Why Energy Management Takes Centre Stage With Technology Innovators
Since the failure of the UN Copenhagen negotiations to agree on a new global policy framework for climate change, the prospects for pure-play carbon management software have tanked. National policies on carbon reporting in big emitters like Australia, Canada, China and the United States have stalled. This pulled away the compliance argument to invest in software. Firms with voluntary CO2 reduction targets achieve their goals by purchasing renewable energy certificates or green tariff electricity to achieve "reductions" in their CO2 emissions (see Verdantix Carbon Strategy Benchmark: IT Services Sector). This obviates the need for tighter GHG data management that would enable energy and facilities managers to make operational changes. The response? Innovation.
No strangers to identifying market needs, firms like EnerNOC, Enviance and Infosys have developed software and services offerings that meet the needs of firms that face GHG compliance regimes and also those that put more focus on energy cost savings. EnerNOC’s combination of energy efficiency, carbon efficiency and demand response technologies exemplifies the trend toward data-driven energy management. IBM’s acquisition of TRIRIGA, a specialist in facilities management software with an energy reduction capability also shows this trend. In recent weeks energy and environment software provider, Hara, has raised $25 million from investors with links to energy production and consumption -- as well as Silicon Valley VCs. JouleX, founded in 2009, has raised a further $17 million to fund its product strategy focused on energy management for data centres, offices and facilities.
Energy management technologies have grabbed the centre stage from carbon due to policy failures and universal concerns about rising energy costs and price volatility.
- Tagged in :
- Energy Management,
- Carbon Strategy
