How does an energy management software allow you to direct future choices? The analysis of energy consumption of the production processes of companies helps the energy manager identify savings opportunities. And therefore directs the company’s choices towards energy efficiency (and the creation of value). In words, all this seems very easy, but to develop and manage energy management IT platforms in the best way that allow companies to save energy, the path is long. And now it is no longer limited to simple data analysis and processing.
The collection and processing of data
The first task of energy management software is to process, aggregate and clearly present consumption data from production processes. Depending on how many measuring devices have been installed (and for what types of consumption), granularity can occur greater or lesser of the production process. In some cases only the general data of the electricity meters are collected. In others the real-time measurement of the individual equipment and motors in operation. And in other cases there is an intermediate granularity, with the consumption of the areas of work or production lines. Generally, the greater the granularity the easier it is to identify areas where savings can potentially be higher.
In certain cases it is not necessary, but still recommended, to install the measuring instruments in a capillary way. The energy manager, supported by a good software platform, may be able to identify priority actions and thus define the strategies to be implemented without knowing the specific consumption data of each individual appliance. It is therefore up to the energy manager to choose how many measuring instruments to install and in which areas, depending on the budget available. But it is also up to him to choose the most suitable software that supports it in his daily work.
Where to intervene?
Obviously, energy management platforms can offer much more than just processing and presenting data from the workflow. The software can help in identifying opportunities for improving consumption by comparing the current consumption of the production processes with those of the best practices of the reference sector (similar companies in your country or internationally). This means, in other words, aligning your business with best practices on the market. Obviously, the software also provides financial information to help in choosing the energy efficiency actions to be taken.
Once the company has intervened with energy efficiency actions, the software is able to monitor whether the expected objectives have been achieved and how quickly. It is therefore precisely thanks to digitalization that it is possible to understand how a certain photograph at a certain moment (for example, the energy diagnosis) will change over time. And, again thanks to these tools, we will evaluate whether and how further action will be required.
Real-time interventions
There are “self-learning” software, that is, capable of analyzing and processing the energy consumption data of the production processes to make certain decisions independently. Whenever anomalous consumption compared to the norm is identified, the software can send an alert message. If properly set, the IT platforms can also independently manage certain production processes. The most advanced software are able to intervene in real time on energy flows, connecting them for example to the opportunities present on energy markets or to meteorological data.
Think of the case of a company equipped with a photovoltaic system for self-production and a gas cogeneration system. It can be the energy management software that decides, based on the availability of the solar resource and the price of gas, how to manage the production of the two plants. And based on the data analysis of the platform, the energy manager can have the information to decide whether it is not appropriate to install a battery for the storage of excess solar energy, or whether to install a higher power photovoltaic system.
Contact us to discover more about energy efficiency and our Rebecca Energy Management software platform.