Facility energy management: what is it and how to improve it

Facility energy management is the process of monitoring and optimizing energy consumption. Find out why it’s important and how to enhance it

Managing the energy aspects of an asset is a fundamental step of facility management. Monitoring, controlling and optimizing the energy use of an asset reducing energy costs, increasing energy efficiency and minimizing the environmental impact of energy use.

To make it easier to discover inefficiencies and to optimize the monitoring of energy consumption. I recommend using specific energy management software. In this way you make informed decisions and intervene promptly to reduce costs and improve energy efficiency. In addition, if you implement the BIM methodology in these procedures, you will obtain much more efficient management results thanks to an integrated and completely updatable as well as shareable information system.

But do we really know what the energy management of a good consists of and how to enhance it? Let’s find out in this article.

What is facility energy management?

Energy management, is one of the aspects that constitutes the integrated management of an asset. What in the AECO sector is called Facility Management.

And within this asset integrated management, all its resources and its systems, lets say all those identifiable aspects in relation to the energy sphere are. Therefore, integral part of the facility energy management. In more detail, this phase represents the process of monitoring and optimizing energy consumption. Energy management involves the collection and analysis of energy data such as consumption, efficiency and systems. As well as resources not performing and on which there are significant consumption, etc. This data will be used to make informed decisions on reducing energy consumption. Therefore the costs and energy efficiency of the entire asset.

Asset management

Why is energy management important in asset management?

Is easy to understand the importance of energy efficient management aspects in the construction sector. Especially when dealing with periods of energy increases and increased environmental risks. Let’s see together what are the main aspects that make energy management so important in asset’s management:

1. helps a company to reduce expenses by cutting consumption and reducing energy bills;
2. benefits the planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
3. enables a company to better analyze operating costs and prepare more accurate budgets;
4. prepares companies for any sudden changes in supplies. Reducing energy input helps asset managers to better withstand fluctuations in energy prices, influenced by external and often unpredictable factors;
5. helps align with the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) objectives. Hence helping provide a positive image of the company and its asset management.

What are the steps to follow for energy efficiency in the facility management sector?

We have seen how this phase deals with collecting, analyzing and monitoring the energy data of a good and its resources with a focus on energy efficiency and saving . But let’s see together how concretely this important sector of facility management works:

1. data collection: in order to make energy improvements to our asset, it is essential to collect a sufficient amount of data and make it analyzable. Today, fortunately, you may trust data collection to specific energy management software. This allows the suppression of human error and in turn allows to focus energy on aspects not delegated to software such as training and the study of more energy efficient technologies and solutions;
2. study and identification of high-performance solutions and best practices: once the data has been collected, it must be processed and analysed. This in order to achieve the final goal, namely greater energy efficiency and lower expenditure. Analysis of collected data will certainly provide useful insights to identify poorly performing machinery, resources or systems which probably need technical inspections to understand if there is any bad usage use of plants and machinery. This type of data also leads having better knowledge to propose energy solutions that are more efficient, more respectful of the environment and more financially sustainable;
3. implementation of identified solutions: at this point the next step is to is to implement the technologies and solutions studied in the previous step. Energy management solutions often require cooperation, whether it be point adjustments or more complex solutions. It is therefore essential not to forget that energy management is part of a broader. Hence more integrated system of managing the entire asset;
4. monitoring progress and developing future improvements: to ensure that implemented solutions are really paying off, proceeding with a data and results analysis is also necessary. This will allow us to understand whether to follow with the recently proposed solutions or identify new ones.

Energy Management Steps

How to improve the asset energy management

Once we have gained the information necessary understanding the importance that efficient energy management has within facilty management. We can therefore list some of the main suggestions that energy managers can follow to increase efficiency of assets and overcome potentially costly challenges:

• manage data in a way that is understandable: it is useful for this to use a software for the energy management of an asset. One that makes it easier to discern where corrections are needed and at the same time easily show how changes can have a significant and positive impact;
• always maintain management control by analyzing real time energy data: real-time data can be identify. Therefore immediately alerting operators to deal with potential problems. This then allows operators to take corrective and preventive actions quickly;
• ensure support from leadership and other stakeholders: important changes can only be completed with direct involvement and support from leadership and other stakeholders (e.g. contractors, energy managers, sustainability managers, etc.);
• consider all types of savings: it is essential to review and monitor the entire energy management process. The way to do this is to carry out long-term planning in order to create and sustain future energy savings through an efficient energy management plan;
• always consider the energy aspect when negotiating agreements: it is always useful to consider the costs and various energy aspects in supply agreements and contracts;
• find partners with additional internal energy knowledge: Relationships and partners are excellent resources to help build an effective energy management strategy.

Completing the energy management of an asset can be a long and challenging journey. For this reason, I recommend that you implement an asset energy management software in your management workflow that will allow you to save up to 90% of the time in data analysis and help you identify opportunities for important savings. All you have to do is ask for a presentation now!