5 Things to Know Before Buying energy management software solution

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Whether you are considering investing in an EMS or you already have a solution in place to save energy costs in your business, make sure you take into account all the available options, research as much as you need to and find the customised software that works best for you. Using an Energy Management Software is simple, but you need to keep these 5 ideas in mind:

1. Monitoring systems lead to efficiency: Energy Management Software

Companies know how important is to efficiently manage energy resources. Lighting equipment, HVAC systems and other types of electronic devices like computers and phones&#;we rely completely on energy to keep our business running. A recent study developed by Gas Natural Fenosa pointed out that small and medium sized Spanish businesses could save up to &#;4.452 million and cut their utility bills by 26%, just by changing specific habits and behaviours and implement appropriate initiatives.

• Regarding HVAC systems (heating, ventilating and air conditioning), choose equipment with Inverter technology (the most energy efficient).
• In terms of lighting, taking advantage of natural light is always a good idea. Also, low energy light bulbs or LEDs are efficient alternatives.
• As regards electronic devices, don&#;t leave them turned on when you are not using them, unplug them so they don&#;t remain on &#;stand-by&#;.

Besides all these measures to consider, monitoring is essential. To better manage your facilities and precisely control the maintenance expenditures, it is critical to analyse in depth the performance and the expense of the facility. How can you monitor, analyse and keep track of your energy consumption and costs? With an Energy Management Software. This will take you to efficiency and savings.

A tip you will find useful at the end of the day is to seek for measurement and verification. A monitoring system will measure your performance, what can you improve, and will provide you with reports that everybody can understand.

2. How you pay for it matters

Whether you are considering one energy efficiency project or another, you need to think about how will you pay for it. There are different financial programmes in the EU to support and incentivise &#;greening&#; European buildings and improving their energy performance. Grants and funds, preferential loans and third party financing from energy service companies are some of those programmes. Audits are also a useful tool to measure your performance and get advice on where to invest. Read more on how to finance your energy efficiency project here.

3. Institutional and administrative barriers

There are a variety of regulatory and planning obstacles that you will have to be aware of in managing your company&#;s energy. One of the policies you need to take into account is the European Energy Efficiency Directive. What does that have to do with an Energy Management Software? Well, if you invest in software, it will help you towards compliance with the Directive. Having real, accurate information about your energy consumption, measured over a period of time, will help you perform energy audits successfully.

Meanwhile, another challenge that won&#;t fade away in a short-term is ISO Certification. This standard is a specification for an energy management system that defines requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving such a system. How can you achieve  ISO certification? Establish objectives, monitor and collect energy data for a further analysis, educate your organisation, look for financial aids who adopt ISO , seek out internal resources, look for a consultant that will help you comply and practice energy efficiency.

4. Awareness of your energy savings potential

In general, there is a lack of understanding of the energy, cost and carbon savings from different energy efficiency measures. Energy saving is seen as something &#;good&#;, that&#;s all. People are not aware of the greater savings rather than helping the planet with old-fashioned techniques. To be ready to set up an energy efficiency project using an EMS, you first have to understand your energy savings potential.

Prioritising the measure with lowest upfront cost is not necessarily the right choice. You need to separate and balance your possible expenditures and savings that each measure will entail. Finally, consider the return on investment of each solution, to work out which one is best value overall.

Questions like &#;how much can I save?&#; or &#;what can I improve?&#; are examples of what you should be asking yourself, and your energy management solution provider (see more questions you should be asking).

5. What do you want to measure?

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The last but not least point is to think of the dimensions of my facilities. What do I want to monitor exactly: is it just one building? Is it a set of facilities spread over a territory? Depending on what the answer might be, a project will be more or less suitable for you.

Now you are in the right mindset to look for your Energy Management Software. But remember, information is key, so try out different solutions and make an informed decision, using these 5 considerations. 

1. Cost of ownership of the EMS

Most owners only focus on the initial cost of an EMS, but don&#;t factor in the cost of ownership. Some of the questions I recommend asking before you purchase an EMS are as follows: If you are installing wireless sensors/devices, then you should ask, &#;What cost allowance should I include in my operations budget to have the batteries replaced &#; and how often?&#; For owners/facilities that must maintain a very tight temperature/humidity specification then I would recommend you budget for a service agreement to calibrate and maintain the systems yearly. I would ask, &#;Can you include the first-year maintenance cost in the initial purchase price of the EMS?&#; or &#;Can I receive a multiyear service agreement discount?&#;

Other questions to ask are, &#;What&#;s is the cost to receive training on my new EMS? How will I receive the training &#; online, onsite or do I have to travel to a factory training center? Should I purchase a service agreement, or can I learn/be taught to maintain the EMS on my own? How much are replacement parts and are they readily available? Is this system the most up-to-date version, and is it backwards compatible? If not, could this system potentially be phased out before the lifecycle of the EMS has ended?&#; Finally, &#;Is there any other cost of ownership expenses should I expect to pay?&#;

2. Which is better, HVAC onboard control or EMS Control of HVAC equipment?

Deciding between HVAC onboard control or EMS control for large HVAC units such as boilers, chillers, and outside air units can be a difficult task. While the solution depends on a variety of factors such as HVAC equipment, building environment, and more, the ideal option is usually a combination of both. Integrating the EMS system with the HVAC unit&#;s onboard controller and hardwiring a start/stop control point for the unit is an effective way to maximize efficiency. Ensure that your HVAC manufacturer can provide this option and includes necessary interface/BACnet cards.

3. Remote communication to your EMS server

Having remote communication to your EMS server is essential for the overall health and wellbeing of your building. This will allow your HVAC/mechanical provider, construction team, and facility department to be able to access trending, reporting, alarming, and troubleshooting with a click of their mouse. Sometimes a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection is needed to access the EMS server, but this can limit your access and features. The best questions to ask are: &#;will the EMS server be allowed to generate and send , text, and reporting information via the VPN?&#;. Have an early meeting with your EMS provider and IT department to discuss access and get ahead of any potential issues. This proactive approach will go a long way in ensuring remote communication to your EMS server.

4. Remote hosting your EMS server

The IT industry is trending to cloud base offering for more solutions. You should consider cloud hosting for your EMS server. It means that your EMS provider will take your server off-premise and move it to their server room, while allowing secure remote access to your network. In order to decide if this is right for you, consider these questions: Does your IT department currently allow remote access to your EMS server? Are you using a VPN to access your network? If the answer is yes, then you should strongly consider hosting your EMS server remotely.

I like to use the analogy of a Corvette when explaining this concept. Not having remote access or limiting VPN access to the EMS server is like having the keys to your brand-new Corvette locked away in someone else&#;s garage.

The advantages of remote hosting are plentiful. You&#;ll have unlimited access to the EMS server, be able to receive alarms, reports, and additional features. Plus, you&#;ll be able to respond to service issues faster since you&#;ll have remote access. You can even grant service partners and vendors access to the system for assistance. The only downside is that there is an annual fee for this service; however, you can always ask about a multiyear discount on the hosting agreement.

5. Add humidity sensors to the system

Adding humidity sensors to the Energy Management System is a must, especially in regions like my coastal South Carolina territory. Surprisingly, there are many Energy Management Systems that don&#;t monitor humidity, so I recommend installing a few sensors in the building&#;s common areas. This will help you ensure that your building&#;s humidity levels are monitored and enable you to quickly troubleshoot any hot issues that arise.

Summary

In conclusion, review your cost of ownership and learn the pitfalls, integrate to HVAC equipment with a hardwire start/stop, get the facts on remote communication from your EMS provider and your IT Department, and add humidity sensors at least to the common areas.

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