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How to Implement an
Energy Management
Solution that Benefits You
A 4-Step Plan
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Introduction

The capability to have full remote visibility of or local, within a facility), and they track power
asset and electrical-system behaviour has in loads to monitor and calculate the various costs
recent years become a welcome reality. of a range of power consumptions. Finally, most
Underpinned by vast amounts of data, electrical basic EMSs also provide power options for the
designers, panel builders, system integrators, operator should the main power supply fail.
end users, facility managers and energy service
companies now rely on energy management Building on these basic EMS offerings are a
systems (EMSs) to optimise their assets’ energy whole host of more sophisticated capabilities,
usage. A major challenge, however, is choosing such as the visualisation of power issues via an
the right EMS, one which matches the precise interactive dashboard and AI-driven potential
needs of a company, its facilities and its solutions. Advanced solutions also include
individual assets. monitoring several sites with complex loads,
multiple power generation sources and networks
As this step-by-step guideline shows, EMSs have of intelligent components and data inputs of a
a significant impact on energy consumption, complexity not envisaged for more rudimentary
meaning they can have a major impact on EMS solutions.
improving efficiencies, saving money and
reducing carbon footprints. As the technology A further advanced solution of an advanced
develops, it brings with it further opportunities energy management system is to manage
and innovations, meaning new capabilities are performance and to alert users to carry out.
regularly added to what is a growing market. The system will identify which electrical
equipment might fail based on the patterns of
The fundamental role of an EMS is to monitor, its power consumption. These characteristics
analyse and optimise energy consumption in a are used to notify facility personnel ahead of
building or a facility. Each EMS is, of course, any plant failure, which avoids potentially costly
different but most have the capability to track interruptions.
power usage and major loads. They visualise
power quality, issues and faults (from the grid

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4-step plan to choosing
and implementing your
energy management system

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In order to choose the best energy
management system for your
company’s specific needs, you need to
ask yourself the right questions. These
will help you to assess your current and
future requirements, what an energy
management system can do for you
and get you thinking about how to
fulfil your expectations.

This is why accompanying each of the

following four steps are three
questions you can ask yourself. Of
course, the questions are not
exhaustive: each company is unique
and each one will therefore have
further questions to ask. But by
following this basic guideline, you will
be on your way to installing the right
EMS for your needs.

Your ultimate aims are central to

choosing the right EMS, so start by
defining your goals (Step 1); move on
to focusing on the specific details of
your EMS, such as customisations and
special features (Step 2); next assess
how prepared you, such as whether
you have the right personnel and
whether scalability will be important
(Step 3); finish by looking ahead and
thinking about implementation and
also about how you measure your
system’s success.

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Step 1: Set your goals

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Precisely detailing your goals and
ambitions for any energy management
system is the first, and most
important, step in the EMS
implementation process. Without
knowing exactly what you want from
your EMS can lead to a disappointing
disparity between what is expected
and what you get. Identifying the role
of your future EMS, therefore, is vital,
and this will be done by a combination
of facility owners and managers, aided
by EMS partners and experts.

A basic, and more affordable, solution

will offer sufficient data to offer
monitoring, analysis and optimisation
of a building’s energy consumption.
The question of whether a basic EMS
solution is appropriate depends clearly
on the above, but also on budgetary
constraints. Saving energy, being more
efficient, is at the heart of an EMS,
therefore you need to also take into
consideration past energy
performances. When considering the
size of the investment and
sophistication of an EMS, consider
whether you see the potential of
further volatility in energy prices.

Question 1:
What do I know about energy
management systems?

Question 2:
What do I want to achieve with
an EMS?

Question 3:
Does a basic EMS solution suit
my needs?

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Step 2: Customisation

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In step 1, you identified the basics of
what you expect from your EMS. Step
2, however, is all about specifics, and
focusing on the exact role of your EMS.
On top of the basics that most
rudimentary systems offer there are a
host of additional cutting-edge
features that provide further energy
monitoring possibilities, more data
and feedback, which ultimately leads
to greater energy efficiencies and cost
savings. Advanced, customisable
solutions also include monitoring
several sites with complex loads,
multiple power generation sources and
networks of intelligent components
and large data inputs.

Question 1:
Do I need more sophisticated
monitoring and analysis tools?

Question 2:
How can I customise my EMS?

Question 3:
Should my EMS be flexible enough
for seamless adjustments in the
future?

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Step 3: Scalability

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The capability to deal with such
complex data is premised not only on
the incoming EMS technology. Do you
need to retrain existing staff and/or
employ more?

The size and scope of your business

operations is another part of choosing
the best EMS for you. A modest-sized
facility, for example, might require a
modest EMS (though it might also
require something more complex). But
perhaps you have potential to grow
your business and you might consider
scaling up your EMS to cover several
sites in the future. Choosing an EMS
that as effortlessly as possible covers
this potential expansion should be
considered from the outset.

Question 1:
Is scalability important?

Question 2:
How likely am I to want to
scale up quickly?

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Step 4: Implementation

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Finding a reliable, trusted partner to
design and install a high-quality
energy management system is a given.
The right partner is there from
inception, right throughout the
lifecycle of the EMS, offering advice
and guiding you through future scaling
and customisations.

And finding the right partner is central

to ensuring that the chosen EMS
matches your expectations. This can
be measured in the level of service and
support provided, from planning to
post-installation. This level of service
is part of the wider measurement of
success.

The ultimate level of success of your

EMS will also come down to the quality
of the data and what action you do
with it – and this is something you
need to be sure about early on. A
cutting-edge, high-quality system will
have a direct impact on how much
more efficient your facility’s energy
performs. Your EMS provider’s service
performance, improved energy
efficiency and an improved carbon
footprint will all be measures of your
success.

Question 1:
Who is my EMS partner?

Question 2:
Does the reality of my EMS match
my expectations?

Question 3:
How do I measure success?

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The right partner:
ABB Ability™ Energy Manager
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ABB Ability Energy Manager is
underpinned by data, and it functions
by constantly analysing asset
conditions and energy demands in
order to help users consistently make
the best decisions. The result is the
maximisation of energy performance
alongside the minimisation of risk
across your operations.

As well helping to lower the carbon

footprint of a particular asset, the ABB
Ability Energy Manager also provides
multi-site access. Fully scalable, it can
monitor and compare performances at
various facilities at the same time.

Cloud-based, the digital Manager

supervises electrical systems,
monitors their condition and energy
flows. This constant monitoring and
analysis of an asset’s performance
improves energy efficiency and
reduces energy costs.
Contact us with your inquiry or find
more information about the ABB
energy management solution here.