Electrical Management System | How to Gain Control Over Electricity Consumption in Your Company

What is EMS (Electrical Management System)?

EMS – Electrical Management System is a system designed for detailed monitoring, analysis, and control of electricity consumption in production halls or office buildings. It collects data from electricity meters, transformers, switchboards, or directly from devices, providing an accurate picture of when, where, and why energy is being lost—and how it can be used more efficiently.

Electrical Management System vs. Energy Management System

When discussing energy efficiency and automation, it’s important to distinguish what EMS actually refers to, as the acronym can mean two different levels:

• Electrical Management System focuses specifically on monitoring and managing electricity consumption. It tracks voltage, current, outages, demand peaks, and enables optimization of electrical equipment and switchboard operation.
• Energy Management System is a broader concept that monitors and evaluates the consumption of all energy media—including electricity, gas, water, heat, compressed air, and steam.

This article focuses primarily on the Electrical Management System, since in production and technology operations, electricity is often the most significant cost and the most critical part of the infrastructure.

What Problems Do Companies Face Without EMS?

❌ Without a modern EMS, companies often rely on outdated data that only arrives on the end-of-month bill, making it impossible to respond in time to sudden consumption changes or unexpected cost increases.

❌ Energy monitoring is mostly manual—entering meter values into spreadsheets or taking photos. This method is time-consuming, error-prone, and does not allow for ongoing evaluation.

❌ Equipment often runs during weekends, holidays, or shutdowns. Without automation, systems remain active even when unused—leading to major energy losses simply because the system can’t respond to changes in operational status.

❌ There’s no integration between systems, so managers must log into multiple apps to piece together the big picture. This delays decision-making and increases the risk of mistakes.

❌ Companies without EMS cannot effectively evaluate their carbon footprint or track ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance—both increasingly important for reputation and business relations.

❌ Accurate allocation of energy costs between departments, lines, or tenants fails. This leads to internal confusion and unnecessary conflicts that hinder planning and responsible resource management.

How Does EMS Work in Practice?

A modern EMS acts as the brain of energy management. It collects data from sensors, meters, switchboards, and PLC units. All data is then visualized in clear dashboards (e.g., using the Ignition platform), enabling analysis by object, department, production line, or time period.

But EMS is not just a passive monitoring tool. It can alert you in real time to limit breaches, faults, or unusual fluctuations, and it can actively control equipment operations based on predefined rules or live data—such as automatically switching off lights during inactivity or lowering heating on weekends.

Thanks to automated cost allocation across operations, EMS saves time, increases accuracy, and simplifies planning. The collected data is immediately usable for decision-making. Management can respond in real time, identify the root causes of issues, and take action that truly impacts cost and performance.

Importantly, this is not a one-time process. EMS should function as a system of continuous improvement. Through repeated data evaluation, rule adjustments, and automation fine-tuning, its efficiency can be gradually increased. This approach enables companies to optimize consumption, reduce waste, and achieve higher sustainability and economic efficiency.

Why Is EMS Implementation Worth It?

✅ EMS allows companies to immediately reduce costs—not only by identifying unnecessary usage, but also by optimizing demand peaks and inefficient equipment operation.

✅ Managers no longer rely on estimates or outdated reports—they make decisions based on accurate, real-time data. With EMS integrated with all key systems, all data is centralized, accelerating decisions.

✅ EMS can autonomously control device operations based on set schedules or real-time conditions. This reduces manual intervention and lowers costs without compromising operations.

✅ From a sustainability and ESG perspective, EMS is an invaluable tool. It provides accurate, trustworthy data for reporting on carbon footprint, environmental goals, and legal compliance.

✅ EMS offers detailed consumption monitoring down to individual devices, lines, departments, or rented spaces, significantly simplifying internal billing and financial planning.

✅ EMS significantly enhances operational safety. It can detect faults or grid overloads early, helping to prevent breakdowns, serious damage, and unnecessary expenses.

✅ Finally, a modern EMS system is essential for meeting ISO 50001 requirements. This certification confirms that the company actively manages its energy efficiency and reduces environmental impact.