What are the benefits of an energy management system?
An energy management system (EMS) is an automated system that collects data and compiles it into an user friendly application. The goal of an energy management system is to bring disparate data into one interface, which can then be used to perform analysis, detect anomalies, manage utility bills and ultimately identify opportunities for lower consumption, carbon emissions and overall cost.
We know what an energy management system does and what we should expect from it on a functional level. But why is it so beneficial?
Benefits of an energy management system
Choosing an energy management system with user friendly interface and scalability brings ample benefits for your organisation.
Every enterprise boils down to productivity and profit. A good energy management system will have a positive impact on both.
Reduce costs
Reducing utility costs is a massive driver for employing an EMS. Users can track detailed spend over time and store this in a central database for easy access. This enables easier budget management throughout the year. This is thanks to combining disparate data sources to identify trends that may otherwise be missed.
For example, Shepherd Neame. Home to 370 plus pubs across the South East of England they needed to reduce energy costs from production overall. The solution was to implement specific data drivers to pull out the essential information so that Shepherd Neame could analyse their consumption vs production.
MRI eSight Energy’s energy management system supported Shephed Neame in reducing their utility bills by 25% thus far using a focused technical dashboard and identifying consumption issues.
Lower carbon footprint
Your building’s carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gasses created by your operations. An energy management system constantly measures your outputs for more informed control. The goal is to identify unnecessary losses that can be reduced.
Energy reduction strategies are a priority for many countries striving for a reduction of 10% in consumption by 2040.
Ricoh Arena attracts over one million visitors annually. Set in 40 acres and housing a 32,000 seat stadium. The addition of the MRI eSight energy management system meant that the arena could identify and target areas needing attention. For example, the lighting and air conditioning which contributed to 73% of total energy usage.
Within the first year of using MRI eSight Energy management system, Ricoh Arena saw the following reductions;
● Electricity consumption – 15%
● Gas consumption – 6%
● Water consumption – 13%
Improve building and facility performance
Make your building work for you. A further benefit of utilising an energy management system is that you can enhance your building’s performance overall. By lowering what you spend on energy waste and high operating costs, you have more scope in your budget to devote to alternative priorities.
Having continuous access to what is happening in terms of input and output will allow for more efficient building management, better equipped performance and an overall improvement in budget allocation.
Managing multiple sites and buildings in a single system gives property managers the visibility to view all energy usage intensity related data in a centralised system. This coupled with effective tenant billing and an interactive map with navigation makes improving building performance significantly simpler.
Better brand positioning
Making positive changes by implementing an energy management system isn’t just for the good of the environment and your employees. It is also a good way to show customers and clients that you are dedicated to being part of a positive mind shift. People want to support businesses who are protecting the planet and doing their part. In fact, organisations who commit to reducing their energy consumption have reported up to 15% annual growth.
Greater corporate social responsibility is about more than donating, raising funds and declaring positions. It is about implementing tools such as energy management systems to actively lower your negative impact on the environment. Your customers and clients will thank you, and so will your profit margin.
Enhance productivity
Having the capability to control all aspects of your building’s performance allows you the ability to create the perfect working environment for your employees. When employees are comfortable in their work environment, they will undoubtedly do better work.
The environmental aspect of more efficient building management will also contribute to overall employee happiness as more and more people are committed to taking better care of the world. An energy management system gives you the ability to model and forecast energy usage supports creating a more efficient and productive environment.
Increase ROI
A good energy management system comes with all the bells and whistles that work towards saving and making you money. Your EMS will help you find leaks, suggest revenue-generation ideas and emit lower power through peak times.
Tailoring the system to your building’s unique needs automatically sets you on the right path for ROI. For example in the food and drink industry, 31% of energy is committed to cold supply which includes refrigeration, freezing and HVAC whereas only 10% is used for lighting – knowing and tracking these data points will support effective energy management for your particular requirements.
Save money and increase output simultaneously
The benefits of implementing an energy management system show that creating a unique data collection for your specific industry and building will lower your costs and increase efficiency overall.
We can see that integrating an energy saving solution supports businesses in cutting their outgoings whilst increasing their productivity, improving brand image and gaining ROI.
To get the best of these benefits, choose an energy management system that;
● Has multi currency and multi lingual capabilities
● Is hardware independent
● Is fully web based
● Can be branded for your business
● Offers modularity
MRI eSight Energy comes with a host of tools listed above which will ensure you get as much as you can out of this sophisticated system for your business.
From interactive public dashboards, alarm notifications and accurate targeting of inefficiencies to careful tracking of energy performance against targets. Across industries, our approach is the most considerate of specific needs within energy management.
Driving decarbonisation
How to effectively reduce operational carbon and make progress towards net zero goals In July 2024, MRI Software hosted facilities, energy and sustainability managers at the FM & Energy Leaders Forum, where leading industry figures offered…
