Over the previous 20 years, awareness and concern for the environment have noticeably grown.
All major economic areas, such as EMEA, APAC, North America, and even CIS have introduced several directives, policies, and standards to regulate the release of hazardous waste and emissions into the environment.
Nonetheless, despite all the efforts, the global carbon dioxide emission rate continues to rise, from 37.15 billion metric tons in 2022 to 37.55 in 2023 (1.1%).
The primary donor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is China, followed by the US, India, Russia, and Brazil.
Recognizing the insufficiency of the measures introduced, many businesses are coming up with their own carbon neutrality strategies to mitigate the impact of their actions on the environment and achieve Net Zero.
One such strategy has become building and implementation of energy management systems.
The Business Case for Carbon Neutrality
While it might not be so clear, being environmentally friendly and caring is important for companies across all sectors and domains, not just those involved in manufacturing or energy industries.
Aiming for carbon neutrality—meaning you balance out the carbon you emit by diminishing it as much as possible—comes with some great bonuses.
First, going green can shrink expenses. Using less power means thinner utility bills, which double almost every year due to energy crises, political instability, and other ups and downs.
Plus, with different rules and laws on CO2 footprint, staying in line with carbon neutrality can help steer clear of fines and legal troubles.
Another apparent advantage is the public image. Even if you believe that caring a lot about the climate is just a trend, showing that your business is committed to carbon neutrality can promote your brand’s image and draw clients who only fund eco-friendly initiatives.
Lastly, if your firm is truly on the environmental side, cutting down emissions will contribute to fighting climate change and pay off over time in the form of better weather conditions.
What Stands Behind Energy Management Systems
In essence, energy management systems (EMS) are complex sustainable technologies that help businesses keep track of, govern, and refine how they consume energy and produce waste.
Normally, EMS solutions represent a combination of hardware—such as detectors, meters, and control devices—and software that interprets the incoming data and automatically makes corresponding alterations.
On the market, you can encounter different sorts of EMS for various needs.
For example, a building EMS is used to cut down on energy and utilities in commercial property, such as offices, plants, or stores.
An industrial EMS focuses on making manufacturing more resource-saving and friendly, which is a must for organizations that rely on heavy production.
Utility EMS, in turn, is used by large energy producers and distributors to prove power and fuel are adequately used across all massive networks.
How Does an EMS Work?
The real power of EMS lies in its ability to follow and administer energy use. It collects information from various sources—lighting, HVAC systems, machinery—and then inspects this data to spot the leak points.
The system then figures out the best tactics to use energy on its own, so you waste less and run more eco-friendly.
Basics of Business Energy Management Systems for Carbon Reduction
Energy management systems often come loaded with awesome features that make reducing energy use and carbon footprint a lot easier:
- Real-Time Monitoring: With EMS, you get live updates on your energy use. Put simply, you can spot where you’re wasting energy right away and make quick fixes.
- Automation and Control: These systems can automatically adjust the amount of resources consumed. For example, they can switch off lights or tweak the heating when rooms are empty.
- Renewable Energy Integration: EMS can easily merge with clean energy sources like solar panels or wind turbines, expanding the use of green power and relying less on fossil fuels.
- Energy Forecasting and Optimization: EMS solutions also investigate data records to foretell what resources will be needed in the future and keep control of overrun.
How to Get Started with an Energy Management System?
As we stated earlier, getting green solutions up and running is a great way to lessen fuel use and hit carbon neutrality goals.
Start by doing an energy audit for your business. Basically, you need to calculate how much energy you’re utilizing now and find out where you might lose it.
Next, figure out what you seek to fulfill with your carbon neutrality measures. Is it following a newly introduced direction? Or optimizing a budget to keep your business afloat? These goals will let you appropriately set up an EMS and get the most out of it.
Then, pick an EMS that suits your business demands. Look for one that offers all the components noted above and matches the scale and conditions of your operation. If you believe that all existing solutions don’t quite hit the mark and have too much or too little, you can always go for a custom solution.
SCAND, for example, offers energy software development and can build bespoke energy management software only containing modules you require without making you pay for things you’ll never use.
Once you’ve got your EMS in place, make sure it works with your current applications.
Finally, keep track of how your EMS is acting. Regularly review to see if it’s supporting you to complete your carbon goals, and be ready to alter settings to get better.
How to Tackle Challenges When Setting Up an EMS
Embedding an energy management system sometimes comes with some challenges, but tackling them properly will ease the burden of the implementation process.
First off, bear in mind the initial setup can be pretty expensive. However, the good news is that you’ll likely save money in the long run via lower energy bills and operational spendings.
It’s also a great idea (if you go custom) to request an MVP. It’ll clearly demonstrate to you what works for your workflow and what doesn’t.
Another thing is staff training. Frequently, it can be pretty hard to encourage and teach members to use a new system. We suggest you invest in proper practice sessions so your managers can take advantage of the EMS and its features.
And lastly comes data security. It’s no less important than other aspects. Since EMS systems collect and process a lot of data, you’ll need to add adequate cybersecurity measures to protect things that can sabotage your business if they get into the hands of troublemakers.
