Monthly Energy Reports - What makes them useful and can we do better?

Monthly energy reports often align well with financial systems and processes, making them valuable for budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting purposes - it also aligns with regulatory compliance, but what do they really tell you?

Monthly energy reports and summaries serve as valuable communication tools for engaging stakeholders, including executives, employees, shareholders, and the public. Energy managers can use monthly data to communicate achievements, challenges, and opportunities related to energy management initiatives, fostering transparency, accountability, and support for energy conservation efforts.

But can we get more out of our energy data and energy reports – is there a bigger picture to see? 

Energy Management – understanding the Trends

It may come as no surprise that we use more energy to heat our office space in Winter than we do in Summer, so what is our monthly consumption data really telling us?

While monthly data serves as a linchpin for financial systems and long-term planning, weekly data can be instrumental in day-to-day energy management efforts aimed at improving efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring operational resilience.

Weekly data allows for comparison of 7-day periods, Mon-Sun, 52 times per year over 12 periods of varying numbers of Saturdays, Sundays within the Month. Analysing weekly energy consumption data alongside weekly HDD and CDD data allows for more accurate correlation analysis between energy usage and heating or cooling degree days. This can help quantify the impact of weather on energy demand, identify weather-sensitive facilities or processes, and fine-tune energy management strategies to align with specific weather patterns and variations.

What is this telling us about energy consumption and trends?

While monthly data still holds value for long-term trend analysis and reporting purposes, weekly consumption data offers a more dynamic and actionable perspective, making it preferable for detailed energy analysis and management.

Integrating both types of data allows organisations to strike a balance between financial prudence and operational agility, driving sustainable performance across all aspects of energy management.

By integrating both weekly and monthly data, organisations can adopt a holistic approach to decision-making. Weekly insights inform short-term adjustments and operational tweaks, while monthly analysis provides the broader context necessary for strategic planning.

Data Comparison

Monthly data reporting:

Budgeting and Planning: Monthly data provides a consistent and structured basis for budgeting energy expenses over longer timeframes. It allows organisations to allocate resources effectively and set financial targets that align with broader strategic objectives.

Financial Reporting: Many financial reporting frameworks, including regulatory requirements and internal reporting standards, operate on a monthly basis. Monthly data ensures consistency in reporting practices and facilitates compliance with financial regulations.

Cost Allocation: Monthly data enables organisations to allocate energy costs to different departments, projects, or cost centers accurately. This is essential for understanding cost drivers, optimising spending, and evaluating the financial performance of various operations.

Weekly data reporting:

Operational Optimisation: Weekly data offers more granular insights into energy consumption patterns, allowing organisations to identify inefficiencies, implement operational adjustments, and optimise energy usage on a shorter timescale.

Demand Response: Weekly data enables organisations to respond promptly to changes in energy demand, such as peak usage periods or unexpected spikes in consumption. This facilitates the implementation of demand response strategies to minimise costs and enhance grid stability.

Anomaly Detection: Weekly data provides more frequent opportunities to detect anomalies or irregularities in energy consumption, such as equipment malfunctions or unusual usage patterns. Timely identification of such issues allows for prompt corrective action, reducing waste and preventing disruptions to operations.