Hello Partners!

Let’s talk about energy management systems (EMS).  If you review your monthly energy bill and try to use less energy the following month, that’s an EMS, right?

Well, not exactly.  An EMS, when used in a building application is, “…integrated building automation…intelligent and interoperable digital communication technologies promoting a holistic approach to controls and providing adaptive operational optimization.”  In English, this all means to utilize software to monitor your energy usage at the meter which provides feedback for controls and building operators to adjust energy usage to maximize energy savings, cost savings, and occupant comfort.

An EMS would cost thousands of dollars, who can afford one?  A highly sophisticated EMS can be cost prohibitive for some folks, but it doesn’t have to be.  Here are some things to keep in mind when considering an EMS:

I. The US EPA’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy offers an open-source whole-building energy modeling (BEM) engine called EnergyPlus™.  EnergyPlus™ is a state-of-the-art comprehensive and robust engine that is fully supported and receives updates twice per year.  This engine can be customized to suit your needs. This would be a great avenue for partners that don’t have a large budget for EMS but may have a good Information Technology (IT) department that can build an interface.

If you are in the market to purchase software, here are some things to keep in mind so that you are not purchasing more functionality than you need and you select a system that is right for your application:

I. Define your goals for the energy management system.
II. Identify the objectives of management for the energy management system.
III. Identify your load shifting opportunities.
IV. Identify your load shedding opportunities.
V.  Manage your energy bill and energy expenses.
VI. Make decisions about energy purchasing.
VII. Make decisions to do frequent or real time energy use adjustments.

The savings never stop!

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Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/energy-management-system
https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/articles/python-ems-unique-energyplus-feature-gets-serious-upgrade
https://electricenergyonline.com/energy/magazine/20/article/Choosing-the-Right-Energy-Management-System.htm