Maximizing Energy Savings with Energy Management Systems

ABSTRACT This is the third in a series of three articles on enterprise energy management (EEM) systems featured in Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment. The first article described the current state-of-the-art in EEM systems and their associated benefits in controlling energy cost, quality, and reliability (see Vol. 22, #4). The second piece considered energy in terms of managing the associated cost and reliability risks to businesses (Vol. XX, #X). As the field of energy management matures, so do the tools and best practices available to ensure that the energy required by an organization is used in the most efficient way possible. In the past, energy management practices consisted primarily of replacing inefficient equipment and then using any number of methods to estimate the savings gained. Studies performed by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) have shown, however, that energy savings can be dramatically increased and maintained over time ...