Best Ways for Your Business to Dynamically Save Energy
In the quest to reduce costs and increase profitability, businesses can take plenty of static steps to save energy, such as replacing dated lighting or HVAC equipment. The hope is that the end result will always be that the new devices or equipment will run more efficiently and therefore produce energy savings.
Amazingly, many organizations fail to also deploy dynamic energy saving ideas into their energy strategy. Only by doing both, can you expect to have a continuous improvement program in your energy cost reduction strategy.
Real-Time vs. Historical Data
How a company’s employees and customers utilize energy plays a large role in overall costs. A high-traffic period in a retail store or low employee attendance over the summer could easily affect how much energy a company consumes.
Even if day-to-day operations appear routine, there are always other dynamic energy factors in play. Factors, such as, weather and equipment health, can have an unpredictable impact in a properly designed energy strategy. Consequently, businesses need to stay be one step ahead of this variability by using real-time data.
To gain access to this dynamic energy data, businesses can turn to energy analytics software (EAS). Using this software, companies can dynamically adjust to minute-by-minute energy usage and costs, rather than treating energy as a fixed, un-manageable expense. If a business sees that energy usage is particularly high on certain days, they can quickly find the cause and solution, such as malfunctioning equipment that needs repair or lights left on in unused areas of the facility.
Incorporating IoT Devices
From light bulbs to HVAC equipment, many modern devices now connect to the internet, which all together forms what’s known as the internet of things (IoT).
IoT devices empower companies with additional data points from which they can make informed decisions, and they also provide the means for real-time energy savings. For example, a business could use IoT devices like smart thermostats to react to forecasted weather patterns and still be able to adjust the building’s temperature based on the actual current weather.
Doing so could help increase savings more than simply setting building automation systems (BAS) to keep the air conditioning running overnight so as not to overheat computers, for instance. When the forecast calls for a cool night, the smart thermostat could communicate with the BAS to keep the AC off. Then once the actual temperature reaches a certain threshold, the AC could come back on and start to cool down the office in time for when it reopens.
Make the Most of Employees
Since employees’ activities affect total costs, engaging them to take part in dynamic energy saving initiatives can save companies more money.
For example, a business could run a contest to see which department can decrease energy usage the most for a month, thereby not treating energy consumption as a static amount. This type of initiative also provides opportunities for employee recognition — such as by awarding prizes to the winners — as well as team-building within departments.
Plus, many employees simply want to be part of an organization committed to sustainability, so engaging employees on energy saving initiatives improves employee experience.
These types of actions and tools allow organizations to continually find new ways to save money and shape their energy strategy, rather than just succumbing to whatever expenses show up on a monthly utility bill.
Request a complimentary energy efficiency assessment to find out how Artis Energy’s RTIS® energy analytics platform can provide you with the visibility and insight to transform energy from a fixed cost into a distinct competitive advantage.