Energy Software

How to Choose the Right Energy Management Software for Your Business

May 06, 2023 • Edward Mellor • 7 min read

Goal‑aligned
Built around outcomes
Integration‑ready
APIs, BMS, meters, IoT
Secure & cost‑clear
SSO, RBAC, TCO clarity
Choosing energy management software
Choose by outcomes, integrations, security, and total cost—not buzzwords.

Picking the right platform starts with your goals and data. Prioritise fit and time‑to‑value over feature checklists. Below is a practical framework to evaluate vendors and de‑risk your decision.

Start with outcomes and scope

Define success in concrete terms: percentage savings, payback window, emissions targets, portfolio coverage, and reporting needs. Align stakeholders early—facilities, sustainability, IT, and finance.

Data and integrations

List data sources (utility meters, BMS, submeters, IoT, CSV, data warehouse) and confirm native connectors or open APIs. Check latency, data quality tools, and how edge cases are handled (gaps, spikes, timezone).

Core capabilities

  • Real‑time monitoring, alerting, anomaly detection
  • Dashboards, M&V, weather normalisation, benchmarking
  • Automation links to controls and scheduling
  • Role‑based access and collaboration

Scalability and performance

Can it handle your peak data rates and multi‑site rollouts? Ask about architecture, SLAs, data retention, and performance on large portfolios.

Security and compliance

Expect SSO (SAML/OIDC), encryption at rest/in transit, proven RBAC, audit logs, and attestations. Validate vendor processes for data privacy and incident response.

UX and adoption

Prioritise clarity and speed. Short clicks to insight, saved views, and great search reduce training and drive adoption across roles.

Pricing and total cost

Model license + onboarding + integration + internal effort. Prefer modular pricing, transparent overages, and configuration over custom builds.

Vendor viability and support

Check references, roadmap, and support SLAs. Look for energy domain expertise and a delivery model that fits your team.

Prove it with a pilot

Run a 6–8 week pilot across 3–5 sites with clear success criteria: quantified savings, alert fidelity, workflow fit, and integration performance.

RFP checklist
  • Data sources, latency, and quality controls
  • Security (SSO, RBAC, encryption, audit)
  • Core features and roadmap alignment
  • Integrations and APIs
  • Scaling benchmarks and SLAs
  • Pricing breakdown and TCO scenario
Energy Software Procurement Integrations Security TCO
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At a glance
  • Outcomes‑first
  • Integration‑ready
  • 7 min read
Key takeaways
  • Align to goals and data
  • Validate integrations & security
  • Model TCO and prove with a pilot
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