Anver Harel: Building a Smarter and More Sustainable Energy Future

For Avner Harel, Owner and CEO of Orange Energizing Solutions, energy efficiency is about much more than reducing electricity consumption. It is about helping businesses operate more efficiently, control unnecessary costs, improve equipment performance, and make smarter long-term investments. The idea behind Orange Energizing Solutions came from a simple observation. Avner saw businesses, both large and small, paying unnecessarily high electricity bills while their refrigeration systems were operating inefficiently. At the same time, many of these businesses were not taking advantage of utility incentive programs that could help reduce the cost of making energy-efficient upgrades. He saw an opportunity to address both problems.

Orange Energizing Solutions was established with the aim of helping businesses lower their energy costs, improve the performance of their refrigeration equipment, and maximize the energy efficiency rebates available through utility programs. What began with only a small number of energy efficiency measures and a handful of utility partners has grown considerably over the years. Today, the company works with more than 100 utility companies nationwide and offers more than 20 energy efficiency measures across refrigeration and lighting. It has also been honored with one of the largest energy efficiency awards ever presented to a company in its industry.

For Avner, growth and recognition are milestones in a larger journey. The company’s core focus remains on helping businesses save energy through innovative technologies that improve operational efficiency. This commitment is guided by four values: innovation, integrity, strong customer relationships, and continuous improvement. For Orange Energizing Solutions, success means delivering measurable value, building lasting partnerships, and continually finding better solutions for its customers.

For Avner, the real measure of success is the value that the company continues to create for its customers. A project should not necessarily mark the end of a relationship. As new technologies and energy-saving opportunities emerge, there should be opportunities to return to customers and help them achieve additional savings and operational improvements. That approach is particularly relevant because businesses often face significant challenges when attempting to transition to more sustainable and energy-efficient systems.

For large organizations, one of the biggest obstacles is the complexity of decision-making. A company operating hundreds or thousands of locations may recognize the financial benefits of an energy efficiency project, yet securing approval across such a large network can take months or even years. Multiple decision-makers, budgets, operational priorities, and approval processes can make implementation difficult. Another challenge is awareness.

Many businesses are simply unaware of the utility incentive programs available to them. As a result, they may assume that energy efficiency upgrades require a major upfront investment. In reality, available incentives can significantly reduce the cost of many projects.

This is one of the areas where Orange Energizing Solutions seeks to create value. The company does not simply help businesses reduce electricity consumption. Its projects can also improve refrigeration system performance, reduce equipment strain, minimize downtime, extend equipment lifespan, and lower maintenance costs.

When these operational benefits are combined with utility rebates, energy efficiency can become a much more attractive business investment. Avner believes this is an important shift in perspective. Energy efficiency should not be viewed only as an environmental initiative. It can directly influence a company’s financial and operational performance.

While specific customer projects remain confidential, Orange Energizing Solutions’ work helps save approximately 20 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. For Avner, however, the strongest measure of impact is customer trust. Many clients continue to invite the company back as new technologies and energy-saving opportunities emerge, reflecting the tangible value of its solutions.

Technology is expected to remain at the center of that evolution. Avner sees technological innovation as a major force shaping the future of energy management. New technologies are introduced regularly, often bringing opportunities for additional energy savings and improved operational reliability. The challenge is determining which technologies can genuinely deliver results and where they can be applied effectively. That requires more than simply adopting the latest technology. Orange Energizing Solutions takes a careful approach that involves evaluating new solutions, testing their performance, reviewing data, and understanding potential risks before recommending or implementing them.

Artificial intelligence and data analytics are also beginning to influence the energy sector and the company’s own operations. Avner says AI currently has a greater impact behind the scenes, particularly in back-office functions, sales support, workflow automation, and overall operational efficiency. He expects that role to expand. As AI capabilities continue to develop, its applications in energy management could become much more significant. Predictive maintenance, analysis of operational data, identification of energy-saving opportunities, and improved decision-making could all become increasingly important. The potential is especially significant because energy management is becoming more data-driven. Businesses that can identify inefficiencies earlier and understand how their systems are performing in real time may be better positioned to reduce waste and avoid costly operational problems.

Avner sees sustainability through a similarly practical lens. As sustainability becomes a growing business priority, organizations have an opportunity to move beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements. They can use sustainability as a way to improve their operations while creating environmental benefits. One practical approach is to maximize available utility incentive programs and continue investing in proven energy-efficient technologies. Such investments can reduce energy consumption, lower operating costs, improve equipment performance, and contribute to a company’s environmental goals.

In Avner’s view, sustainability and profitability do not have to be competing priorities. When approached strategically, they can support each other. His perspective on leadership follows the same principle of being proactive rather than reactive. Avner believes successful leaders need to stay ahead of developments within their industries and actively contribute to change.

Strong relationships with utility companies are an important part of that approach. Orange Energizing Solutions works with utilities to maximize customer savings while also helping educate them about new technologies. The company examines proven energy efficiency measures included in Technical Resource Manuals, or TRMs, used in surrounding states and explores whether those measures could potentially be adopted in other utility programs.

For Avner, leadership is not simply about responding to change. It is about helping create it through new ideas, strong relationships, trust, and a willingness to explore better solutions. At the same time, innovation needs to be balanced with careful decision-making. When faced with high-risk or high-impact opportunities, the company evaluates them from multiple perspectives. Utility programs are analyzed carefully. New technologies are tested. Performance data is reviewed, and potential risks are considered before moving forward. This combination of analysis and real-world testing allows the company to pursue innovation without taking unnecessary risks.

Such an approach is also important because businesses can sometimes be skeptical about energy efficiency opportunities. One common misconception is that energy efficiency projects are expensive and difficult to justify. Avner believes this perception often comes from a lack of awareness about utility incentives. Significant incentives can substantially reduce upfront costs while the resulting upgrades can deliver operational and energy savings.

Another misconception is that programs offering significant savings with little or no upfront cost sound too good to be true. Avner understands why businesses may initially be cautious. Ultimately, however, seeing the results firsthand can change that perception. There is also an opportunity to make the wider energy ecosystem easier to navigate.

Avner would like to see greater consistency among utility programs across the country. Different utilities often have different rules, rebate structures, and approved technologies. For businesses with multiple locations, this can make participation unnecessarily complicated. Greater standardization could make it easier for businesses to implement energy efficiency measures across different markets. It could also accelerate adoption and create a larger environmental impact nationwide. For Avner, the future of energy efficiency depends on making these opportunities easier to understand, easier to access, and more closely connected to the everyday realities of business operations.

Companies that continue investing in energy efficiency and adopting new technologies can lower operating costs, improve equipment performance, reduce maintenance requirements, and strengthen the reliability of their operations. At the same time, they can reduce energy consumption and contribute to broader environmental goals. This perspective reflects the journey of Orange Energizing Solutions itself. What began as an effort focused on a small number of energy efficiency measures and utility partnerships has grown into a company working with more than 100 utility companies and offering more than 20 measures across refrigeration and lighting.

The industry will continue to evolve, and so will the opportunities available to businesses. New technologies will emerge, utility programs will change, and new approaches to energy management will develop. For Avner, staying curious, testing what works, and continuing to look for better solutions will remain essential.

Orange Energizing Solutions is helping businesses look at energy efficiency in a different way. It is not simply about cutting electricity bills or reducing energy use. It is about making smarter investments that improve equipment performance, strengthen day-to-day operations, lower costs, and support long-term sustainability.

For businesses willing to look beyond the initial investment, energy efficiency can offer much more than immediate savings. It can help them perform better today while preparing for a more efficient, sustainable, and technology-driven future.