Why energy management software is fundamental for your business

What is energy management software?

Energy Management Software (EMS) is a central tool for businesses looking to reduce their energy usage and costs. An EMS is comprised of cost savings and energy usage analytics, dashboards and data collection tools that help businesses collect energy intelligence to make data-driven energy management decisions.

An EMS is fundamental to any business because it brings together many different areas of energy management into one, all-encompassing platform. It allows businesses to implement new energy management techniques, gain new information on operational performance and align corporate sustainability goals without the need for multiple systems. To put it simply, an EMS saves businesses valuable time and positively reverberates energy management goals throughout the entire business.

MRI eSight has helped focus energy management goals and implement intelligent energy solutions for businesses globally for 20 years. With 9 modules, a variety of dashboard options and proven success in nearly every major sector, the MRI eSight is the driving force to sustain operational output while providing the energy data businesses need to increase savings and reduce energy consumption.

Aggregating energy data

One of the most difficult things about monitoring energy usage is that energy data can be in many different formats and systems, such as spreadsheets, building automation systems, IoT devices or paper bills from a utilities company.

How do businesses even begin to manage all this data?

MRI eSight’s Data Collection module provides a clear view of all energy data in one interface and can collect data from virtually any system and in any format from anywhere across the globe. Through its seamless integration and use of setup wizards, the Data Collection module simplifies the data collection process, ensuring large of amounts of data are imported instantly and accurately.

What if a business has no method of transferring the data?

When there is no method to transfer energy data to MRI eSight’s database, the Intelligent Data Collector (iDC) tool within MRI eSight provides a method to automatically transport data securely on a scheduled basis. The iDC tool prepares energy data and imports it directly into MRI eSight.

Making sense of energy data

Once an automated data collection infrastructure is in place, the next step is to use that data to monitor energy consumption and costs. Then, a baseline is created which serves as a standard against future changes in energy consumption.

What if a business has several variables that need to be normalized to get its baseline?

MRI eSight’s Energy Analysis module enables businesses to normalize against 10 variables, including production volumes, occupancy and weather, to ensure the baseline created is as accurate as possible. Dynamically reporting on a realistic baseline and focusing on specific energy data helps to optimize energy efficiency, identify energy saving opportunities, monitor progress, fine tune energy goals and verify savings.

Achieve energy goals

After understanding how energy is consumed across a business, energy saving policies are defined, energy savings opportunities are analyzed and eventual savings verified.

Businesses are then tasked with assessing which actions will achieve the best return on investment over a certain time period and providing a clear visual representation of the project life cycle.

How can businesses be confident in the projects they want to implement?

MRI eSight’s Project Tracking module is an essential tool in achieving energy goals. It enables users to set targets, analyse energy opportunities, monitor progress and verify savings in one central module. Having all this information in one place gives a clear visual representation of the project life cycle in a concise workflow. Project Tracking is an essential tool when defining energy savings targets from inception through to completion of the project.

Display actionable information

A challenge that most businesses face when implementing company-wide energy management goals is achieving engagement and buy-in across all sectors. This ranges from energy managers presenting findings to a CFO, to plant operators changing operational processes to become more in line with corporate sustainability goals and having a readily available dashboard that’s accessible across the organization.

How do businesses display energy data in a simplified way?

The MRI eSight Software has two unique dashboards that display data in an engaging, graphical format, while simplifying energy monitoring to present key information at a glance. With the goal of focusing energy management efforts, the MRI eSight Facilities Management Dashboard is user specific and visualizes energy data. It accommodates multiple dashboard set ups and allows the user to have a customised layout to better display and monitor their energy performance.

How do businesses achieve buy-in from my entire company using a dashboard?

When achieving buy-in, it’s essential that the energy data is displayed in an intuitive and interactive way with the ability to be accessed in a public setting. The MRI eSight ENVI Dashboard is the latest in dashboard technology and enables users to simply toggle through usage, savings and carbon emissions data, meters and sites. This dashboard can be configured to match a business’ branding and can be used on any smart device. It’s perfect for public display and presents a simpler way to track energy performance for all members of a business.

Energy Management Software is a combination of several energy management modules that consolidate energy management into one platform. It’s fundamental for all businesses because it not only gives the energy data needed to make decisions, but it helps present that data in a way that achieves buy-in throughout the organization.

With 20 years of experience across a diverse global clientele, MRI eSight energy has the tools to focus energy goals and implement intelligent solutions. MRI eSight provides resource and energy intelligence for businesses to make data-driven decisions in their energy management programs.