West Monroe Completes Work on Comprehensive Sustainable Energy Roadmap for Shedd Aquarium

West Monroe Partners, a full-service North American business and technology consultancy, today announced the completion of a pro-bono project to support Shedd Aquarium’s strategic initiative to become the nation’s first clean energy-powered cultural institution through a mix of smart energy strategies. As part of a consortium that also included the Civic Consulting Alliance, City of Chicago, Chicago Park District, IIT Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation, Illinois Science & Technology Coalition, and the Citizens Utility Board, West Monroe Partners played a key leading role in the development of the strategic Master Energy Roadmap for the institution.

Shedd Aquarium, a leading global conservation and education organization, aims to cut energy consumption of the 83-year-old historic building in half by 2020, saving 10 million kilowatt hours annually—enough to power 750 households.

Development of the project roadmap, which completed the first phase of the long-term initiative, produced an assessment of the institution’s current energy profile, evaluated 24 specific areas of opportunity, and created a comprehensive structure and process for management and implementation. Key findings identified include the use of real-time and consumption-point data intelligence to optimize operational and equipment energy use, as well as significant tools and technologies that could potentially decrease energy consumption, just to name a few.

“We are pleased to have this opportunity to contribute some of West Monroe Partners’ core skills and our time—not only to benefit one of Chicago’s most iconic cultural institutions, but also to promote the development and benefit of strategies that have a meaningful impact on our environment and our community,” said Tom Hulsebosch, director of West Monroe’s Utility and Smart Energy practice. “The output of this work provides Shedd Aquarium with clear direction for advancing its goals.”

Other elements of the Master Energy Roadmap include advanced intelligence, energy efficiency, automation and control, energy storage, and on-site renewable generation. The Master Energy Roadmap will guide the institution’s implementation effort.

“West Monroe’s expertise in smart energy technologies and their leadership in helping to create a savvy coalition of partners with the advanced knowledge to analyze our complex needs and considerations were extraordinary,” said Robert Wengel, vice president of facilities for Shedd. “This project is an important and vital part of our work to meet the primary goals of providing clean and reliable habitats for the animals in our care, identifying energy efficiencies and lowering expenditures where possible, achieving and maintaining a more sustainable supply of power, and creating opportunities that educate our guests about the responsibility of conservation.”

In early 2011, West Monroe Partners announced an ambitious social and environmental responsibility commitment. Following on the leadership efforts of its clients and business partners, West Monroe strives to contribute one percent of its talent in pro-bono work, one percent of its profits in donations to qualifying organizations, and one percent of its collective personnel time to community engagement and leadership activities.

About John G. Shedd Aquarium

John G. Shedd Aquarium, the World’s Aquarium and global leader in aquatic science and conservation, is one of the world’s largest indoor aquariums. The facility houses more than 32,500 aquatic animals, representing some 1,500 species of fishes, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, birds and aquatic mammals from waters around the world. Since its opening in 1930, the aquarium’s mission has been to enhance public understanding of aquatic life and connect guests to the living world, inspiring them to protect and preserve the planet. Visit www.sheddaquarium.org to learn more.