Very few commercial integrators are offering energy management solutions to their clients.

It’s a shame, because compelling products exist that make it easy to deliver an energy usage dashboard to clients. Being able to monitor their utility outputs right on their computer screens, smart phones, iPads or automation touchscreens is valuable because it allows them to make adjustments and save money.

Savant just announced its SmartEnergy Monitor model SEM-1024 for measuring energy usage and production in real-time while offering clients historical usage data from multiple energy management devices. Savant says the release is the first in its series of energy management products.

The value these products offer can easily translate to service contracts and recurring revenue opportunities for integrators.

Demand Seeks Solutions
There is a significant building automation market out there that remains mostly untapped by the commercial integration community. “Government buildings, universities, schools and the like have clear incentives to be green and/or energy-efficient,” wrote Steven Castle, co-founder of GreenTech Advocates, an educational and marketing resource for those selling green tech and energy management systems, in a recent Commercial Integrator article, “Building Automation: Can Your Company Compete?”

Savant’s SmartEnergy Monitor is flexible and scalable with a base configuration supporting 24 current transformers. The monitor can accommodate most size load / production-facilities and can measure in real-time renewable energy production.

“Many office and commercial buildings today are being built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards,” wrote Castle. “Because of the enormous cost savings that can result, energy efficiency has become a best business practice - fueling the interest of building owners, real estate developers, architects, designers and building managers to invest in building automation systems that tie all a building’s subsystems - from lighting, security, HVAC and audio/video - together in one system.”

Indeed, all businesspeople looking to trim costs and boost their bottom lines are placing value on saving on utility bills. David Thorson, programming supervisor for AVI-SPL’s Chicago office, says he sees a lot of companies seeking certain energy efficiency standards to achieve certifications. He often uses AMX’s Resource Management Suite (RMS) Enterprise software, which allows for remote management of audio, video, lights, HVAC and other building functions.

RMS boasts a widget-based dashboard that can be customized by integrators or the clients’ IT director to display a running tally of energy usage.

AMX says RMS provides clients with a platform for saving energy by offering sustainable measures to automate energy efficiency, minimize carbon footprint and extend useful life of devices. “The cost savings generated by an intelligent, green building, can be substantial and realized quickly,” says Doug Hall, product manager of AMX.

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About the author

Tom LeBlanc - Editor-in-Chief, CI, Tom

Tom has been covering electronics integration since 2003. Prior to being named editor-in-chief of CI, he was senior writer and managing editor of CE Pro. Before that, he wrote for the sports department of the Boston Herald. Migrating to magazines, he was a staff editor for a golf publication and an outdoor sports publication. Follow him on Twitter @leblanctom.

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