JouleX targets ICT power management. The JouleX Energy Manager (JEM) allows
customers to monitor, analyze and control energy consumed by any device connected to a firm’s network without using software agents. The firm’s product strategy assumes that as more firms deploy power over ethernet devices, the network will become the base platform for enterprise energy management, allowing firms to directly control the consumption of devices including VoIP phones, printers, monitors and lighting controllers. JouleX’s deep energy and industry domain expertise in data centres and distributed offices provides its competitive differentiation. JouleX achieved high scores for data centre and ICT energy data capture (2.6) with best-in-class scores for integration with data centre and ICT equipment and management systems, commercial and retail building energy data capture (2.5), master data management (2.4) and data architecture and scalability (2.0).
JouleX demonstrates value to firms through proof-of-concept solutions. JouleX has over 170 customers and has built a strong customer base within the telecommunications sector with customers including Deutsche Telekom, Swisscom, Orange and Vodafone. As a result of its long-standing partnership with Cisco, JEM for EnergyWise is available as a free option for Cisco’s smaller LAN switches (see Verdantix Cisco And JouleX Target IT Facilities Energy Management). JouleX currently has over 200 pilot and proof-of-concept solutions installed with firms not yet paying for the service.
USER REQUIREMENTS SHOULD DRIVE SOFTWARE PURCHASE DECISIONS
Verdantix recommends that buyers of energy management software shortlist suppliers based on their energy domain expertise, product strategy and planned usage scenarios over the next two years. Verdantix heard that not all suppliers can meet all firms’ specific requirements during and after the deployment of the solution. Firms with complex energy management requirements in particular will implement software from several suppliers to provide integration with the hundreds of thousands of energy-consuming assets, devices and controls present in a large enterprise. Witness UK retail giant Tesco listed as a client of CA Technologies, Elster EnergyICT and Verisae. Common usage scenarios include firms with:
Strategic sustainability strategies and a transformational programme in place. Verdantix research finds that 49% of CSOs are responsible for implementing energy management projects (see Verdantix Global Sustainability Survey: Budgets And Priorities). CSOs that want to look beyond the low-hanging fruit and set their firm on a path towards a
sustainable future should look for firms that have advanced project and portfolio planning capabilities. CA Technologies, CarbonSystems, Hara, IBM, SAP and Schneider Electric demonstrated this capability well. Their solutions allow firms to build energy efficient projects at a facility, business, country or enterprise level, run what-if scenario models, prioritize projects based on impact, manage the RFP process and then track contracts and timelines throughout the project.
Industrial facilities seeking operational efficiency. Firms with significant industrial footprints such as chemicals and pharmaceuticals now realise that high energy consumption does not just come with the territory. Energy-intensive firms are now
managing energy more effectively to gain competitive advantage through cost savings. US chemicals and plastics producer Dow Chemical has saved $24 billion since 1990 as a result of energy efficiency measures. Firms in these sectors generally have fewer sites to manage compared to a global hotel franchise for example, but each site contains energy-intensive equipment and unique manufacturing processes. Firms in these sectors should look to software suppliers with a strong pedigree in industrial and manufacturing plant energy data capture and management such as IHS, Infor, SAP and Schneider Electric.
Environmental management experience wishing to consolidate software solutions. Firms in sectors including automotive, basic resources, chemicals, industrial engineering, oil and gas and utilities are familiar with environmental reporting software as a result of the regulatory pressure to report their GHG emissions. Firms that require environmental management software, but would also like greater visibility and control over their energy consumption without having to use two suppliers, should consider using IHS or SAP. Both suppliers have demonstrated strong energy management capabilities and are leaders in environmental management software (see Verdantix Green Quadrant Environmental Management Software (Global) 2012).
Energy critical assets where security of supply poses major risks. Today energy managers are on the receiving end of diverse energy supply risks including blackouts and nuclear power plant shutdowns. Critical infrastructures such as telecommunication networks, financial services, power utilities and hospitals can suffer exponential impacts the longer the interruption. More firms – particularly in Latin America and APAC – are investing in decentralized energy such as CHP and Solar PV (see Verdantix On-Site Renewables Gain Global Momentum). Elster EnergyICT and GridPoint demonstrated particularly strong capabilities around data capture from on-site generation, including energy exported back to the grid. Schneider Electric and Siemens demonstrated strong energy procurement
capabilities to help firms plan and develop future procurement strategies to help safeguard them from an increasingly volatile energy market.
Increasingly squeezed budgets seeking energy cost reductions. Suppliers with strong energy monitoring and targeting capabilities such as CA Technologies, Elster EnergyICT, IBM and Schneider Electric are best placed to help firms identify inefficiencies, set
appropriate targets and monitor performance. Hara demonstrated the strongest capabilities around energy budgeting and planning. Utility bill management is another area that can provide firms with significant savings by streamlining the process and identifying billing inaccuracies. Of the firms assessed in this study CarbonSystems, Schneider Electric and Siemens demonstrated the strongest capabilities for this functionality.
Large building and data centre portfolios looking to optimize energy consumption. Large global organizations with dispersed building portfolios in sectors such as banking, business services, insurance, media and retail that want to manage and integrate multiple energy domains should look to suppliers with not only building energy management experience but also large-scale existing deployments such as CA Technologies, IBM and Johnson Controls. Their energy management capabilities are matched by their industry experience and long lasting partnerships with systems integrators. Firms looking to better manage building portfolios containing a high density of ICT equipment or data centres should also consider JouleX for its deep domain expertise and experience.
Limited to zero visibility of current energy consumption and spend. Whilst some firms already see the value of investing in energy management, others lag behind and are simply looking for increased visibility on energy and carbon consumption and spend. Pressure on firms to improve their sustainability reporting efforts, by stock exchanges for example, increases the importance of being able to cost effectively capture and report this data, whilst ensuring it is both complete and accurate (see Verdantix Sustainability Reporting
Frameworks Gain Global Traction). Suppliers such as Hara and CarbonSystems combine robust data capture and master data management capabilities with best-in-class corporate dashboards. Both suppliers achieved best-in-class scores for voluntary reporting to
organizations such as the Carbon Disclosure Project, streamlining their customers sustainability reporting efforts.
our clients succeed in the world of sustainable business. Through our global primary research and deep domain expertise we provide our clients with strategic advice, revenue generating services, best practice frameworks, industry connections and competitive advantage.