How is technology changing the way businesses use energy?
Over the past few decades, rapid technological advances have significantly changed the way we live and work, and the energy sector has not gone unaffected. Technology has changed the way we generate, buy and use energy – and in doing so, has opened up a number of new opportunities for businesses.
While energy used to be simply seen as a utility by businesses, many now realise that optimising their energy usage can help them to become more sustainable, improve their reputation, cut their costs and even create new revenue streams – and with the right technology in place, it’s much easier for them to do so. If your business is yet to explore the vast range of energy tech solutions on offer, you could find that you’re trailing behind your competitors.
With so many different solutions available to help you with every aspect of your energy usage, however, we know that the sheer range of solutions on offer might seem daunting. So let’s start with the basics – here’s how technology is changing the way we…
Generate energy
As we move towards a low-carbon future, we must find sustainable alternatives to fossil-fuelled energy sources – and renewable technologies are playing a key role. From wind turbines to ground source heat pumps and solar panels, the number of renewable energy technologies is constantly growing. As a result, renewables now account for a greater proportion of the UK’s energy generation than ever before – in fact, renewables became Britain’s main power source for the first time in the first quarter of 2020.
Your business can benefit from renewable energy technologies because by switching to a cleaner energy source, you can reduce your carbon footprint and boost your sustainability credentials. You can do this in two ways – the simplest being switching to a ‘green’ energy tariff, which means that the energy you’re supplied with comes from renewable sources. You could also invest in your own on-site, renewable energy by installing assets such as solar panels or heat pumps on your site. This will provide an even greater boost to your sustainability credentials, as it means that you will be generating your own renewable energy, and it can also increase your business’s resilience by reducing your reliance on the grid.
Purchase energy
There are now so many suppliers in the market, each offering a myriad of different energy contracts, that technology can make the task of choosing the best energy contract for your business much easier. Whenever you are choosing an energy contract – whether you’re using your own in-house expertise or working with a third-party intermediary (TPI) – it’s vital that you have as much information as possible about what’s happening in the market and the various contracts on offer, as this will help you to find a contract that meets all of your business’ unique needs.
Our new Market Eye software helps TPIs to find the best contract for businesses like yours by providing a clear and complete view of the latest market prices. As they have a full view of all market prices, Market Eye gives them greater bargaining power when it comes to negotiating with suppliers, so they can secure you the best price for your energy. They can even view and export a graph, including up to two years of market trend history, so they can fully explain the reasoning behind the contracts they’re recommending to your in-house team. With technology like Market Eye at their fingertips, TPIs can make the procurement process even easier for your business.
The way we use energy
Having the right technology in place can also make a big difference if you’re striving to take control of your energy usage in order to reduce your costs and/or your carbon emissions. If you have half-hourly or AMR meters on site, then you will already be collecting detailed data on your energy consumption, but unless you’re using that data to gain real insight into your usage, then you’re not getting the most benefit out of it.
Thankfully, technology can help you to visualise your data – meaning you can easily see where and when you’re using energy and identify areas for efficiency improvements – and track your progress when implementing efficiency measures. With SystemsLink’s Energy Manager software, for example, you can access your own bespoke dashboard which displays key data in simple, visual charts – so it’s quick and easy to get the information you need about your energy usage. Consumption data can be collected automatically using our Data Automation service. You can even set up ‘Smart Spaces’ alerts, which enable you to set acceptable parameters for your energy consumption and alert you to any unusual consumption patterns, so you can stay in control of your energy wherever you are.
Take control of your energy with our technology
At SystemsLink, we know you want to have full control over your energy consumption – so we’ve designed all of our software to make it easy for you to do just that.
From helping you to check your energy bills are correct, to enabling you to set up automatic alerts to unusual usage, we have a range of software packages to help you to get to grips with your energy usage – to find out more, call us on 01234 988 855 or email sales@systems-link.com.
