Any building team knows that unexpected increases in energy usage can send utility bills through the roof and are notoriously tough to spot and handle. Finding and fixing these issues often means sifting through mountains of data, a time-consuming and error-prone task. Engineering teams often find themselves either dedicating valuable time to analyzing energy data for anomalies, or risking costly usage changes.
That’s why we’re excited to launch the new demand alerting features now available in your Gridium subscription. Demand alerts help building teams keep a closer eye on energy usage by flagging any unexpected and unintended spikes and slow increases for you—so you can stay focused on bigger priorities.
How does it work?
Users simply set demand thresholds on their electric meters, and when demand surpasses those thresholds, they receive an email notification, and the event appears on the load curve chart.
How will it help you?
Demand alerts flag unexpected and unintended levels of energy use in a meter, making it even easier to take action on potential cost-savings energy measures within your building. With this new capability, building operators like you can more easily:
- Take immediate action.
Get instant notifications when demand goes over your set thresholds, so you can tackle issues right away. - Generate immediate cost-savings.
Stop surprise changes from driving up your bills, by addressing problems as soon as they pop up. - Monitor operations automatically.
Ensure your buildings are operating smoothly 24/7 with alerts that highlight where you need to focus your attention. - Collaborate easily with your team.
Easily track, share, and discuss alert details with your team to ensure coordinated and efficient follow-up on usage anomalies.
What are example use cases?
Seasons change, baseloads drift, and equipment operations can change unexpectedly and on short notice. Here are a few key examples of how demand alerts can help you get ahead of costly changes in energy consumption and drive more efficiency in your operation.
Monitor overnight baseloads
Set thresholds to ensure buildings are properly shut down overnight. If the base load drifts up unexpectedly, you get a warning, allowing for immediate action.
Optimize weekend operations
Monitor buildings during weekends to ensure they aren’t operating at weekday settings. If a building is left running high over the weekend, an alert is triggered, prompting necessary adjustments.
Detect unexpected equipment usage
Get alerted to unusual spikes in energy usage that may indicate equipment running off-schedule. Identify and address potential issues before they result in significant energy waste.
Manage seasonal adjustments
During peak seasons, set stricter thresholds to manage increased energy demands efficiently. Alerts help keep buildings within expected parameters, avoiding costly peak demand charges.
Taking a closer look…
Now let’s review the capabilities of the new demand alerting feature. Gridium users can login today to:
- Set schedules and thresholds for alerts in the new Alerts tab on the meter page.
- Get immediate, real-time email alerts for meters that provide data with less than a 48-hour delay.
- View load curve events to know when demand exceeds the threshold.
- Receive weekly summary reports via email every Monday with a list of alert events from the past week.
- Track alert events across your entire portfolio in a centralized dashboard.
- Coordinate efficiently with your team by clicking on events to mark them as under investigation, closed, or resolved, and leave comments for your team.
Demand alerts empower building engineers and property managers to stay ahead of unexpected energy increases, saving time and reducing costs. By automating the detection of demand anomalies, it ensures that your buildings run efficiently, allowing you to focus on more strategic tasks.
Interested in learning how demand alerts can transform your energy management strategy and keep your operations running smoothly and cost-effectively? Contact us to try it for free.
