For consultancies who require a whole host of energy technology solutions, energy management can be challenging. Technology has been at the forefront of the future of energy management and it’s continued innovation can help businesses reduce their carbon emissions.
But for those looking to grow their business whilst helping their clients with their own energy management challenges, how can they embrace this technology to do so?
Challenges in energy consultancy
The energy market moves very quickly, minute by minute which is why consultants need to access the latest market data instantly. For those managing clients energy with outdated energy technology and data, ensuring you are getting immediate information from the market is crucial to your performance.
Running operations to a highly efficient level within a business with outdated processes can make it difficult. From having processes in place that are overly complicated or with a lot of red tape to having no official process in place at all.
Overly complicated processes can lead to frustration and more time being unnecessarily consumed, meaning the client may be left unhappy. When there is no official process in place, there is no set standard, and this can also be harmful to the quality of work produced to clients.
Technology is one of the largest barriers when it comes to energy management, but outdated processes aren’t the only barrier to a smooth service. Using spreadsheets to record client data and other important information not only isn’t a safe and secure way to manage data, but it’s also inefficient and can cause greater problems later on.
Maintaining software can be difficult without the correct resources and support. And some specialist software requires on-going maintenance that needs external experts to complete and can be costly on top of the price of the software itself.
How can consultancies overcome these challenges and provide the best service possible to their clients?
Technology and the future of energy management
New innovative technologies are constantly being developed and these innovations are at the forefront of energy management to help tackle carbon reduction. Here’s some technologies that can help consultancies overcome any challenges along the way.
Software
There are many benefits to having energy management software including making it more robust, secure and attractive for clients to work with and invest in. Software can help make service delivery more professional and valuable as well as helping to delivery large energy efficiencies. Although, the successful implementation of energy management software requires careful planning and business buy-in.
It can be tempting for businesses to build their own software, especially if there is IT expertise inhouse to help integrate your existing systems. However, there are many disadvantages to choosing this route. Firstly, this process can be costly, and ensuring your in-house team has the knowledge to deliver what you want is tricky. When building your own software, there will be an ongoing expense to ensure your software doesn’t become obsolete and out of date with the industry and regulatory changes.
Apart from this, deciding whether to have software that is functional for what you think you require versus the utopian version that can conquer all – both need to be strongly considered. If you feel your business doesn’t have the IT expertise necessary, it may be worth investigating and giving thought before investing in self-built software.
Machine Learning
Machine learning is a great tool to help identify patterns and insights in energy data. It learns from experience current usage patterns to provide early identification of unusual or unexpected usage. As machine learning technology improves along with Artificial Intelligence (AI), it’s likely that this technology will play an instrumental role in energy saving.
API’s & integrations
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to one another. This integration means managing business energy from anywhere at any time with an internet connection is possible. Managing billing, monitoring consumption and controlling usage drastically improves client experience and reduced costs through paperless billing, reduced average handling time and fewer field maintenance calls.
Remote metering and automatic data transfers
Whilst remote metering has been around for many years, the ease and accessibility of the data it provides has improved drastically. These improvements in technology now make it possible to automate the collection and processing of metering data, transferred via SFTP, API or even an email. Alternatively, other devices that sit on top of old and non-smart meters can take periodic photos which can be translated into meter reads and then transmitted, which is especially useful for difficult to read water meters.
API’s coupled with integrations to energy management software can power up energy data and help consultancies stand out from the competition. Whilst the energy industry is still in the early stages of digital transformation, investing and implementing future technologies will help to further enhance customer experience and overcome challenges that many consultancies face.
To learn more about what technology and software solutions we can support your consultancy with, email us at sales@systems-link.com.