How 2020 Affected Energy: 3 Quotes on the Future of Energy Management Post-COVID

2020 was a year unlike any other. That is why we at Dude Solutions spent time analyzing our clients' utility data to unpack how COVID, data management and software practices, and other factors impacted usage and cost last year.  

Interested in learning 4 utility trends that we uncovered in our analysis? Check out our first blog post!

COVID has resulted in current and anticipated changes in resourcing, staffing, budgets, and health and safety protocols. As an operations professional in today’s environment, there is a lot to balance.

Before the pandemic, we knew two things to be true:

1. 30% of utility use in commercial buildings was wasted every billing cycle
2. Utilities often rank as the second-highest budget item within organizations

If both of those statistics continue to be true, this will mean that a significant amount of unnecessary spending is happening in a world where every dollar counts. It is easy to see why managing and tracking utilities has shifted from a “nice-to-have” to a “need-to-have.”

Although the world has changed dramatically, technology remains more important than ever to building a strong foundation and future. 

Many organizations that choose to invest in utility management software have been able to successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and are in a strong position to proactively identify utility waste, prioritize savings actions, and make better-informed operational and budget decisions.

In our recent energy e-book, Navigating the New Normal, we asked operations professionals to provide their take on what they believe the future of energy management will look like. 

Check out these three quotes from your peers that draw attention to important considerations:

“I feel there is going to be a much more globally focused climate conversation. The new US administration has continually pointed to this as a priority, which likely means states and organizations alike will be investing time and money into managing energy and utilities. Also, there is undoubtedly going to be a greater emphasis on building occupant health. This could impact policies around air/ventilation or water flushing requirements– resulting in more use and cost for utilities.” 

-Marcia Coker, Facilities Manager at Wylie ISD, Texas

“Looking forward and right now, we have already dramatically increased our outdoor air input for municipal buildings. Indoor air quality is, and will continue to be, super important – we should’ve been talking about this for long time!” 

-Nell Boyle, Sustainability/Outreach Coordinator at City of Roanoke, VA

“Assuming more ventilation requirements or mandates in the future, we are going to have to factor this in holistically. Asking questions like how is this going to not only affect utility spend but adjust our perceived life of assets? With systems like HVAC being used more, we will need to account for this in our maintenance and capital plans.” 

-Mark Clinch, Director of Facilities and Energy Management at Town of Normal, IL

The above clients and approximately 1,000 others utilize Energy Manager™ to identify utility waste, better prioritize action and make smarter operational decisions with centralized management of utilities.

Are you ready to explore how technology and software can help you better manage energy and utilities? Dude Solutions can help!