Algorithms are Great and All, But How Do I Get Them to Solve My Energy Problems?

Our response to the recent announcement of WegoScore, as reported by Energy Manager Today.

Flashy dashboards are just that and numbers don’t make decisions.  Our competitors seem to think that using their latest algorithm to give you a single number that describes the efficiency of your building is sufficient, while you’re left to hash out everything that comes after it (along with the billion other things you have to do this week).  At Bright Power, we’ve got superb algorithms and a dashboard that is used by more multifamily square footage than any other, but we take issue with dashboard-only offerings because they only address a piece of the puzzle without providing you with truly actionable information.

In general, people need experts to help them set plans to achieve desirable results. Take CrossFit for example –  a made-to-order fitness regimen that consists of many functional movements performed at a high intensity. The science behind why it works is interesting enough, but that’s not the reason why they’ve experienced an obscene amount of growth over the last few years. The reason for their success is simple: they lay out your workout for you, you do it (and don’t have to think about it), and it works. Most gyms have you figure it out for yourself, which is probably why my gym membership has gone largely unused since I first signed up 6 months ago. To property managers and building owners, energy management presents the same exact problem: they know that they should be doing it, and they know that if they do, they’ll see some great results. The problem is that they don’t have anyone laying out a comprehensive plan to help them get there.

Energy service companies have been using complex algorithms to describe the overall energy efficiency of their clients’ buildings for years now, but in order to make real changes and see real savings, you need a real plan. There’s no doubt that benchmarking plays a pivotal role in helping building owners better understand their energy and water consumption, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. What our competitors fail to realize is that a glossy dashboard alone isn’t enough to drastically reduce energy consumption, cut utility costs, and decrease carbon emissions. You need a team of experts whose mission is to not only monitor the performance of your buildings, but also to lay out a comprehensive energy management plan that will increase efficiency and reduce capital expenditures at your property. Simply put: you need someone who is going to take care of your energy problems for you so that you can get back to focusing on what you do best.