Volvo Group

An end-to-end energy strategy to meet Volvo Group's innovative needs.

A forward thinking strategy for a large energy footprint.

Volvo Group North America operates multiple sites, including the Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Penta, Nova Bus and Prevost brands from Pennsylvania to Maryland to Illinois to New York. This wide geographic footprint means they have unique needs when it comes to their energy. When they began looking for a new energy supplier, they needed a provider that could deliver a comprehensive strategy that minimized their spending—and they chose Direct Energy Business to do it.

After listening to their needs for their operating footprint, Direct Energy Business recommended a multi-tiered strategy for how they buy both their electricity and natural gas, and how they use it.

For their power procurement, we recommended they employ our Load Following Block & Index solution. This allows for up to 100 percent of their power usage to be locked in at a fixed rate. Then, any remaining usage can be purchased at index-based prices.

Combined with EnergyPortfolio™, our advanced energy management & procurement platform, this gave Volvo Group a powerful tool to manage their procurement in ways that maximized opportunity while limiting risk.

For their natural gas procurement, we recommended our NYMEX Plus strategy, which gave them a flexible option for managing the commodity portion of their natural gas price.

"We value our relationship with Direct Energy Business. When we have a question, the team responds within hours. I like the reporting and bi-weekly status call updates that keep Volvo abreast of the electricity and natural gas market. Our relationship with Direct Energy Business is still young, but I like how the future includes new opportunities."

-Ryan Little, Commodity Buyer for Indirect Products & Services Purchasing, Volvo Group

Creating new opportunities with Demand Response.

As a high-volume power user, Volvo Group had a unique opportunity to participate in Demand Response, a program that can generate revenue for users who can curtail or offset their usage during times of peak demand on the electricity grid.

The Direct Energy Business team helped the group manage their participation in a Demand Response program, where they were able to benchmark usage and spot opportunity to reduce electricity usage during peak times year after year, which translates to lowering their overall electricity spending.

Moving forward, as Volvo Group has innovatively set a 100 percent renewable and sustainable energy goal for their operations, Direct Energy Business is actively putting in place the strategies, including on-site solar generation, that will help them get there.