No matter what stage of an energy storage project you’re at, getting the right tools for your specific system is crucial to success. You have to adjust to incentive requirements, dispatch timing, changing rates, and charge/discharge schedules. 

Every delay and each bit of out-of-synch data has consequences. Success is built on a foundation of effective management, which is why it’s so important to understand the difference between controllers for EMS (energy management system) and traditional energy management.

An intelligent EMS controller is different from traditional energy management in that it adjusts energy storage in real time based on site behavior instead of adhering to predetermined rules or simply collecting data.

Traditional Techniques

Older energy management systems were based purely on monitoring and reporting. They would require in-person site visits and assessment in which workers would collect data from meters and display dashboards. These systems often included a few common traits:

  • They required manual adjustments
  • They used fixed charge/discharge schedules
  • They were focused on reporting

 

These systems were limited in many ways. They provided little insight to help managers understand how to optimize performance and no assistance in achieving that optimization. 

Commonly, schedules would be set, financial and use models would be put in place, and companies would use these models exactly as they were established, often until long after they were useful. Prices can change, billing rules can shift, and incentives, tariffs, and taxes can produce conflicting demands, leaving solar developers overwhelmed.

How Dynamic EMS Controllers Are Different

Modern energy management is about optimization. Dynamic EMS controllers are able to continuously adjust and help you make decisions; they also help you meet the shifting boundaries and inputs that can bog down energy storage companies.

Instead of following a fixed and possibly outdated schedule, EMS controllers can:

  • Provide analytics on how each site uses its energy
  • Determine optimal times to charge and discharge batteries
  • Predict peak use times and adjust accordingly
  • Use solar monitoring to improve maintenance by clocking system requirements in real time

 

This flexibility and the ability to improve customer service and long-term financial viability is why so many solar companies look for modern management tools when it comes to energy controller return on investment.

Unifying Projections with Performance

A challenge some commercial energy storage projects face is the disconnect between projected numbers and actual performance. The road to establishing and launching energy production and storage can be long, which means there’s plenty of time for assessments made during development to become obsolete. 

This problem can be made worse by traditional energy management tools. If savings fall short of projections and incentive programs are misapplied, money and membership might get left on the table.

EMS controllers can close this gap and help you keep pace with shifting patterns and performance.

The Right Path for You

The control architecture that will most benefit your company and the communities you serve depends on a lot of factors, and you can’t know what works for you until you’ve tried the best each world has to offer. When you’re ready to try an EMS controller, call Energy Toolbase.

Energy Toolbase’s ETB Controller with Acumen AI is a state-of-the-art software suite that offers the best in modern energy management. Reach out to our team of experts today to see how we can help you reach your financial goals and finally make energy management simple.