A Case Study in Transforming Energy Management with Wild Energy Smart Meters

Executive Summary

This case study highlights the significant impact of Wild Energy's smart metering system on a prominent RV park and campground, leading to a 25% reduction in energy costs, enhanced operational efficiency, and the ability to accurately bill short-term guests for their energy usage. This comprehensive transformation showcases the value of smart metering in improving both operational management and guest satisfaction.

• Sites: 800
• Avg Occupancy: 100% August- December 
• Avg Occupancy: 70% January-July  
  
  

Client Background

The RV park and campground, now in its 25th year of operation, is strategically located near a major university, attracting a diverse clientele of visiting parents, snowbirds, and football fans. With 800 sites spread across two parks, the resort offers a vibrant atmosphere, particularly during football season, featuring amenities such as shuttles and dining experiences. The park has an average monthly electric expense of $31,000.

Challenges

Before implementing Wild Energy meters, the park faced significant energy management issues:

• Manual Meter Readings: Reliance on excel sheets and pegboards led to frequent user errors and lack of transparency. Maintenance staff, shared with another business entity, were burdened with meter reading tasks, reducing their availability for other essential projects.
• Guest Satisfaction: The lack of real-time data on energy usage caused mistrust and frequent disputes with guests, impacting overall satisfaction.
• Operational Costs: The inability to accurately bill short-term guests for their actual energy usage meant higher operational expenses, as the park had to cover the costs for these stays.
  
  

Decision to Switch

The decision to switch to Wild Energy meters was driven by the need for automation, efficiency, and better cost management. The key features and benefits that influenced this decision included:

• Automation and Efficiency: The ability to automate meter readings and generate reports for input into the Camplife rate management system. (WE team working on integration) 
• Real-time Usage Tracking: Checkthemeter.com provided guests with real-time energy usage data, enhancing transparency and trust.
• Billing Accuracy: The system enabled accurate billing for short-term guests, significantly reducing the park’s operational expenses.
• Meter Replacement: park was already swapping out 10% of their meters every year already. Refurbished. (ask Kim to verify) 
  
  

Implementation

The installation process of Wild Energy meters was seamless, with 580 meters already installed and only 60 meters left to be installed. The staff experienced minimal disruption during the installation, and the transition was smooth.

Related Video: See how easy it is to upgrade to smart meters

Results

The implementation of Wild Energy meters resulted in immediate and significant benefits:

1. Energy Cost Reduction:

• Pre-implementation monthly electric expense: $31,000
• Post-implementation reduction: 25%
• New monthly electric expense: $31,000 - ($31,000 * 0.25) = $23,250
• Annual savings: $93,000

• Improved billing accuracy from an estimated 70% to 100% for guest-related energy costs.

• Time saved from manual meter reading: Equivalent to nearly an extra week of work each month (40-hour workweek).
• Labor cost savings: $2,000/month, or $24,000/year.

• Real-time data access through Checkthemeter.com increased guest trust and satisfaction.

Platform Integration Time Savings Calculation: (Manager Time Savings and Overtime)

Integrating Wild Energy's smart meters with existing rate management platforms offers significant time savings and operational efficiency. Currently, the park spends 2 minutes per invoice for 800 sites, totaling 1,600 minutes or 26.67 hours per week—equivalent to nearly an extra workweek each month. This often pushes staff into overtime, working late into the evenings and weekends.

With Wild Energy's integrations into platforms like Newbook, Campspot, RMS, Staylist, Campground Commander, ResNexus, and MySites, these manual tasks will be automated, further reducing labor costs, eliminating overtime, and providing real-time guest access to energy usage data.

Enhanced Operations and Guest Experience

Operational improvements included better time management for staff and increased efficiency in energy management tasks. The automation of meter readings freed up maintenance staff to focus on other crucial tasks, leading to better overall park maintenance and improved guest services. Guests benefited from easy access to real-time energy usage data, fostering trust and satisfaction.

Overall, the implementation of Wild Energy meters transformed the RV park’s energy management, delivering significant cost savings, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing the guest experience. This case study serves as a compelling example of the value that smart metering technology can bring to similar properties.

The Full Picture of Implementation Costs and ROI Model:

• Current Implementation:
• Meters Installed: 580 meters already in place
• Cost per Meter: Assuming an average cost of $150 per meter the total investment for the 580 meters is 580 * $150 = $87,000.
• Remaining Meters to be Installed:
• Additional Meters: 60 meters
• Cost for Additional Meters: 60 * $150 = $9,000
• Future Expansion:
• Planned Expansion: Expanding the total number of sites from 800 to 1000.
• Additional Meters Needed: For the expansion, 1000 - 640 (existing meters, including the upcoming 60) = 360 additional meters.
• Cost for Expansion: 360 * $150 = $54,000
• Total Investment:
• Current Meters: $87,000
• Remaining 60 Meters: $9,000
• Future Expansion (360 Meters): $54,000
• Total Projected Cost: $87,000 + $9,000 + $54,000 = $150,000
• Return on Investment (ROI) Model:
• Energy Cost Savings: As previously noted, the park achieved a 25% reduction in energy costs. With the current setup, the monthly electric expense was reduced from $31,000 to $23,250, resulting in monthly savings of $7,750.
• Annual Savings: $7,750 * 12 = $93,000
• Labor Cost Savings: Automation of meter readings saves approximately $2,000 per month in labor costs, leading to annual savings of $2,000 * 12 = $24,000.
• Total Annual Savings: $93,000 (energy savings) + $24,000 (labor savings) = $117,000
• Payback Period:
• For the current implementation of 640 meters:
• Total cost: $87,000 (current meters) + $9,000 (remaining meters) = $96,000
• Payback period: $96,000 / $117,000 ≈ 0.82 years (about 10 months)
• For the future expansion to 1000 meters:
• Total cost: $96,000 + $54,000 (future meters) = $150,000
• Payback period with the full expansion: $150,000 / $117,000 ≈ 1.28 years

The payback period demonstrates that the initial investment in Wild Energy meters will be recouped within approximately 10 months to 1.3 years, depending on the phase of implementation. Beyond this period, the park will continue to benefit from ongoing savings, making the investment highly cost-effective.

*This client has not yet had meters for a full financial fiscal year.