Smart Technologies
About a decade ago, people started talking about the power of Big Data to improve business operations. Since then, data has only gotten bigger and better, to the point where if you’re not leveraging data in your business decisions, you’re unlikely to remain competitive.
Data is a critical part of a cost-effective energy procurement strategy for large commercial businesses, but it can also be leveraged by smart energy-saving technologies.
Smart technologies are ones that rely on data from sensors to make energy-saving decisions by themselves. An example is the smart thermostat, which automatically turns off heating or air conditioning when the temperature in a room reaches a certain level.
These days, smart sensors can be embedded not only in temperature control and lighting systems, but in appliances like refrigerators and washers, and even in large-scale industrial equipment. Even better, they can be linked to a Building Automation System (BAS) that makes energy-saving decisions for you.
BASs have machine learning capabilities, enabling them to detect occupancy patterns and temperature preferences and to predict when it’s best to use energy and when it’s best to conserve. Pretty smart, huh?
Energy Management Systems
To get the most out of your smart technologies, you might also want to consider connecting them to a central Energy Management System (EMS).
An EMS is like the brain of a building (or group of buildings). It collects information through smart meters and sensors (equivalent to eyes and ears), processes that information in a central computer, and then presents the information to business operators using graphics and other monitoring tools, so they can make better informed decisions.
Installing an EMS is particularly worthwhile for multisite businesses because the online computerised system can be used to centrally monitor and control energy consumption across buildings in different locations.
Power Factor Correction
You might want to consider Power Factor Correction (PFC) if your business runs a lot of heavy, motorised machinery.
PFC increases energy efficiency by minimising the amount of “reactive power” you use. Reactive power is essentially wasted energy. It does little to power machinery (“active power” takes care of that), but motors need it to provide a magnetising field.
The major downfall of reactive power is that it needlessly increases your business’ demand charges for electricity. By installing PFC equipment like capacitor banks and controllers, you can generate your own reactive power and ultimately lower your power bills.
How else can energy-efficient technologies benefit your business?
The technologies above are by no means an exhaustive list of everything that’s available to improve business energy efficiency. There are also LED lights, solar photovoltaic systems, good old insulation and double glazing, and more.
The key to making the most of these technologies is to combine them with a data-driven energy procurement strategy. After all, there’s little point in reducing your power consumption if you’re paying too much for the power you do consume.
At Zembl, we specialise in data-driven solutions for your business’ specific energy needs.
To find out how we can help your business optimise energy usage and find a more competitive pricing plan through an obligation-free review, fill out the form below.
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