Energy management is a key pillar of projects these days. Not only does it serve the environment we all live in, but it can also have a significant, positive effect on the cost of ownership once the projects are completed. The benefits of installing energy management systems are unavoidable, however, they are most effective when they are the right fit for the given facility.
Energy management is the development, application, and enhancement of energy use practices to reduce resources, climate impact, and operational costs of an organization. By designing and implementing an energy management plan and system, an organization will be able to accomplish its goals while protecting the environment and keeping costs down. Energy management systems consist of connected electronic devices.
Operational Energy Management
Energy management should be a part of an organization’s operations since the use of such systems has many benefits beyond energy efficiency. Effective energy management can lead to an increase in operational efficiency, space utilization, increased productivity, and occupant engagement. Consequently, all of these improvements will lead to significant operational costs savings.
Once the system is installed, optimization can begin. All of the data collected from the various energy uses and draws can be analysed and monitored. The modern systems provide a collection of data that can be easily extracted and visualized for easy reporting.
Analytical Energy Management
A building energy management system is an IT-based solution that extends the capabilities of sensing, control, and automation hardware to direct automated and/or manual improvements to system operations utilizing the data from multiple data streams.”
One key aspect of energy management is analysis. By analysing the data behind energy in operation, the organization can identify where further improvements can occur. Products to consider for energy enhancement will depend on the operations and goals of the organization. When considering the facility that an organization occupies, the following building systems should be considered:
Insulation materials (window glazing, wall/ceiling insulation, building envelop materials, etc.)
Reduced consumption products (LED lighting, HVAC, water-saving fixtures, etc.)
Renewable energy sources (wind, geothermal, solar, etc.)
Energy Management ROI
Energy management is one of those products that sell itself. The inherent positive effects are stated by its definition to “reduce resource usage, climate impact, and operational
costs.” It is hard to argue with those benefits when planning a space.
The heartbeat of business is to generate the highest revenue with the lowest cost, while providing the best possible product or service. If an organization can reduce their operational costs, it will only make it easier to operate and result in more money to help the business grow. The return on investment will depend not only on how many energy management strategies are employed, but on how each one will be managed in order to increase the cost savings. The challenge is to deploy system management standards that will support the proper maintenance of all systems such as protocols on system alarm response, system overrides, and sensor locations. Although it may require additional costs for advanced building materials and systems initially, that investment will be repaid easily with an effective energy management system and plan.