Data integrations: Why you should unlock the hidden potential of your buildings’ energy data
Did you know that between 10% and 30% of energy in public and commercial buildings is wasted? This isn’t just an environmental concern – it’s also a financial one. The causes are versatile and often go unnoticed: appliances running beyond scheduled times, undetected damage to photovoltaic (PV) systems, or inefficient operational setups are just some examples.
While these issues might seem difficult to uncover, the solution can be easier than you think. The key lies in your energy data. Your energy meters collect vast amounts of information, but often it remains untapped.
So what if you could access this data online and turn it into actionable insights … most likely without investments in new hardware?
Your energy meter knows more than your invoice
Monthly or quarterly invoices typically show aggregated consumption so you only see a fraction of the data your energy meters collect – but your meters record much more! For instance, detailed usage patterns, peak consumption periods, and even consumption metrics for solar installations.
By accessing this valuable data, you can unlock opportunities to identify inefficiencies, schedule appliances more effectively, and optimise your buildings’ overall energy use. Maybe your HVAC system is running overnight unnecessarily while the building is empty without you being aware. Or maybe your PV system is underperforming due to maintenance issues.
With the right tools, like our Digital Advisors, this data becomes the foundation for better energy decisions.
Why integrating energy consumption data is essential for energy management (and savings)
Getting your energy data online will transform how you manage energy. Here are the main reasons why:
- Real-time insights: Keep a close eye on energy usage with up-to-date data, enabling swift action in response to changing consumption patterns.
- Pinpoint energy waste: Energy waste often occurs outside of operational hours, accessing consumption data helps identify these patterns.
- Historical trends: Analyse long-term patterns to uncover (recurring) inefficiencies.
- Remote monitoring: Manage multiple buildings from one platform and find the low-hanging fruit you should take action on first.
- Prevent damage: Issues like water leaks often go undetected. Over time, even small leaks can lead to significant structural damage and costly repairs to your building.
- Avoid fines: Ensure compliance with return temperature regulations for district heating systems and spend your money on initiatives that make a difference instead of penalties.
- Remote control: Enable fully autonomous HVAC management using solutions like Ento Control to optimise system performance and occupant comfort.
By bringing your energy data online, you gain a comprehensive view that empowers better decisions, de-risks large investments in infrastructure, optimises operations, and ensures occupant comfort and compliance.
Spotlight: Integrating PV production and PV excess data for actionable insights
For organisations with solar installations, integrating consumption and production data is essential. Understanding how much energy you generate versus what you consume allows for better load balancing and maximising the use of on-site renewable energy.
- Real-time production tracking: Solutions like Ento’s Solar Advisor help you monitor the performance of your photovoltaic systems to ensure they operate at optimal capacity. This helps you spot issues, such as panel shading or inverter faults, early on. Especially the latter can drastically reduce the PV production and should thus be fixed as fast as possible.
- Improved energy storage decisions: By matching your consumption patterns with production data, you can determine the best times to store or use solar energy, reducing dependence on the grid.
- Assessing your PV system’s coverage: Understanding how well your PV system meets your building’s electricity needs can reveal opportunities for improvement.some text
- Overdimensioned System: The building produces more electricity than it can use, leading to excess energy being sold back to the grid.
- Expand capacity: The building consumes all the produced energy, and adding extra PV panels would be beneficial to further meet its needs.
- Forecasting and scheduling for maintenance: Some data analytics tools look at long-term trends to predict and prevent potential issues before they happen, e.g. your inverters requiring maintenance. They can also help you identify the optimal date or schedule for cleaning of panels.
Data-driven decision-making for long-term sustainability
Detailed energy data doesn’t just help with day-to-day management – it lays the groundwork for long-term sustainability strategies. With tools like Ento Strategy, you can create a decarbonisation roadmap that is tailored to your portfolio and aligns with your organisation’s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals.
- Track progress toward carbon reduction goals: Understand how operational changes impact your carbon footprint.
- Evaluate the impact of energy-saving measures: Compare data before and after implementing upgrades like LED lighting or improved insulation.
- Simplify ESG reporting: With all your data in one place, it becomes effortless to produce detailed and accurate sustainability reports.
Take control of your energy data – and start saving
Your energy data holds the key to reducing waste, cutting costs, and achieving sustainability goals. By getting it online, you open the door to a smarter, greener future for your organisation.
At Ento, we onboard all kinds of energy data on a daily basis. Our platform integrates seamlessly with your data collector, utility provider, or distributor, removing the complexity and making insights readily available.
Whether it’s electricity, water, gas, district heating or other energy sources, we integrate with API, SFTP, or manual uploads for flexibility. In short, we handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on action – and enjoy savings.
To make the process easier for you, we have compiled our knowledge about data integrations in countries like Denmark, Italy, France, and the UK in a dedicated guide to data integrations.
