Sadiq Syed, SVP – Digital Buildings, Schneider Electric
Energy management has always demanded precision, but today, it demands nerve; we’re operating in a system that’s been stretched beyond what it was designed to handle.
The electricity grids that many of us depend on were built over a century ago and weren’t created for what they are now expected to support. Decentralised renewables, battery storage and volatile demand have been layered onto existing infrastructure. And at the same time, energy-intense facilities such as data centres are drawing power at a scale driving by cloud services and AI workloads that simply didn’t exist even a decade ago. For energy managers, the pressure is real: every decision carries operational, financial and reputational risk.
The International Energy Agency expects global electricity use from data centres to reach around 945 TWh by 2030, that’s roughly equivalent to Japan’s entire national consumption. This growth places unprecedented stress on existing grids, requiring careful balancing of supply and demand, investment in infrastructure, and the integration of renewable energy sources to maintain reliability.
Buildings sit firmly at the centre of this pressure. They account for 30% of energy use worldwide, and they are where efficiency can be gained or lost, fast. Data centres, hospitals, offices and campuses are filled with systems that must run continuously, adapt instantly and prove their performance. Fortunately, technological advancements offer the promise of smarter, more efficient operations. However, these advancements have created a level of complexity that can be hard to manage. Systems that were once straightforward now generate enormous volumes of data which are often siloed. Yet the real challenge is not in gathering this information but in making sense of it in real-time.
For instance, a poorly optimised HVAC system or mismanaged lighting schedule in a large facility can lead to substantial unnecessary energy consumption and significantly higher operational costs.
Too much data, too little clarity
Most facilities don’t lack data, in fact they are flooded with it.
Energy managers are expected to understand what is happening across HVAC, lighting, power distribution, on-site generation, backup systems and increasingly complex compliance requirements. Too often, that information lives in separate platforms, owned by different teams that are built for different purposes. Pulling together a clear, real-time view of energy performance can feel like detective work.
The result is friction. Decisions are delayed. Problems stay hidden until they become expensive. It’s telling that a majority of facility managers in EMEA describe their workload as already stretched, with system complexity and advanced analytics adding pressure rather than relief.
In this environment, even small optimisation gaps matter. An HVAC schedule that no longer matches occupancy patterns or a lighting system left running out of hours may seem trivial in isolation, but across a large facility they quietly erode margins and inflate energy bills.
Making complexity work for us
If complexity feels like a burden today, it’s because our tools haven’t yet caught up with the systems we are running. But that gap is closing.
What’s changing most is how systems relate to one another. Interoperability is moving beyond basic connectivity towards coordination. Assets can respond to shifting conditions rather than simply reporting on them. Operational behaviour starts to adapt over time. Insights gained in one facility begin to inform decisions in another, reducing the need to relearn the same lessons site by site.
This is where complexity begins to shift from an obstacle to an asset. Data that once overwhelmed teams will organise itself around decisions that matter. Instead of reacting to issues after the fact, facilities can begin to prepare for what’s coming, whether that’s seasonal demand fluctuations, evolving load profiles or tighter performance constraints from the grid.
Towards continuous optimisation
The next stage of energy management will be defined by real-time insight and continuous optimisation, where decision-making is proactive rather than reactive. Organisations that fail to make this shift will feel the impact quickly. Inefficiencies compound. Flexibility disappears. Energy becomes a growing constraint rather than a managed resource.
To avoid this outcome, energy managers need platforms that scale with their facilities, integrating new technologies and supporting their long-term goals.
A defining moment
The built environment at a pivotal juncture; energy demand is rising, scruity is intensifying and operational resilience is imperative.
The question is no longer how much data can a building can generate, but whether the people responsible for it can turn that data into decisive action. Those who do will define a new standard for efficiency and resilience. Those who don’t will find complexity working against them.
This article appeared in the Jan/Feb 2026 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.