Energy optimization: Analyzing and improving your business’ energy use - by Jim Dumas

Jim Dumas, Solect
Energy

In last month’s article, I discussed the importance of overall energy reduction and ways in which businesses can cut their energy use before going solar. The next step in the process of successful energy management is making sure that your business is optimizing its energy use – that its systems are working in a way that maximizes the amount of energy they were built to yield at the lowest cost.  Energy reduction and energy optimization both fall under the umbrella of energy efficiency, and it is essential to make use of both in order to achieve a holistic energy management plan. Let’s explore what exactly energy optimization is and the ways in which your business can attain it.

What is Energy Optimization? Optimizing your energy use requires taking a closer look at your building’s mechanical systems in order to identify any inefficiencies and waste. It requires monitoring and collecting data in order to analyze energy use and understand what is needed to maximize return on your energy systems. There are a number of tools and practices that can be used to help businesses improve their energy usage.

Collecting real-time or interval data Real-time and interval data are very similar in that they both collect data from a building’s utility meters and create usage reports. The main difference between the two is how often the data is reported. Real-time data collects data thousands of times each second, and you have immediate access to that data. Interval data is collected every 15 minutes through utility companies as Green Button data (an electronic report that some utility companies share pertaining   to energy usage and cost), and is available  24 hours after it is collected. Though real-time data may be more ideal to enable faster, significant changes in your utility bills, interval data still provides the same vital information.

The significance of both options is their ability to determine when peak energy demand occurs and thus opportunities for mitigating peak demand spikes using technology such as energy storage  (storage units stockpile energy during off-peak hours and discharge it during peak hours). Collecting such data enables businesses to identify opportunities for improvement in their energy use and devise  a plan that can then be implemented with smart controls.

Smart controls Smart controls are advanced technology systems that use a computerized network of electronic devices to control and monitor all energy systems in a building including mechanical, electrical, lighting and others. They analyze data taken from the energy systems and compare that data to the control system settings. If the data received is outside the acceptable range recognized by the control system, it will issue changes and manage the equipment to set it back to an acceptable range.

These systems allow companies to not only better manage and reduce their energy consumption, but also improve the comfort of their working environment throughout the day.

Monitoring energy use Monitoring tools are similar to smart controls but they analyze energy performance more broadly and help you make smart decisions about how best to make adjustments. For example, the EPA’s Energy Star program has a tool called Portfolio Manager that can measure and track elements such as energy and water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, Portfolio Manager helps you to implement your energy management program at every step of the process and allows you to track your improvements. Devices such as the Portfolio Manager are critical to enhancing energy use because they give your company insight into how much energy it is using in specific areas, allowing you to better assess the actions that can be taken to become more energy efficient.

Before considering the switch to solar energy, it is best to first assess and reduce your energy demand. Only then can you begin to optimize your business’ energy use. By taking steps to detect areas of inefficiency or waste in your building, it creates new opportunities for your business to enhance its energy use, saving on costs as well as positively affecting the environment.

Jim Dumas is co-founder and chief operating officer of Solect Energy in Hopkinton, Mass.