I run a small bakery in Chicago. Three shops, one tiny warehouse, lots of ovens. Hot days feel like we live on the sun. Last fall, I hired a climate change consultant. I was nervous. I didn’t want big talk and no plan. I wanted numbers. Clear steps. Less heat in the kitchen. And if it saved money? Even better.
You know what? It wasn’t magic. But it worked.
Why I Did It (Besides The Heat)
Our power bills kept climbing. Gas too. My staff asked about the smoke days and bad air. My kid asked what we do at work to help. I didn’t want to shrug. So I called a local team a friend liked. They weren’t flashy. They just sounded calm and clear.
We scoped a project for eight weeks. Cost was $18,500. It felt steep. But so do burned croissants.
What The Process Looked Like Day to Day
They started with a kickoff. No big words. Just, “We need your bills.” So I sent 24 months of electric and gas bills for all sites. I shared delivery logs, order data, and travel reports. I’m not going to lie. The data work was a pain. I stayed late two nights with cold pizza.
Of course, when you’re buried in invoices at 1 a.m., sometimes you just need a quick mental break that’s the exact opposite of emission factors and energy audits. If your idea of unwinding involves some adults-only fun, you can duck into InstantChat’s big-tits live cam rooms for always-on HD streams and interactive chats that offer a lighthearted reset before you dive back into those spreadsheets. Alternatively, if you’d rather line up a real-world meetup after your shift—especially if you find yourself in the NIU/DeKalb area—check out the latest Doublelist DeKalb rundown where you’ll find updated posting rules, safety pointers, and insider tips for connecting with like-minded locals without endless swiping.
(If you’d like an insider perspective from the other side of the spreadsheet, here’s an honest take from a climate change policy analyst that pairs well with what follows.)
They used the GHG Protocol to count our emissions (see the official GHG Protocol Corporate Standard for the nitty-gritty details). If that sounds fancy, it’s not. It’s a standard way to add things up.
- Scope 1: fuel we burn on site (our gas ovens, water heat).
- Scope 2: power we buy (electricity).
- Scope 3: other stuff we cause (flour coming in, staff commutes, trash, shipping).
For a broader picture, the World Resources Institute maintains an excellent hub on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol initiative that helped me understand why these scopes matter.
They also used EPA Portfolio Manager for our buildings. En-ROADS for a team workshop (that was fun, like a game). And ArcGIS to show flood risk on a map. Seeing your shop in a blue flood patch? Not fun. But helpful.
Real Numbers, No Fairy Dust
Our 2023 baseline came back at 382 metric tons of CO2e. The split:
- 45% natural gas
- 30% electricity
- 15% travel and delivery
- 10% waste and other odds and ends
It felt heavy. But it also felt real. Now we had a target.
They gave me a 32-page report. Plus a one-page summary. Thank you for that one pager. The report had a simple chart with savings vs. cost. They called it an abatement curve. I called it “my shopping list.”
What We Changed in the First 6 Months
We didn’t do it all. We picked what made sense.
- Swapped two gas water heaters for heat pumps in our busiest shops. Rebates from ComEd helped. The payback? Under three years. My plumbers were nervous at first. Now they’re fans.
- Scheduled the conveyor oven start times. We used to fire them up at 4 a.m. no matter what. Now we stagger. Same output. Less gas.
- Added clear strip curtains on the walk-in freezer. Cheap. Huge win. The door stays cold when folks rush in and out.
- Switched all lights to LEDs. Boring, yes. But bills dropped.
- Signed up for a 100% renewable power plan with our utility. We also bought RECs to cover the first year. I wanted quick movement while we planned solar right.
- Installed a 20 kW solar system on the warehouse. The report used HelioScope for the plan. We used a local installer. With the federal tax credit from the IRA, it penciled out.
We also cut one delivery route by reworking stops. Our driver said, “Why didn’t we do this before?” Good question.
Money, Time, and Sweat
Upfront consulting fee: $18,500.
Equipment and install (first wave): $96,000.
- Rebates and tax credits: $54,000 back.
- Net: $42,000.
Monthly energy savings after nine months: about $1,120.
Emissions cut: 26% vs. baseline. Not perfect. But not small.
Payback on the first wave looks like 2.4 years. I can live with that.
The Human Part (It Matters)
They ran a two-hour staff session with En-ROADS. It’s a climate simulator. You tweak sliders and see outcomes. My team got loud in a good way. People asked sharp questions. My lead baker said, “I don’t care about graphs. I care if the kitchen is cooler.” Fair. Since the heat pump swap and oven schedule change, the kitchen runs a bit cooler in the afternoons. Not a ton. But you feel it.
They also set a flood plan. We’re near the river. They showed the map. We added raised storage, named a “storm lead,” and checked our insurance fine print. Boring. But storms don’t care.
What I Loved
- Clear math and straight talk. No fluff. No “save the planet” speech. Just steps.
- Fast wins I could do in weeks, not years.
- Vendor lists with real names and price ranges.
- Templates for a supplier survey. We sent it to our flour mill and dairy folks. Replies were mixed, but better than nothing.
- Email support that felt human. They answered my oddball questions. Even “Can I run proofers on timers without ruining dough?” (Yes, with tests.)
What Bugged Me
- Data wrangling on my side was rough. I wish they had a smoother intake tool.
- A few slides were thick with charts. My eyes glazed over.
- Scope 3 felt guessy. Commute surveys and waste factors are hard. They said that, which I respect.
- Scheduling slipped by a week. Holidays hit. Life happens.
- A short pitch for offsets at the end felt pushy. We passed on that for now.
The Big Goals We Set
We chose an SBTi-style target: cut 50% by 2030. That’s bold for us. We’ll tackle the last gas ovens when the heat pump oven quotes make sense. We’ll look at a PPA if we outgrow rooftop solar. For now, we’re focused on more tune-ups, better routes, and staff habits.
Side note: the coffee roaster next door asked about our plan. He wants an EV van. I sent him the report. Community beats solo work, right?
If you're curious how other businesses are tackling similar challenges, check out Our Voices for practical, real-world examples.
And if you’d like to see how a totally different region tackles the same issues, here’s a candid story about working with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre.
Seasonal Reality Check
During the July heat wave, our third shop used to feel brutal by 2 p.m. This year, it was still rough, but not crushing. The curtains and oven timing helped. Small things add up. Kind of like salt in bread. You don’t see it. You feel it.
Should You Hire A Climate Consultant?
If you run a small business, school, or city office, it can help. Prices I’ve seen range from $8k to $50k based on size and scope. Ask about rebates and grants. They can pay for a big chunk.
Questions I’m glad I asked:
- What’s the timeline and who does the data work?
- Will you give a one-page plan with costs, savings, and emissions cuts?
- Can you bring local rebates and tax credits to the table?
- Do you list vendors and give more than one choice?
- How do you handle Scope 3 without making stuff up?
Final Take
Was it worth it? Yes. I can show my team and my kid what we’re doing. Bills are lower. Air feels a touch better. We’re not done. But we’re moving.
Score: 4.5 out of 5. I’ll bring them back in two years for a refresh. And maybe, just maybe