How to Manage Your Company’s Energy Use During the Supply Chain Crisis

The global supply chain crisis is affecting not only grocery store shelves but also organizations’ energy use. We’ve been hearing from prospects and clients that, due to the crisis, they have had to significantly increase their production levels to meet demand. This increased operation results in spikes in energy use. So, how can your organization manage energy use during this difficult time? In this article, we’ll explore 4 methods.

Method #1: Keep An Eye on Peak Load Times

With the summer months approaching, peak load times are in our near future. Peak load times usually occur on hot days when a lot of energy is demanded from the grid. During peak load hours, energy is more expensive to procure. Thus, if your organization’s manufacturing plants are running in overdrive to meet consumer demand, you’re likely to see a spike in your energy bills unless you plan for peak load times.

In addition, you need to be aware of and manage your peak load contribution (PLC). Your PLC is determined by your company’s contribution to the grid at the peak load hour. It is calculated depending on how much electricity your building(s) demand when the grid is peaking. Your PLC is used by utility companies to indicate how much generation they will need to keep up with demand and prevent shortages in the future. Since you are billed for both the energy you consume and the energy that must be available to meet demand, it is vital to manage your PLC and plan for peak load times. If you are not keeping an eye on when peak load times will occur, you’re running the risk of being charged for your extra usage and/or receiving a PLC tag that will increase your energy bills for the next year.

By planning ahead for peak load times and decreasing energy use during those times, you can keep unnecessary charges off your energy bills. Meanwhile, procuring renewable energy or installing distributed energy resources (DERS) like solar panels at your facilities can help provide your organization with another source of energy to turn to during peak times, thus further reducing your energy bills.

Method #2: Employ Real-Time Data Monitoring

Real-time data monitoring is the collection of energy data from installed meters on certain lighting, appliances, machinery, and more. The data shows you what is happening in your facilities in real-time, thus allowing you to quickly spot any inefficiencies before they show up as higher numbers on your energy bills. If your facilities are running more frequently during the supply chain crisis, any system inefficiencies that are wasting energy will be magnified. Real time data monitoring allows you to catch any such problems.

Method #3: Implement Efficiency Projects (Then Measure and Verify Them)

Another way to reduce your organization’s energy use during this time is to implement energy efficiency projects or energy conservation measures. Examples of such measures include installing energy efficient lighting or upgrading machines and systems. Once you’ve made such changes, that’s where Measurement and Verification (M&V) comes in. M&V is the process of planning, measuring, collecting, and analyzing data for the purpose of verifying and reporting your energy savings within your facility resulting from the implementation of energy conservation measures or energy efficiency projects.

Method #4: Use Energy Management Software

The best way to manage your organization’s energy use is to use energy management software. Strong energy management software will:

• Provide you with predictive analytics to alert you when peak load hours are likely to occur
• Help you track, measure, and verify the performance of your peak load management efforts, as well as identify areas of inefficiency in your buildings that might waste energy during peak times
• Provide you with real-time data monitoring and graph your average energy usage per day, allowing you to ensure daily usages are meeting expectations
• Help you measure and verify your efficiency projects

WatchWire provides fully integrated energy and sustainability management software that can do all of the above (and more!). To learn more about WatchWire’s capabilities, download the WatchWire Solution Brief.

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