gordon for carbon advisory or transition planning support?

Before requesting carbon advisory or transition planning support, project managers should prepare the corporate structure, reporting year, existing financial or reporting advice, current emissions inventory, data owners, strategy documents, and key investment decisions. Rather than delaying until every gap is closed, document the current state of each item. Our carbon advisory services span diagnostics, inventories, reporting support, opportunity assessment, transition planning, and environmental-attribute due diligence. Providing this initial information allows Northmore Gordon to scope applicability, identify evidence gaps, and define work packages for reporting readiness, inventory development, and financial implications of decarbonization, aligned with applicable frameworks such as ASRS or NGER.

What does Northmore Gordon's 'Perform' stage entail, and how does it differ from project completion?

The Perform stage is the sixth and ongoing phase of our delivery approach, distinct from project completion. It focuses on sustained outcomes, reporting obligations, energy management, performance reviews, and planning for multi-site expansion. Rather than ending after installation and initial verification, a project moves into operational management: documenting implemented changes, updating operating instructions, monitoring against baseline conditions, investigating unexpected variations, and closing the feedback loop to inform future decisions. We support energy management systems development, performance reviews, and data-driven decision-making. A useful first deliverable from Perform is an action register with clear owners and a scheduled management review, ensuring the business continues to benefit from the investment.

How can a project manager use Northmore Gordon's knowledge library and case studies to guide similar projects?

We publish case studies and a knowledge library addressing energy assessment, government schemes, technical systems, and priority sectors. Published cases—such as Greenham (industrial decarbonization), Nomad Coffee (energy audit prioritization), and Kalafatis Fresh Produce (solar and baseline changes)—illustrate problem types and advisory roles, not identical outcomes or current scheme eligibility. A project manager should view these as reference examples, then apply site-specific assessment and current scheme rules. The knowledge library covers energy audits, measurement and verification, investment cases, funding pathways, and project briefs. Project managers benefit from reviewing relevant chapters (e.g., on project timing or environmental certificates) before scoping engagement, ensuring they understand decision requirements and evidence readiness.

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