Energy Management: What It Is and Why It’s Worth It

Written by Joshua Crowley

A deliberate energy management approach to businesses can save hundreds and thousands of dollars. According to the EPA, companies could cut up to 30% of their utility costs without sacrificing the quality of products and services.

Most of the energy produced in the United States is wasted. Energy experts estimate that around 68% of the energy we produce becomes wasted energy through poor insulation, errant climate control procedures, and misusing appliances.

Energy consumption can eat up a significant portion of a business’s energy cost. There are significant financial benefits to investing in energy management systems for your business.

Avoiding Demand Charges

Many small businesses with strict hours of operation may not realize that some of the practices they believe are saving them energy costs are the very reason they may be paying more.

If your business begins opening and powering on all mission-critical equipment simultaneously, this could create a peak demand–an instance where more energy than average is drawn from the power grid.

Spacing when you begin powering on your facilities over a more extended period of time – in 15-minute periods – can help reduce energy costs that may otherwise accrue by powering everything on at once.

Leaving Appliances Running When Not needed

Some of the most common commercial appliances are on-site climate control units. These are essential for keeping a space well ventilated and at comfortable temperatures.

Climate control units aren’t always needed like heating or air conditioning appliances. A good practice for keeping your appliance use energy-efficient is to adjust temperature settings while the space is not in use. Energy-smart practices may mean turning up the thermostat while a space is unoccupied during a hot day or lowering it on cooler nights when nobody is in the office.

Smart appliance use can help keep operating costs low. Energy management systems can assist business owners by integrating intelligent systems that can automatically adjust climate control units according to predetermined settings or remotely, whichever is better.

Avoiding Extra Lighting Costs

Unnecessary light use is one of the most common energy expenses business owners face.

A single light bulb on an hour longer than is necessary may seem like a small expense. But in a hotel building or structure of similar size, add that lighting expense to a hundred similar instances. The issue has expanded from a small charge resolvable using pocket change to one requiring an expanding budget.

Not all areas require constant lighting. In commercial areas, automated programs could operate lights on a schedule. In industries like hospitals or hotels, not every room constantly needs lights. Using a system to control lighting remotely or establish a schedule could significantly drive down operating costs.

Invest in Energy-saving Technologies

In an attempt to create technology that outperforms competitors, entire industries pour millions of dollars into creating more energy-efficient and user-friendly technologies.

Common office appliances such as computers, TVs, and printers use energy even when turned off. Smart plugs, among other technologies, can integrate with smartphones to create a network of interconnected devices that can allow you to manually and remotely control the energy usage of certain appliances.

Ways Energy Management Systems Help Decrease Energy Waste

Commercial and residential buildings consume the most energy in the United States. Commercial buildings – particularly grocery stores, hotels, and hospitals – consume the most power in this sector.

Some of the energy costs cannot be helped. Hospitals, for example, require a constant flow of energy to support the many personnel and patients residing therein at any given time. Hospitals will light their parking lots to deter theft and provide guests with adequate visibility for accessing their vehicles at night.

Not every facility or part of a business’ operation requires such an energy demand. Although a hospital requires a constant energy flow to keep critical machines running, lights are not needed at full strength 24 hours a day. Likewise, a hotel does not need to keep a room at a comfortable temperature when there are no tenets to enjoy it.

Real estate owners and managers can use modern technology and the internet to consolidate and more accurately manage energy use in residential and commercial spaces. In recent years, the internet of things – devices that can monitor and communicate using the internet – has increased the capacity to operate a building remotely.

Many companies are developing technologies that can create lighting schedules, monitor climate controls remotely, and monitor energy use at critical times.

The application of the internet of things creates avenues for businesses to invest in technologies and methods that decrease energy consumption and overall costs.

Energy management systems can give business owners and facility operators the ability to manage energy consumption remotely and efficiently. Integrating energy management systems into a commercial space makes it easier to create start-up routines at the beginning of the day or climate regulation routines that can automatically adjust the temperature in a location during set times.

Investing in an energy management system is one of many ways a business owner can make owning and operating a business efficient and easy.

Installing a system, especially in an established location, may require an investment. Still, the long-term gains from saved energy costs and easier remote control make this kind of investment one that pays itself off in the long run.

Simple and Modern Solutions from Groove Technology Solutions

Creating an energy management system gives you, the business owner or facility operator, the ability to exercise more direct control over their properties’ management and consumption of energy.

Having an energy management system in place enhances your ability to save money and gives you control over your interconnected appliances. So, if you want a way to capitalize on the technology that can give you an edge while also improving your workflow, consider investing in energy management solutions.Groove Technology Solutions is a trusted provider of energy management hardware for Utah and surrounding areas. Contact us today to learn how we can help you save on operation costs and exert better control over your properties.