Facility Energy Management & the Path Towards Energy Efficiency

From monitoring operational efficiency, meeting building codes and regulations, and everything in between, facility managers have the strenuous job of facility management and ensuring multiple organizational goals are met. They cover a wide range of disciplines to ensure that everything a building encompasses, the people, process, space, and technology, are working harmoniously together. Without strong facility energy management in place, there is the risk of missing out on opportunities to increase an establishment’s operational effectiveness.

Increasingly, not only are corporations finding the importance of sustainability initiatives but looking into the future, are realizing that energy costs are rising. For these reasons, facility managers are primarily focusing on the operations and maintenance aspect of facility energy management and its correlation with energy sustainability. Improving energy efficiency has the ability to impact operational efficiency as well as reduce energy consumption and overall costs.

Energy Efficiency and Facility Management

Because most of the decisions to adopt efficient technologies and initiatives come from the executive level, it is important to have a good relationship with the energy managers, as a facility manager. DNV GL conducted a survey and found that facility managers were more likely to install energy-saving equipment if there was already a strong energy efficiency program in place.

Through this survey, it was found that the majority of personnel involved in facility management found energy efficiency to be a proven and worthwhile investment strategy. Implementing technology such as energy-efficient lighting and HVAC equipment has helped facility managers reduce energy consumption and costs incurred. Such strategies have proven to clearly reduce operating costs as well as increase productivity in these facilities.

Partnering with IT to Achieve Energy Efficiency

A huge key to success for facility energy management is the data that allows them to respond accordingly with energy conservation initiatives. According to GreenBiz, the data center infrastructure management (DCIM) system, monitored by the IT department is what tracks the building, power and cooling equipment. This system can help respond to fluctuations in energy use to help optimize energy efficiency.

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Facility managers can use this data to improve their facility management by upgrading equipment as necessary to reduce energy use from heating and cooling. They can also optimize the uninterruptible power supply and power distribution equipment in order to reduce wasted energy consumption and inefficiencies. Additionally, the DCIM system can power cap systems to lower energy consumption when it reaches a certain threshold as well as shift loads accordingly to reduce energy costs. Working in partnership with the IT department helps facility managers respond accordingly to reduce energy consumption in IT equipment and machinery that can help improve energy efficiency.

Facility management covers a wide range of competencies but recently, energy efficiency is overwhelmingly the main focus for many facility managers. By working in partnership with energy and IT managers, facility managers are able to effectively reduce energy consumption and costs while increasing operational productivity and efficiency.

Thoughts to share on energy efficiency? We’d love to hear from you on Twitter! And if you’re ready to take the next step in leveraging your utility data with Urjanet, contact us today.

Related Resources:

• Successful Energy Data Management: Utility Data Is Key
• Solutions Sheet: Utility Data for Multifamily Property Management
• 5 Use Cases for Whole Building Interval Data

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