Energy Solutions - The Lesser of Two Evils

Until the day that SkyNet goes active, or we are assimilated by The Borg, energy management will continue to be a challenge and clash between two schools of thought: An Integrated, End-to-End system OR individual specific solutions/applications. Last week I attended the AHR Expo in New York City, the largest HVAC-related tradeshow in the United States. With nearly 43,000 attendees and 18,000 exhibitors, the sheer size of the show is staggering. As a solution provider, it brings into sharp focus the challenge of a crowded market place and cluttered messaging around energy conservation and generation. If it confusing to those of us in the business, how can the average buyer even HOPE to make sense of it all?

If you are a buyer or stakeholder in the energy needs of your organization –  the decisions around direction and implementation of an energy management system may leave you feeling like it is nothing more than a choice between lesser of two evils. What technologies do you need to address now? How do you “future-proof” your decision? What choices will provide the most value to your organizations with the resources you have available? What will help ensure that you look like a hero? What solutions will leave you updating your resume in a year? How do you choose?

An integrated solution? Or a piecemeal approach of disparate systems? Do you just want visibility? Or do you also want automation and control functionality embedded in the system? 

PLAYING IT SAFE

If you choose an end-to-end integrated solution from a legacy provider, most of the recognizable names and “industry leaders” you get a reliable (hopefully) closed system with budget-busting implementation costs and slow upgrade schedules, less flexibility, costly updates/upgrades, expensive annual maintenance plans and in many cases paying for your own information. You end up paying more and still don’t have “best-in-breed” solutions across the board. On the flipside, no one gets fired for playing it safe.  

The fact that I rarely hear mentioned is that the established names…the end-to-end integrated solutions…are in fact legacy systems built on old ideas, methodology and perspectives. One major player in this space originated as a machine control programming solution in the 1980’s. It had nothing to do with energy originally. Over time and due to market necessity, additional features were added and the solution morphed from machine controls to building controls. When choosing a direction for managing your energy portfolio, is a legacy system with legacy problems due to a legacy mindset really the best way to go?

DIY

If you don’t choose an integrated solution, trying to get several vendors to play nicely together can make an already painful project longer, costly and more painful. And exactly WHO is going to be responsible for integrating this new “solution” into a 10 year old control system that you don’t have the budget to replace? Most of the new solutions in the market are small companies that may be nimble, but don’t have the programmatic or engineering depth to help you successfully integrate the square peg into the round hole.

Trying to get your original vendor to help you will generate an endless stream of sales calls, ROI calculations and financing proposals to upgrade that older system. It generally does not lead to a smile and “Absolutely, we will help you integrate a small company’s product into our system. And if there is a problem, you can count on us to not blame them.” You are left chasing tails, losing hair and sleep – and still no solution to your problem. This of course assumes that you have the spare time and resources to force a solution that may not come easily.

WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?

In July of 2013, research analysts at Groom Energy released a report evaluating intelligent energy management solutions for the enterprise. Their conclusion?

“No single energy management system meets all needs.”

In the analysis, it offered “Despite the trend of vendors broadening their product lines, many customer needs are site-and-load specific and are served best by best-of-breed vendor applications.” Other findings from the report suggested that larger vendors are beginning to dominate through acquisitions and expanding their product lines – with mixed success and painful integration processes that frequently miss the anticipated value. In the process, many venture-backed startups that have promising capabilities and in many cases a better targeted solution are struggling. Software that controls equipment has the highest ROI. And – no surprise here – energy savings are the primary driver in corporate investment.

A 3^rd Option?

Telamon Energy Solutions identified many of the above trends late in 2012 and has been working behind the scenes to deliver a new approach for 2014 that blends the best of both worlds – a unified energy management, analytics and control platform that utilizies best-in-breed, cloud-based software integrated with existing or new infrastructure in a single, unified solution.

One Contract. One Contact.

We would love to show you an original approach for energy management – reimagined for today, affordable and able to meet your needs for energy management, conservation and generation. 

-Mark Brown

Channel & Business Development

Telamon Energy Solutions