Going Beyond Smart Meters: Energy Management Systems

Smart Meters and Smart Data Access are overused terms. At a very basic level, smart meters are utility meters that record energy/water/gas consumption data at a granular level (minute-to-minute, hourly, quarter hourly etc) and enable two way communication. Smart meters are definitely “smart” when compared to traditional meters which have only one-way communication and only send monthly consumption data. But, smart meters do not actually create “smart” data, these only produce data more frequently than traditional meters and communicate the data immediately to the stakeholders.

The smart meters need an energy management system to create an actual impact. Data without analysis is simply a collection of numbers, tables and files. Only a complete energy management system can provide actionable insights to improve energy efficiency and to reduce carbon emissions.

A real time web based energy management system provides not only real-time information on energy consumption, but also, provides a thorough analysis of consumption at a granular level both in terms of individual devices/buildings and time. This information in turn enables the facility management teams to  witness the operational changes immediately and take action when it matters the most by providing real-time alerts.

Meter data coupled with real-time energy management solution can help facility managers to interpret their energy curves efficiently with detailed interval data, swiftly correct the negative trends, respond to issues on time, optimize their operating schedules, increase tenant satisfaction and lower their energy costs. The impact could be huge when used optimally.

As the Internet of Things gains more and more access to the commercial real estate industry and enterprise resource management, data driven processes will take over the Building management market for the better. Commercial buildings consume more than 38% of the total energy and are responsible for more than 39% of Carbon emissions. Hence, if every facility manager knows how the facility is consuming energy, water, gas in real time, she/he could substantially improve the energy resource performance of the facility.