Bradley University is a prestigious private university located in Peoria, Illinois. Known for its commitment to academic excellence and community engagement, Bradley University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in diverse fields of study. 

As trusted energy advisors, 5 manages Bradley University’s energy procurement strategy and execution, including Bradley University’s participation in demand response. As 5 sought additional value for Bradley, our experts identified an opportunity to achieve energy bill savings through participation in community solar. 5 orchestrated a community solar offtake agreement for Bradley University that will add new renewable energy to Illinois’s power grid. Our team performed an invoice analysis to calculate the savings opportunity for Bradley, vetted multiple solar developers, helped present the business case, and negotiated contract terms to guide Bradley to a successful agreement. 

Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) is a Veteran-owned business that was founded in 2014 by former U.S. Army Green Beret, Evan Hafer. Through the company’s tremendous growth, they have committed to hiring 10,000 Veterans to provide opportunities to the military community to help build and support the brand. Additionally, the company also launched the BRCC Fund to support Veterans, first responders, and their families while helping to conserve the great American outdoors.

When companies experience fast-paced growth, several energy-related issues usually appear. That was certainly the case with BRCC when they first engaged the team at 5 for help. The first issue that needed to be addressed was the high rates that some of the BRCC locations were paying after simply calling a supplier’s 800-number to turn on service using a utility default price. In many cases, the supply rate for off-the-shelf pricing could be anywhere from 30-60% higher than competitive market rates obtained through customized pricing. The procurement team at 5 worked alongside BRCC to secure better rates while also selecting better contract terms and conditions based on the power market conditions. The result was dramatic savings for the client over an extended contract term.

In addition to obtaining better rates, BRCC also turned to 5’s Construction Services Team to handle new meter installations, temporary power, and permanent power cut-overs for each new store opening. The team at 5 delivered with accuracy and consistency as BRCC locations are no longer experiencing the frustration of delayed openings due to utility hurdles and extended lead times.

5’s Construction Services Team provides construction-related services to both general contractors on design-build construction projects and to clients that are expanding and building new facilities. In both instances, 5 is brought in as a part of the construction management team to provide the necessary planning and to serve as a liaison with the local utility. 5 works directly with architects, engineers, and general contractors to establish utility services that are coordinated with construction project timelines and in compliance with municipal inspection requirements.

Brightview Senior Living was founded in 1999, built on the idea that a great place to work is a great place to live. Today Brightview builds, owns, and operates 45 senior living communities in eight states along the East Coast: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Brightview communities offer residential apartments for active seniors who are independent and those seniors who require varying degrees of assistance due to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

The Highlands School, located in Irving, Texas, has been educating and forming future leaders since the school’s humble beginnings in a Dallas family’s home in 1986. Having moved to a more permanent location long ago, the school’s size and reach have both expanded and they now serve over 300 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. The school’s motto, Semper Altius, is Latin for “Always Higher” and speaks to the school’s steadfast resolve to provide “education to face the world and formation to change it.”

The Washington Tennis and Education Foundation’s (WTEF) mission is to build life champions, giving children and youth a safe environment where they can excel. WTEF empowers them to achieve their highest potential by developing meaningful values and critical skills that lead them to life-long success through a pathway of continual academic, life skills, and tennis instruction during after-school and summer camp hours.

5’s client in Mexico provides customers around the world with automatic transmissions, the brain of automobiles. As a manufacturer of Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT, hybrids) for automobiles, the client offers ecological products that maximize vehicle performance.

The Beck Group is an international architecture and construction firm that has designed and built some of the most well-known structures in North America. Based in Dallas, Beck also has offices in Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Denver, Fort Worth, Tampa, Mexico City, and Monterrey. Founded in 1912 by Henry C. Beck, the company began as a general contractor. It can trace its roots back to the original construction of the Cotton Exchange Building and the Cotton Bowl in the 1920s and 1930s. In addition to its design-build expertise, Beck is also involved in sustainability and technology solutions that help its clients operate their facilities cost-effectively.

A large global auto parts manufacturer, with multiple facilities across the country, was looking for assistance in developing a comprehensive approach to managing its electricity and natural expenses. Prior to working with 5, this Fortune 200 company was waiting until their current contracts were getting ready to expire before gathering quotes and soliciting offers from various suppliers.

5’s client, a major water authority in Texas, has provided wastewater treatment services to many municipal utility districts for more than 60 years with each member district sharing in the operating costs. In 2014, the client selected 5 to serve as their advisor for all energy-related matters.

In 2020, a midstream oil services provider approached 5 to help manage the electricity for a new facility that was ramping up its operations in the Midland Basin. This new facility gathers and stores crude oil from various wellheads in West Texas and connects it to local refineries through its pumping stations. Most of the electricity at this midstream facility is used to power a series of 200 to 400 HP variable frequency drive motors that will deliver more than 100,000 barrels per day to several downstream delivery points. This client hired 5 to help in modeling the electricity usage as the facility went into operations and gradually increased its pumping capacity. The rapidly fluctuating demand for crude oil during the pandemic added to the complexity of forecasting and budgeting this facility’s energy costs and consumption.