With utility rates projected to keep rising, facility managers are facing increasing unease over their budgets and are actively seeking ways to mitigate the impact. Among the options being explored to save money on energy and maintenance, energy management systems have emerged as a promising solution. However, many facility managers may be hesitant to invest in large capital expenditures due to budget constraints. This is where Energy Management as a Service (EMaaS) steps in as a viable and cost-effective alternative.
What is EMaaS?
Energy Management as a Service (EMaaS) revolutionizes energy management, offering businesses energy monitoring using advanced tools, and data analytics with real time tracking as a monthly subscription service. EMaaS allows organizations to optimize energy consumption, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce costs without substantial upfront investments. This service-based solution differentiates itself from traditional methods by providing a dynamic, subscription-based solution with scalability and accessible data, making it an attractive choice for efficient energy management.
Benefits of EMaaS for Businesses
Cost Savings and Reduced Energy Expenses
GridPoint’s Energy Management as a Service (EMaaS) model takes a holistic approach by consolidating installation, equipment, software, and service expenses into a bundled monthly payment deliberately structured to be substantially lower than the energy savings generated. This cost-effective approach not only minimizes the financial barriers for businesses looking to adopt advanced energy management but also ensures that organizations can readily realize tangible and sustainable cost savings.
Energy and Operational Benefits
Embracing energy management initiatives brings a multitude of benefits. First and foremost, it enables organizations to significantly reduce energy costs and lower their carbon footprint, with the potential to lower CO2 emissions by 10-30%.
Energy management solutions ensure consistency and comfort within facilities and provide valuable benchmarking data for performance evaluation. Energy management systems also enable facility managers to remotely triage issues to swiftly identify and prioritize maintenance needs, enhance overall operational efficiency, and ensure optimal functionality across the board.
Near Immediate Return on Investment (ROI)
GridPoint’s EMaaS subscription model eliminates the need for upfront capital expenses, enabling companies to experience a ROI as early as the first month of implementation. This approach allows businesses to fund their GridPoint EMaaS Subscription entirely through the energy savings achieved.
EMaaS Providers and Services
Factors to Consider When Choosing an EMaaS Provider
Energy Advisory Services
Ensuring that your EMaaS provider includes energy advisory services is paramount, Energy advisory services assist businesses in optimizing energy usage, reducing costs, and enhancing sustainability. These services encompass energy analysis, tailored efficiency recommendations, sustainability planning, and financial analysis. Advisors also help with monitoring and reporting, that can be used by customers for regulatory compliance, energy procurement, and risk management. They enable clients to make informed energy-related decisions, improve efficiency, and align with sustainability goals, making them essential for organizations seeking to navigate the complexities of energy management in today’s evolving landscape.
Inclusion of Software and Hardware
Clarify whether the EMaaS subscription service encompasses both software and hardware components. A comprehensive solution should not only offer sophisticated software for energy data monitoring, analysis, and management but also include necessary hardware such as sensors, meters, and controllers. Having an all-inclusive package ensures a seamless and integrated approach to energy management, minimizing potential compatibility issues and simplifying implementation.
Managed Services
EMaaS operates as a subscription-based model, akin to leasing both the software and hardware components. This service aspect ensures that if any hardware malfunctions or requires maintenance, it is promptly replaced or serviced, making EMaaS a solution that ensures the continuous functionality of the essential equipment.
EMaaS Concerns and Challenges
Companies often have concerns regarding the security of Energy Management Systems (EMS) due to their reliance on digital technologies and the potential vulnerabilities that come with them.
GridPoint places a paramount emphasis on data security and privacy considerations by implementing rigorous protocols and robust security features to safeguard sensitive information. While it remains true that data breaches can never be entirely eradicated, GridPoint’s Energy Management System (EMS) integrates advanced security measures to substantially mitigate these risks, assuring clients of a proactive approach to data protection and privacy.
Steps to Implementing EMaaS
Assessing energy needs and goals:
The first crucial step involves a comprehensive assessment of your organization’s energy needs and objectives. This includes analyzing historical energy data, identifying areas of inefficiency, and setting clear goals for energy reduction, cost savings, and sustainability.
Integration and deployment process:
The integration and deployment phase involves implementing the chosen EMaaS solution into your organization’s infrastructure. This process may include the installation of hardware components, software configuration, and the establishment of data connections.
Monitoring and optimizing energy performance:
Once the EMaaS system is in place, continuous monitoring of energy performance is essential. This includes real-time data collection, analysis, and reporting to track progress towards your energy goals.
Get Started Today
The significance of effective energy management cannot be overstated, as it not only contributes to reduced operational costs but also aligns with environmental sustainability goals. While embracing sustainability measures can often be difficult because of startup costs, EMaaS offers companies the opportunity to embrace energy management without having to utilize cap ex budget and allows customers to start experiencing near immediate ROI from energy reduction efforts.
Get started today with energy analysis. Our team of energy experts will help to identify ways to improve your HVAC and lighting systems and reduce your overall operating costs. GridPoint then leverages the data from the energy analysis to provide easy, actionable items proven to save your company money.
To get a free energy analysis from GridPoint’s team of experts sign up here.