When over 1,500 district energy professionals gathered at CampusEnergy2025 in Boston this February, discussions went far beyond technical specifications of heating and cooling systems, geothermal applications, and small modular reactors. A critical theme emerged: while technical solutions lay the foundation for the energy transition, their success will ultimately depend on people—their understanding, buy-in, and willingness to drive change.
From Communication to Advocacy: What It Takes to Drive Change
Many assume that simply sharing information is enough to build support for new initiatives. Experience shows otherwise. Communication—exchanging information—can increase awareness, but it rarely drives lasting transformation. Advocacy is what creates meaningful shifts in behavior and decision-making.
Unlike broad public advocacy, organizational advocacy requires a strategic, data-backed approach to influence internal stakeholders and business partners. It’s about:
- Identifying key decision-makers
- Understanding their priorities and concerns
- Building a compelling, evidence-based case that aligns with their objectives
Key Insight: Implementing new technologies or improving operations requires more than technical merit. It demands stakeholder buy-in, investment approval, and sustained organizational commitment.
The Role of Data in Building Support
This is where data becomes a powerful ally. Data historians and other technology solutions, like asset performance management (APM), provide the foundation for building compelling, fact-based arguments that inform decision-making.
These tools offer complementary perspectives:
✔ Historians tell the story of where we’ve been—highlighting inefficiencies, operational trends, and opportunities for improvement
✔ APM solutions ensure we maximize the value of both existing and new assets—improving maintenance strategies and operational performance
By leveraging both, organizations can move beyond gut feelings and opinions to build persuasive, data-backed business cases.
Change Leadership: Moving Beyond Resistance
Leading an energy transition effort requires more than just technical expertise. Change leaders must understand the difference between communication and advocacy—and know when to use each.
Great ideas often fail not because they lack technical merit, but because they couldn’t overcome organizational inertia or gain stakeholder support. Effective change leadership requires:
- Strategic Thinking – Understanding internal priorities and aligning proposals with them
- Emotional Intelligence – Addressing concerns, managing resistance, and building trust
- Data-Driven Decision-Making – Using hard evidence to justify investments and mitigate risk
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Overwhelming stakeholders with too much data at once
- Focusing only on technical benefits while ignoring organizational impacts
- Failing to address operational staff concerns early in the process
- Neglecting to establish clear baseline metrics before changes
- Trying to drive too much change too quickly
- Assuming one communication approach works for all stakeholders
Real-World Change Management Examples
Successfully implementing modern technologies requires navigating various organizational dynamics. Here are common scenarios and effective approaches:
Operational Expertise Integration
Situation: Transitioning from manual controls to new automation systems
Challenge: Need to preserve valuable operational knowledge while adopting innovative technology
Solution:
- Involving experienced staff in system design and testing
- Creating operator-centric interfaces based on current workflows
- Using historian data to validate and improve automation decisions
- Developing new roles that combine operational expertise with digital tools
Financial Phase-In
Situation: Large capital investment needed for system modernization
Challenge: Competing priorities for limited capital resources
Solution:
- Breaking the project into strategic phases with clear ROI metrics
- Using pilot projects to demonstrate benefits
- Leveraging APM data to show maintenance cost reductions
- Creating a clear financial narrative backed by performance data
Cross-Department Collaboration
Situation: The project spans facilities, IT, and operations
Challenge: Aligning different departmental priorities and timelines
Solution:
- Establishing a cross-functional steering committee
- Creating shared KPIs that matter to each department
- Regular joint reviews of project milestones
- Using data dashboards accessible to all stakeholders
Making Data Meaningful
Numbers alone rarely inspire change. Even the most compelling data must be translated into insights that resonate with specific stakeholders:
- Finance teams: Frame efficiency metrics as cost savings and budget impact
- Sustainability leaders: Connect emissions reductions to regulatory compliance and ESG goals
- Operations staff: Show how improvements lead to reliability, ease of maintenance, and fewer outages
- Executives: Link performance data to organizational goals and risk reduction
Visualization Matters
A dense spreadsheet might not persuade decision-makers. Instead, consider:
- Interactive dashboards that illustrate trends
- Before-and-after performance comparisons
- Case studies from peer organizations with similar challenges
By translating complex data into clear, actionable insights, change leaders make it easier for stakeholders to say “yes.”
Key Metrics to Track
Successful transitions require consistent monitoring of both technical and organizational metrics:
Technical Performance:
- Energy efficiency (kWh/square foot)
- Peak demand reduction (kW)
- System reliability (uptime %)
- Maintenance costs ($ per asset)
- Carbon emissions (MT CO2e)
Organizational Progress:
- Project milestone completion rates
- Stakeholder engagement levels
- Training participation rates
- Number of successful pilot projects
- Cost savings realized vs projected
- Staff feedback and satisfaction scores
Taking the Next Step
Ready to start driving change in your organization? Here’s where to begin:
- Establish a baseline – Use historian data to document current performance
- Identify key stakeholders – Understand their concerns and priorities
- Develop a data-informed case – Leverage simulation, APM, and other analytics to show potential gains
- Engage with peers – Learn from organizations that have successfully navigated similar transitions
Success in the energy transition requires more than good technology—it demands effective advocacy, backed by compelling data.
Your organization can build the support needed for successful energy transitions by combining strategic advocacy with robust data analysis. The energy transition is up to us to move forward!
