Meter it

In order to control peak demand and save money, it is important that the Software you choose to be able to read the on-site utility meter(s) on a minute by minute basis.  This means either communicating directly with the meters or having pulse metering signals made available to bring into data acquisition equipment (DAQ).  If the facility is supplied with electricity by more than one meter then all supply meters will need to be included in the data collection. The Energy Management Software will either talk directly to the meters or the DAQ and centralize the data at the computer.  In the case of multiple supply meters, the software must be able to add or totalize the meters in order to get a “Facility Total” consumption reading on a minute by minute basis.

Control it

In order to control loads within the facility and save money, the Software must be able to take the Total Facility load and compare it to a Peak Demand Target  or  Hourly KWh target.  When the forecasted demand or consumption is predicted to exceed the set targets, the Software must then reduce the load according to the “Curtailment Strategy” that you have configured.  The Curtailment Strategy will decide what loads are shed, how much and in what order. 

The Sofware you choose should also support multiple curtailment strategies so that you can choose different scenarios based on production requirements or based on whether you are activating the strategy based on peak demand targets, hourly kWh targets, a Demand Response Signal or a Target Price point (a electricity price threshold)

Confirm it

It is also important that the Software have the ability to generate reports that clearly indicate savings, curtailment events and Demand Response Compliance.  Multiple users should be able to access the information in a timely manner and to be able to generate reports that clearly show DR compliance, Peak Demand Control Savings, load profile changes and savings achieved through electricity price based curtailment.

Versatility and expandability are also important, both in terms of configuration and being able to add additional meter(s), sub-metering and control points.  So be sure you can expand as your requirement change over the coming years.