John Kane is the Business Unit Director at Energy & Technical Services Ireland.

Since becoming actively involved in the energy management sector over 15 years ago, I have witnessed firsthand an exponential growth in market and technology knowledge amongst clients, contractors, suppliers and the public at large. These have allowed for vast improvements in energy performance in the retail sector.

The availability of hardware and software solutions has increased dramatically over the years. In particular, the increased prevalence of cloud-based reporting software has enabled a paradigm shift in the quantity and quality of data accessible to us at any time, day and night, Monday through Sunday. Rapid developments in portable technology have also been key to this, allowing us to step into our virtual offices at any time. It’s not difficult to see how these advancements have transformed how those working in the retail sector approach energy management.

But let’s face it: not all of us wish to have access to our energy consumption profiles at the dinner table, or during weekend family time. Many of us strive to be in the position of knowing that our energy systems are being professionally managed and are under control without us having to check-in. The last thing we want is to feel the burden of doubt when we leave the office.

The challenge for those responsible for energy management and those accessing the energy data, particularly amongst those who manage multi-site property portfolios, is having both the time and technical ability to know how to achieve this. Indeed, having access to such powerful technology is one thing, but knowing what to do with it is another.