Sara York
Cascade Energy | Product Manager
Speaker
Track A: Mastering Energy Management
Session A3: Cutting Costs with Data
March 12, 2026 | 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Beyond Hardware: Build your Metering Business Case
| Regulation, rising utility costs, and AI capabilities are converging to make energy metering business-critical, yet many organizations still struggle to justify investments because executives see meters as cost centers rather than strategic assets. Unlike LED retrofits or HVAC upgrades that deliver immediate returns, metering requires purpose and strategic implementation to create value.
This session explores how to shift metering from perceived cost to strategic asset by connecting it to urgent business drivers while building the data culture necessary for success. We’ll cover strategies for connecting metering investment to urgent business pressures, including regulatory compliance with expanding Building Performance Standards and electricity costs that have risen over 20% since 2020. The session demonstrates a phased implementation approach that right-sizes the initial scope for maximum value. We’ll show how centering on people and their priorities ensures stakeholders understand the business potential and extract the most value from their metering investments. Learning Objectives: |
Speaker Bio
Sara York helps industrial and commercial organizations turn enterprise goals like emission reduction and cost optimization into actionable energy strategies. As a Product Manager at Cascade Energy, she develops solutions that bridge the gap between metering data and actionable business decisions. Her work is guided by firsthand experience navigating this challenge while managing energy programs across diverse manufacturing facilities.
Sara's 15 years in energy efficiency began with hands-on project engineering, progressing through program delivery to strategic program management for the Bonneville Power Administration's Energy Smart Industrial Program. This progression taught her that successful metering initiatives require more than technology; they need organizational alignment and clear value demonstration.
She is committed to advancing practical measurement and verification approaches through working with the Northwest Strategic Energy Management Collaborative and contributing to industry publications like the IPMVP Non-Routine Adjustment Guide. Sara holds an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington, a B.S. from Oregon State University, and is a registered Professional Engineer in Washington State.