Energy Management System

An energy management system (EMS) is a collection of technologies, procedures and tools used to monitor, control and optimise energy consumption in buildings, industrial plants or at the energy network level.

Types of energy management systems

1. In industry and business – they help monitor the energy consumption of machines and production processes, reducing costs and environmental impact.
2. In commercial and residential buildings – they control heating, air conditioning, lighting and other devices to reduce energy waste.
3. In electrical power systems (Smart Grid) – they optimise energy distribution, manage renewable sources (e.g. photovoltaics) and help balance supply and demand.

EMS functions

• Monitoring – collecting real-time energy consumption data
• Analysis and reporting – identifying areas with high energy consumption and losses
• Optimisation – automatic control of devices to reduce consumption
• Integration with RES – energy management from photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, etc.
• Demand management – regulating consumption depending on tariffs and energy availability

Energy management systems can relate to, for example, energy flexibility, i.e. the intelligent adjustment of power consumption depending on market and network conditions.