Energy Managers: What They Do and Why They Matter
Energy Managers play an important role in helping businesses to minimise overhead costs, meet sustainability credentials and run efficient operations. In this week’s article, we explore how they do it and why now is the perfect time for your business to invest in energy expertise.
You have probably heard of Energy Managers. You may work within a company or own a business which has internal energy managers, or you may know someone specialised in energy management.
However, few people are aware of the full extent of tasks involved in this job; the additional skills it requires and the importance of Energy Managers in maintaining the financial, operational, sustainability and compliance needs of a business.
So what exactly is involved? And why are energy managers so valuable at this particular moment? In this article, we aim to tackle these questions and provide you with everything you need to know about the profession.
What Do Energy Managers Do?
Energy Managers are partially responsible for monitoring and managing company buildings and facilities. They help businesses to reduce their overhead costs through tracking consumption and validating energy bills. This involves making sure that an energy provider’s meter reading or prediction of a business’s energy usage is correct.
Energy Managers also pursue energy saving opportunities, manage Demand Side Response opportunities and government aggregation opportunities and work alongside maintenance staff to identify issues.
They must write reports on consumption, visit sites, be compliant with company and government regulations, and keep records of energy savings across facilities.
However, advocacy is as integral to energy management as its practical and technical responsibilities. The role requires encouraging “the use of renewable and sustainable energy resources within an organisation or community” or otherwise raising “the profile of energy conservation.” Energy Managers must maintain relationships with external contractors and providers, help to train staff and promote carbon-saving practices across businesses.
In other words, energy managers must represent multiple, complex interests with care. They straddle the commercial interests of their employer, carbon emission reduction and compliance policies, both internal and external.
Skills Required
With such a broad range of duties comes an equally diverse skill-set, and fulfilling it in full is no mean feat.
Energy Managers are required to have up-to-date knowledge of energy costing, sustainability credentials, different ways of consuming energy, electrical infrastructure, as well as any relevant legislation. Specialised technical knowledge is a pillar of the profession. For example, this vacancy advertised through Acre Recruitment asks that applicants have an “understanding of building management systems”, highly specialised energy monitoring systems built for large commercial buildings.
Energy Managers should have data analysis and numerical skills, necessary for performing cost saving analysis. Time management, project management, report writing, self-organisation, teamwork and problem solving skills are equally valuable attributes in this profession, particularly as projects both collaborative and independent must often adhere to strict deadlines.
Passion, ability to add value, flexibility and networking skills are central requirements too. Energy managers need to be able to educate and motivate staff about ideas, strategies or targets, including individuals with no understanding of energy efficiency or renewable energy. They need to drive company sustainable initiatives, be agents for change and be driven to produce clear savings.
Why Do Energy Managers Matter, and Why Now?
With increasing corporate sustainability regulations and energy prices predicted to continue rising -potentially by as much as 30% in 2022 - specialist energy management has never been more valuable, in terms of both cost-saving and environmental benefits.
The role was established after the oil crises of the 1970’s and has grown since then in accordance with government incentives to transition towards a net zero economy. In this way, the job itself embodies a global shift in the way we use energy. As one article published by energylens.com helpfully summarises, “if it wasn't for the global need to save energy, the term "energy management" might never have even been coined.” Given that we are now within a critical period for climate action, it follows that energy management will only become a more important and nuanced role in years to come.
The technical expertise of this role is also becoming more and more valuable within a quickly evolving tech industry. As one masterstudies.com article explains, clean tech is “an increasingly growing field. Changemakers are needed in this field to develop new ways to process, extract, transport, and create generally better systems for energy management.” This is even more reason to employ a specialised energy manager, as such professionals will be able to draw upon an understanding of the latest technologies, aiding smarter investment decisions and longer-lasting infrastructure.
One counter-argument to hiring an energy manager is that some cost savings can be implemented without the help of an expert. For example, switching accounts to a cheaper supplier or negotiating contracts. However, the comparable savings are limited, as Energy Live News explore in an article about energy management.
The publication points out that “the “price” which can be negotiated with the supplier is less than 40% of the overall price which you will pay,... “non-commodity” costs cannot be negotiated away.” As such, the more specialised practices of energy management create necessary additional savings.
Finally, energy managers are a surefire way to deliver the optimum conditions for productivity in your business. As Williams Service Company explains, “employees who work in energy efficient environments are often more efficient. Studies have shown that lighting and temperature conditions have a significant impact on employee productivity.” Energy management allows buildings to best fit the needs of their inhabitants and visitors and plays a part in identifying operational issues, such as tasks being done wastefully or behind schedule.
Whether you run a hospitality, manufacturing, retail, agricultural, public sector or property business, GridDuck wants to help you save energy. To learn more about how GridDuck can cut costs and carbon emissions in your buildings, arrange a quick, no-obligation chat with Miles today.