Buildings have been producing data since their first energy bills were delivered, but until recently, collecting and analyzing building data was difficult, timely and costly. Improving building performance, or efficiency, in the mid- to late-20th century meant scrutinizing energy bills a month after the fact and doing one’s best to adjust energy use going forward.

With the advent of big data and the right analytical tools, however, single buildings and multiple facilities can track, analyze and adjust how energy is used in real time and across numerous locations. The trick is to monitor energy data both from a whole-building (or multiple facility) and a circuit-by-circuit perspective.

Energy management tools are now available that integrate both kinds of monitoring, displaying real-time results on computers, tablets and mobile phones. These tools are more affordable and less invasive than ever before, and extremely powerful. Here are five new ways for facility managers to use these new tools to save energy and reduce costs:

1. Audit and benchmark

Big data is best described by three Vs: volume, variety and velocity. Large amounts of wide-ranging information generated quickly can provide unmatched visibility across an entire portfolio.

Before setting goals and taking action, facility managers should identify areas of inefficiency across their facilities by benchmarking each facility (and each device) against one other.

Traditional energy efficiency audits can be inefficient, especially when managing numerous buildings across numerous geographic locations. One building alone has multiple sources of data, including smart meters, data loggers and building management systems that monitor lighting, temperature, HVAC, kitchen appliances and IT equipment.

Device-level monitoring technology generates the data needed to make intelligent decisions regarding energy usage. After hardware installation — which is now noninvasive and, in some cases, wireless — this technology becomes part of the building infrastructure and can provide insight into millions of square feet of space, across all data sources.

Benchmarking one building’s efficiency against others in a portfolio, against efficiency data from previous months or years, or against industry standards, allows managers to understand a building’s energy consumption, and then determine the best ways to optimize it.

2. Analyze and plan

Building managers have made strides in identifying energy efficiency opportunities and weaving energy reduction programs into corporate social sustainability goals. However, until the advent of device-level energy monitoring, these efforts rarely allowed them to go beyond equipment and infrastructure, nor did they give managers at different levels granular visibility into energy consumption.

Facility managers can now see how different pieces of equipment and different areas of a building are using energy. This information creates deeper energy savings than was possible just a few years ago. Just how big is a building’s big data? Sensors can collect data every 60 seconds, equating to multiple terabytes of data per day and more than a half million data points per year for just one piece of equipment.

Today’s energy management solutions allow managers to use data smartly. Cloud-based reporting tools and visual dashboards parse big data in a way that’s easy to understand. Explicit graphs, charts and tables allow managers to diagnose widespread problems, short-term incidences and long-term trends — all data that informs energy planning from the multi-site level to an individual device level. Additionally, insights into innovation and efficiency measures in one area can be quickly be applied across a portfolio.

3.  Take action

Data analytics provide actionable insights that help managers solve energy efficiency problems. A complete picture of how buildings perform enables more efficient operations and maintenance protocols, as well as informs capital spending for upgrades and retrofits.

Real-time monitoring — including updates sent to email and mobile devices — keeps managers engaged in energy consumption, rather than simply reviewing monthly utility bills and taking action after the fact. Assets can be managed more efficiently and proactively.

4. Diagnose and prevent equipment failure

One of the most powerful benefits of the right energy analytical tools is that it makes facility operations and management more predictable. Many systems and equipment often show an abnormal energy use or spikes prior to failing. Real-time monitoring can detect potential equipment failures before they happen through alerts that identify abnormal energy use to facility managers, prompting equipment repair and maintenance — potentially staving off costly replacement.

5. Continuously improve performance

Amid rising energy costs, increased interest in sustainability and stronger financial constraints, executives are turning to facility managers for money-saving solutions. Higher quality and more frequent data leads to more informed decision-making and operational excellence. Energy data analysis creates transparency that drives continuous improvement in performance.

Yaniv Vardi is the CEO of Panoramic Power. For more information, visit www.panpwr.com.