Protecting your Energy Management Investments through Optimization.

This post is part of The Adaptive Energy Management Guide.  

Implementing new technology is a stressful process. From the beginning phases of deciding which option will best suit your needs all the way through implementation there is always fear that something could go wrong.

What if you made the wrong decision?

What if there was a better solution?

Ensuring that the investment you made will bring the desired results is of the utmost importance, so why wouldn’t you want reassurance through proven results to put your mind at ease?

Through the use of building control systems (BCS), a company can gain insight into their energy usage and develop a strategy to maximize their building efficiency gains. But like all technology, these systems age over time and new versions of the control systems come out every few years. After roughly 10 years, building control systems are considered “aging” and re-commissioning control systems portfolio-wide is an expensive undertaking that can be avoided. So how do you extend the life of your control systems and make sure they do not become obsolete?

Imagine your building control system as your home computer. You may have bought it 10 or 12 years ago but through regular software updates and maintenance it runs just as well as the brand new computer your friend purchased to get the same results. Your friend paid much more money for “the latest thing” but is still experiencing the same performance as you are. By updating the operating system instead of purchasing an entirely new computer, you are optimizing your existing machinery while keeping more money in your pocket.

Now take that analogy and apply it to your building control systems. Through the use of Enterprise Energy Management (EEM) and Building Automation software you can continue to update your systems regularly, ensuring that they perform at a high level, while also protecting the investment made to install them into your buildings.

EEM software taps into your BCS and allows you, or an Energy Management Service (EMS) team to have full visibility into your energy usage on a daily basis. This visibility allows you to see how your portfolio is operating and identify the low hanging fruit that is wasting energy and costing you money. Through web based reporting tools within the software platform, you are able see your pain points and drive maximum efficiency out of your buildings and make adjustments in your energy strategy to reach your company goals.

Many times when companies make the decision to begin energy efficiency strategies the first step is traditionally to upgrade the equipment on site. Not to long ago lighting retrofits were the common starting point for most companies followed by the ever-growing renewables market. There are still more ways to continue driving energy savings from your buildings. But what are they?

Adaptive Energy Management - How to Use Your Buildings as a Battery

The visibility that is gained through the implementation of EEM allows you to see building performance across your portfolio. It can help to identify which locations are performing well and which ones are falling behind. This information can be used to build strategies to fix the problems and identify what is working for you. This visibility also allows you to maximize the lifespan of your HVAC and lighting equipment by notifying you when to perform preventative maintenance ensuring that the units are running at maximum efficiency. Keeping the equipment in your store running keeps your manager on the sales floor focusing on generating more sales and less time on the phone contacting service techs.

Enterprise Energy Management software offers a variety of other tools that drive energy reduction, which translates into cost savings. But there are other benefits that EEM can bring to the table that some may not realize.Customer comfort is of the highest priority. Keeping customers happy keeps them in your stores longer, which generates more sales revenue. EEM software gives you the flexibility to manage the temperature in your retail space to adjust for whatever weather you may be experiencing. Through the automation EEM gives you, these adjustments can be made quickly at the touch of a button.

Whether your goals are cost savings, energy reduction, improving the comfort levels of your stores, or optimizing the control systems already installed in your building, Enterprise Energy Management Software has a solution for you.

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