Energy Management System Adoption Grows in the U.S.

As FMs continue to search for ideas to slash energy usage, a new survey shows that 82% of building professionals have installed energy management systems in their facilities. The survey, which polled professionals from almost 200 multi-site companies in various sectors, shows a substantial increase from the 45% that reported installing EMS at over half of their facilities in 2013.

Performed by Ecova, an energy and sustainability firm, the survey also examined information about system usage, purchasing criteria, and whether companies are seeing the projected return on investment. While cost was noted as an important consideration in the purchasing process, the survey shows more companies are concerned that new EMS technology may not integrate with existing systems, with many opting for open platform technology rather than proprietary, closed-protocol systems.

Additionally, the results show that 56% of organizations are collecting and analyzing 15-minute interval data to help improve standardized set points, demand response management, back-office budgeting and financial management advantages, baseline measurement to drive efficiency gains, and overall support of sustainability initiatives. While multi-site companies implementing EMS systems can see initial payback in as little as 18 months, people and lack of processes can hinder ROI expectations by overriding system schedules and set points – leading to over 50% of companies reporting that they did not know if they’d achieve the expected ROI.

Looking for more smart energy strategies? Check out this Guide to Submetering and Data Logging to get your project started right.