How does monitoring energy usage support better energy management and reduce waste?

Given the recent volatility around energy prices and increasing concern over environmental impact, it’s not surprising that businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the need to optimise their operations. By operating more efficiently and sustainably, it’s possible for companies to reduce their environmental footprint while also realising financial savings.

One of the ways to achieve these savings is through effective energy management practices, which help to optimise energy consumption.

Why does reducing energy waste matter?

Ultimately, wasting energy leads to unnecessary costs for your operations. Fluctuations in energy prices make efficient energy use essential for creating a more resilient and responsible business. Looking beyond the financial consequences, wasting unnecessary energy also contributes to a larger carbon footprint and negatively impacts the environment.

What is energy management and where does monitoring fit in?

Energy management is the process of monitoring, controlling, and optimising energy consumption to enhance efficiency and minimise environmental impact. It’s a comprehensive approach that involves understanding how energy is used within business operations and identifying areas of inefficiency. From here, it’s possible to implement a strategy that optimises consumption and ultimately reduces cost.

Energy monitoring forms the basis of effective energy management as it involves the systematic collection and analysis of data related to energy consumption. Having this data enables businesses to identify exactly where energy is being wasted and allows them to verify and track the results from energy-saving initiatives.

How does monitoring energy usage reduce waste?

Monitoring energy usage can help reduce energy waste by tracking energy consumption patterns. Once you start collecting data, it’s easier to pin-point the specific equipment, processes, or areas within their operations that are consuming excessive energy. This could be anything from outdated machinery to inefficient lighting, or heating systems to equipment being left on overnight.

Through monitoring, businesses can set thresholds for anomalous consumption and be alerted when the consumption goes above it, allowing for prompt investigation and rectification. Unusual spikes or patterns in consumption could indicate equipment malfunctions, leaks, or lack of standard operational procedures (i.e. no shut off process for the end of the day). Once energy waste is identified, the next step to implement targeted solutions to fix it. This could be switching off unessential equipment out of operational hours. Monitoring energy consumption will make it possible to measure and verify the actual savings from implemented projects.

The role of monitoring in effective energy management strategies

As the basis of energy management, monitoring energy consumption is an ongoing process. It allows businesses to establish realistic baselines, set achievable targets, and track progress over time to understand the impact implemented energy efficiency actions have had and whether they need to be adjusted. It also creates the opportunity to foster a culture of energy awareness within businesses to encourage more responsible energy habits throughout the organisation.

Practical steps to improve energy management through monitoring

There are some practical steps that you can take to improve energy management through monitoring:

• Upgrade current meters to smart meters: this will allow businesses to have the right data granularity for a more robust monitoring strategy.
• Conduct an energy audit: this will help businesses understand their current energy consumption patterns and identify priority areas for improvement.
• Use energy management software: there are several software solutions that can help analyse and visualise data, making it easier to identify anomalies.
• Implement changes: using the energy data, businesses can implement opportunities and measure the impact.

How can Amber help?

At Amber, we understand the complexities of energy management and the critical role of effective monitoring. Our team is ready to help businesses initiate their journey towards better energy management. If you are considering examining your energy usage more closely and want to begin this journey, please get in touch.