Energy manager: An evolving role

Research recently carried out by Inenco has predicted how the role of the energy manager will change in the future. Our study suggested that by 2030, the energy managers of today will have evolved into utilities managers with an even more pivotal role, and a remit broad enough to have considerable impact. 

By 2030, energy will be higher up the political and financial agenda, and energy will be included in all decision-making processes across all business areas – advancing the role of the utilities manager and expanding their responsibilities. Indeed, by 2030, energy, water, waste, transport, health and safety, environmental regulations and compliance will all fall under the remit of the utilities manager. 

And, with non-domestic energy still making up around 75% of the UK’s energy consumption, the utilities managers of the future will need to be making strategic decisions that will ultimately help to deliver the UK’s low carbon agenda. 

However, when it comes to improving energy efficiency, by 2030, all of the easy-to-implement, low-cost energy saving initiatives will have been actioned, and finding ways to make savings will become harder. As a result, there will be a need for a more dynamic approach. 

Energy efficiency is a key part of Industry 4.0 and the rise of smart factories (it is reported that investing in smart factories could boost British manufacturing productivity by up to 30%), and the utilities managers of the future will be focused on technology-led energy efficiency and demand management. They are more likely to be using on-site energy generation and private wire, and will primarily be managing the supply of energy to meet demand patterns.

Data-driven

Importantly, utilities mangers will also need to be able to manage complex data systems, and so they’ll need to be digitally-fluent. Indeed, data is already driving decision making and reporting in business energy, with a fifth of respondents taking part in our research commenting on a substantial increase during the past five years, and unanimously agreeing that this trend is set to continue. In readiness for this data-driven future, 14% of today’s energy managers are already investing in better data systems and analysis functions.

Technology is of course going to rapidly evolve over the next 13 years, and it will increasingly change the way we all operate, use resources and make decisions. By 2030, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used daily. 

This will be particularly noticeable in the manufacturing sector, which is set to become more data-driven, with all resource use being scrutinised using sensors, the IoT, AI and advanced visualisation.

Diverse skill set

So, interesting and exciting times lie ahead. In the future, utilities managers will be expected to have a more diverse skill set, and they’ll have a senior-level role spanning most, if not all, business areas. The actions they take will therefore have a real impact on non-domestic carbon emissions, and the evolution of technology and data will help them to make informed, strategic decisions.  

However, our research has highlighted a significant risk in terms of developing this key role; to deliver the utilities manager of the future there is a need for advancements in technology and training. And, unless the manufacturing sector is effectively supported and is able to embrace best practice and innovation, meeting the UK’s energy targets could be under threat. 

In response, Inenco has launched an Innovation Hub, which will focus on developing solutions through a series of hackathons. For further information, please visit www.inenco.com/innovation, where the full Future Utilities Manager report is available to download along with further details on the upcoming hackathons.