---
title: "Health & Fitness Business: How Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Can Lower Costs and Strengthen Operations"
description: Budderfly's Brittany Ficano explains how fitness operators can use energy infrastructure upgrades to control costs, improve the member experience, and advance sustainability goals.
image: https://news.budderfly.com/hubfs/Health%20and%20Fitness.png
---
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Sep 23, 2026
# Health & Fitness Business: How Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Can Lower Costs and Strengthen Operations
Budderfly's Brittany Ficano, Program Director, shared her perspective on energy management for fitness operators in a partner Q&A in the September 2026 issue of Health & Fitness Business. The piece looks at how higher utility bills, outdated building systems, and rising member expectations are pushing clubs and studios to treat energy as a strategic business decision, and how energy-as-a-service partners let operators upgrade key systems without tying up capital they'd rather put toward growth.
Ficano pointed to HVAC modernization, LED lighting, and smart building controls as the upgrades with the greatest impact, noting that the best energy strategies are "often invisible to members but noticeable in the quality of the environment." She also encouraged operators to look beyond utility savings when measuring return, factoring in lower maintenance costs, longer equipment life, and improved reliability.
Read the full article [here](https://www.healthandfitnessbusiness.org/september2026/trade-secrets).
---
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