The Benefits of Implementing an Energy Management Information System for Your Business
If you’re running a business, you are probably aware of how important it is to be energy-efficient. By saving energy, you are not only helping the environment; you are also reducing your operating costs. Thankfully, there is a tool that can help your business achieve both objectives—The Energy Management Information System (EMIS). In this article, we discuss the benefits of implementing an EMIS for your business to help you make an informed decision.
What Is an Energy Management Information System?
An EMIS is a comprehensive software system that helps businesses manage their energy consumption and identify areas for improvement. A typical EMIS integrates with your building’s energy metering systems to provide real-time data on energy usage. This data is then used to analyze patterns of energy consumption and identify areas that are particularly inefficient. With this information, businesses can take action to reduce their energy use, and ultimately save money on utility bills.
Benefits of Implementing an EMIS for Your Business
Real-Time Monitoring
One of the most significant benefits of an EMIS is the real-time monitoring it provides. It gives you a detailed view of your energy usage at any time, and alerts you when usage is high or inefficient. With this data, you can act quickly to reduce energy consumption, reducing costs and carbon footprint.
Identifying Inefficiencies
The data that is collected by an EMIS is essential for identifying the areas of your business that are most wasteful. By identifying inefficiencies, you can make changes to improve your energy efficiency and save money. This data can present you with specific issues, such as your HVAC system consuming too much power or appliances that are overloading your circuits and are inefficient. Addressing these inefficiencies can lead to significant savings in energy costs.
Integration with Building Management Systems (BMS)
EMIS software can integrate with your BMS to regulate lighting, heating, and cooling systems. This helps to optimize energy usage and maintain comfortable working conditions for your employees.
Reduced Energy Costs
One of the primary benefits of implementing an EMIS is the potential savings in energy costs. By identifying inefficiencies and making changes to improve energy efficiency, businesses can save money on their monthly energy bills, reducing overall costs. Energy-saving measures could include replacing outdated lightbulbs with efficient LED bulbs or switching to a more efficient heating system.
Improved Sustainability
Implementing an EMIS is an excellent way for businesses to improve their sustainability practices. It provides a detailed view of the company’s energy usage, enabling energy-efficient practices and reducing carbon footprint. These practices help in meeting the corporate social responsibility goals that many companies have set.
Examples of EMIS Implementation
There are numerous success stories regarding the implementation of EMIS, and a handful of them are businesses like Best Western Plus, the University of California, and MGM Resorts.
Best Western Plus was able to reduce its energy costs by 12.2% within the first year of implementing an EMIS. They achieved this by implementing energy-efficient improvements and reducing energy consumption by identifying and fixing inefficiencies.
The UC Davis Health in California was able to use energy consumption data generated by the EMIS to track and identify which lab equipment used the most energy. By replacing energy-consuming equipment, the company was able to cut energy costs by $1.08 million and carbon footprint by 6,029 metric tons of CO2 per year.
MGM Resorts uses an EMIS to track energy consumption in its hotels and resorts, resulting in a 21% decrease in energy consumption and $100 million in savings in the past ten years.
Conclusion
Implementing an Energy Management Information System should be viewed as an investment for your business. It provides real-time monitoring of energy consumption, identifies inefficiencies, integrates with BMS, reduces energy costs, and improves sustainability practices. The positive experiences of Best Western Plus, UC Davis Health, and MGM Resorts have shown that with careful implementation, you can achieve significant savings, improve the sustainability of your company, and become more environmentally responsible.
