the U.K./European market as far as recognizing the importance and value of energy management soft- ware. Working with eSight Energy and in the industry for over three years now I’ve defi nitely seen an increase in the number of organizations and industry verticals that are now warming up to the idea.” Sarah Erdman, marketing director at QA Graph-
This dashboard image displays the Energy Star scores and Portfolio Manager metrics for sites within eSight using the new Portfolio Manager integration, as well as a Single Meter Analysis and a Stacked Base Load Analysis graph. (Image courtesy of eSight Energy Inc.)
ics, Ankeny, Iowa, has seen dashboard usage increase in certain segments. “Because this solution complements existing building automation system or meters in place, it typically is implemented by organi- zations that are building new or retrofi tting buildings. There has been a high use of our solution on projects working to achieve a green building certifi cation. I would say that we’ve defi nitely seen a wider adoption of the dashboard on the coasts, whereas the Mid- west has adopted the technology at a slower rate.” With today’s technology, new opportunities are
surfacing for metal buildings to boost energy sav- ings via energy management software and dash- boards. Building information is much more visual and more accessible. Lucid’s Building Dashboard Network, the fi rst social network for buildings, allows people to view, compare and share building energy and water use information on the Internet. With the capability to share on-site, online
An energy management dashboard is a browser-based application providing rapid identifi cation of real-time data and historical trends, including energy use, operational effi ciencies and critical metrics. (Image courtesy of Activelogix)
and on mobile devices, energy information can be accessed anywhere, anytime. And information can be compared with other similar buildings across the country, providing opportunities for large-scale energy competitions or social communication. With this type of advanced linking and accessing, real-time monitoring of energy use in metal build- ings in the United States should be become quite energetic very soon.
Educate for energy savings
The best energy saving dashboards and software in the world are worthless unless people know how to use them. This knowledge must be avail- able at all levels. Smarter metal building occupants and managers, not just smarter metal buildings or control technologies are critical elements of ef- fective resource conservation. Dashboards do not make decisions, people do. “A CEO can have a dashboard view that
shows if energy consumption has gone up or down,” says Pam Henry, sales specialist at Activel- ogix, Charlotte, N.C. “An energy manager can use the dashboard to determine how to best allocate resources for maximum impact. The facilities team can use the dashboard to view real-time consump-
tion to determine if equipment is working properly and if changes need to be made.” Print and digital product guides and user
guides are usually provided to new customers. During the customer on-boarding process, Lucid hosts a series of Web training to help customers understand the platform and develop a strategy for integrating into internal operations and programs. “Once customers are up and running, dedicated Lucid Client Consultants work with organizations to answer questions, provide additional training, and give ongoing advice and guidance on best practices for utilizing the building dashboard,” says Andrew deCoriolis, director of marketing and engagement at Oakland, Calif.-based Lucid.
ESight Energy offers several different instal-
lation, training and consultancy services to their customers. “We don’t simply provide the software to the end-client and expect them to decipher how to use the system,” says Sara Volpe, vice president of marketing and communications at eSight Energy Inc., Schaumburg, Ill. “The eSight Energy imple- mentation team, will assist with installation, provide consultancy on system setup and best practices, as well as provide eSight energy management and administration training courses for users of the sys- tem. We also hold a user conference for our clients to come together to share knowledge, and learn how other people within their industry are using the software ‘EMS Best Practice’ sharing.”