Benefits Motivating Implementing Energy Management And Information Systems (EMIS)

Why do you need an energy management and information system (EMIS)? To save money. According to a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the three most common reasons for implementing EMIS technology are energy savings, utility cost savings, and access to data to inform strategies. All three will save you big bucks.

Energy savings are simple. Data provided by an EMIS reduces a building’s overall energy expenditure by tracking usage on a minute-by-minute basis. The increased visibility allows operators to find new ways to save energy by catching problems before they start. Think of it like a FitBit for your building, tracking habits to inform better decision making. Lowering energy usage will also help buildings stay in compliance with new sustainability regulations sweeping across major cities across the globe, avoiding costly fines.

Using less energy means saving money on your utility bills. Not only will a building save money by using less energy, an EMIS can also help save money on utilities by breaking down and monitoring how you're being billed. Knowing when you’re being billed based on kilowatts — a measure of power — and not just usage, is key to avoiding costly energy prices during peak hours.

By harnessing building data, an EMIS can also help managers and owners plan future retrofit projects by analyzing and forecasting cost and potential savings of various retrofit projects.

Conversations around energy efficiency are focused on forging a sustainable future, rightfully so, but at the end of the day, the biggest reason decision makers are deciding to go green is the bottom line.

Read the full study: http://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/building_analytics_-_kramer.pdf