If you’ve picked up any industrial trade journal or browsed the business section of the news for energy related topics, you’ve probably read about energy management software of some type. Everyone seems to agree that energy management software is the next big thing, but how will such systems actually help your business?
Energy management software generally provides options for evaluating effectiveness and ROI of efficiency projects or for measuring, tracking and controlling energy consumption to eliminate waste.
Software for Energy Efficiency Projects
With so many options to choose from, determining which energy efficiency projects to implement might seem a difficult task for any industrial facility. Employees tasked with reducing energy costs often have limited budgets and must prioritize new projects and plan for future implementation.
Through the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) division the U.S. Department of Energy offers free calculators and software tools that allow you to analyze opportunities to reduce energy costs and help you calculate possible energy savings gained from energy efficiency projects. These tools help calculate the potential return on investment or paybacks for projects, like high temperature insulation jackets, allowing you to purchase the most cost-effective projects first and achieve the greatest amount of energy savings.
Beyond software tools, the EERE also provides a variety of training courses, seminars and webinars for those interested in reducing energy costs with software. Segmented by industry, these resources offer significant insight into options available for you to reduce energy costs.
Energy Management Systems
Available as basic software that controls lighting systems or more complex systems that measure, analyze and control energy consumption, efficiency software offers many custom options for improving efficiency. Sophisticated software systems monitor every aspect of energy consumption and manufacturing emissions, store data that you can use to pinpoint energy waste and send web or cell phone alerts notifying you of any issues.
With such a large range of software options available, determining which services you need isn’t always easy. According to a recent report by business research leader Verdantix, the best method for choosing appropriate management software lies in implementing readily available, free software, choosing a reputable software provider, and clearly outlining your needs prior to the sales process.
What systems are you currently using to monitor your energy usage?