From Guest Blogger Mark Halstead: Using Big Data to Bring Down Enterprise Energy Use
Virtually every company, large or small, is keen to reduce its energy use and its carbon footprint if possible. Of course, this desire doesn’t necessarily override other considerations such as profit-making or the pursuit of growth but it is there and most companies at least have some awareness of the need to reduce energy use.
The truth is though that companies will generally be less inclined to pursue energy reductions if they are difficult to attain or if they are unaware of ways in which energy use can be easily reduced. And this is where big data can come in and play an important role in the process of cutting carbon emissions and energy use among all manner of enterprises.
Efficiency gains
A lot of what big data is designed to offer enterprises in any field is efficiency gains. Quite where those gains might be made will vary a great deal depending on the kind of business being run but, generally speaking, there will be scope for energy use to be cut significantly and savings to be made on a sizable scale.
Energy management is becoming an increasingly serious business and companies are finding that they can even save big on an annual basis by making simple and inexpensive changes to the way the work. Quality data and the right kind of monitoring can underpin these processes and bring to light energy-related issues that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
Corporate social responsibility
Another important part of the equation as far as big data and energy use is concerned is corporate social responsibility (CSR). Cutting energy use and carbon emissions is increasingly being made mandatory by governments worldwide and businesses are having to fall into line and report with precision how much energy they use on a routine basis.
Big data helps companies keep a precise track of their energy use, on a small and large scale simultaneously. This process gives companies more visibility on how they use energy and makes them better able to report on a host of issues and avoid fines for non-compliance with relevant CSR sustainability rules as they’re introduced.
Going beyond monitoring
Looking forward, they key to the effectiveness of big data analytics as a force for positive changes and energy reductions among different enterprises will be an ability and a willingness to move beyond monitoring. What companies will need to do is not just be made aware of where energy reductions could be made but to act on those findings and prioritise sustainability on a consistent basis.
In the end, data and information can only be part of the picture and it will still require strong leadership and a clear focus for businesses of any size to successfully reduce their energy use in ways that they can be proud of and which set a positive example as part of broader trends. So there will always need to be a focus on creating corporate cultures in which sustainability is taken seriously and in which data on energy use is not just collected but genuinely valued.
This article was written by Mark Halstead. Mark Halstead is from Red Flag Alert, part of the Begbies Traynor Group, and is now in his 10th year with the business. He’s worked at companies across the financial services industry and is a fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing.
