What is an energy management system?

An energy management system (EnMS) is software that records, analyses and controls energy flows within a company in order to reduce energy consumption, lower costs and make a central contribution to improving corporate energy efficiency.

How do you choose the right energy management system?

The most important question when selecting an energy management system is: What problem do you want to solve? Energy management systems differ greatly in scope, depth and technical approach. Some systems focus on recording consumption data, monitoring supply information and fulfilling compliance requirements such as ISO 50001. Other solutions go much further and use AI-supported analytics, automated optimisation and cross-site control to operate assets with maximum energy efficiency.

It is therefore essential to define your goals clearly: Is the priority transparency, cost control, sustainability reporting or real-time operational optimisation? Only once this is clear can you assess which EnMS is suitable for your company in terms of functionality, capability and scalability.

What makes a good energy management system?

Many traditional EnMS solutions are reaching their limits. They are often not expandable, difficult to integrate into existing infrastructure and unable to accommodate new assets, storage systems, PV installations or charging points without significant effort.

A good energy management system is defined by several core functions and characteristics. It is worth distinguishing clearly between two categories:

1. Standard EnMS: Visualisation and co-pilot functionality

These systems perform the classic tasks of energy management: collecting data, visualising it and providing recommendations based on analytics. They support the user like a co-pilot – helpful, but not controlling the system.

Functions of standard energy management systems:

• Recording and visualisation of energy consumption and production data
• Presentation in real-time dashboards
• Basic evaluations and KPI calculations
• Identification of savings potential
• Recommendations based on historical data
• Reporting and compliance support (e.g. ISO 50001)

These systems are valuable, but they reach limitations when energy flows need to be actively optimised or controlled.

2. Smart EnMS: Auto-pilot functionality and direct control

Modern, smart energy management systems take a significant step forward. They do not merely analyse – they act. These systems take on an auto-pilot role, dynamically and automatically controlling assets, storage systems and energy consumers.

Functions of smart energy management systems:

• Direct, fully automatic control of assets such as storage systems, heat pumps, charging infrastructure, PV, CHP and more
• Real-time optimisation of energy flows rather than issuing recommendations
• Forecasting generation, consumption and market prices for predictive control
• Creation of optimal operating schedules for all energy assets
• Integration of external data (weather, market prices, load profiles) for more precise decisions
• Self-learning algorithms that adapt to assets, sites and operating conditions
• Avoidance of peak loads and reduction of operational costs through active load management

Criteria for selecting an energy management system: co-pilot vs auto-pilot

Many providers advertise that their EnMS “optimises” energy use. In practice, however, this often only means issuing recommendations – not actual intervention or control.

Real optimisation only occurs when the EnMS makes decisions itself and actively regulates assets. This distinction – recommending versus controlling – is what truly separates traditional systems from genuinely smart energy management solutions.

5 energy management systems compared

Below we compare five leading energy management system providers in the German-speaking market. The comparison considers criteria such as degree of automation, data integration, control capabilities, ISO 50001 suitability and scalability.

1. flexOn

With the smart energy management platform flexOn, encentive automatically optimises and controls electricity consumption, enabling businesses to use energy precisely when it is green, affordable and available. The platform connects generators, consumers and storage to create a dynamic overall system and enables genuine, holistic energy optimisation.

Strengths:

• Comprehensive visualisation of all energy, asset and operational data in a central dashboard
• Active real-time optimisation, not only recommendations: reduces peak loads, maximises self-consumption and measurably cuts energy costs
• Smart EnMS with auto-pilot functionality and direct, fully automated control of all relevant assets
• Developed in-house, making it highly expandable, updatable and perfectly adaptable to new assets, sites and technical requirements
• Eligible for BAFA funding, as measurement, monitoring, control and actual efficiency improvements are provided

Best suited for:
Companies that want more than visualisation and analytics and instead need automated control and real-time optimisation.

2. Messdass

Messdass, developed by HOCHHUTH GmbH, is an energy management system offering reliable recording, analysis and visualisation of energy consumption. It collects data from electricity, gas, water, heat and compressed air systems and presents it clearly to ensure transparency and ISO-compliant monitoring.

Strengths:

• Comprehensive data capture and visualisation for all relevant energy data
• Flexible evaluation and reporting via web or Windows interfaces
• Modular expansion options, for example billing or product consumption analysis
• ISO 50001 compliant and BAFA eligible, ideal for audits and reporting obligations
• Robust and proven in industrial environments

Best suited for:
Companies requiring a classic visualisation and analysis EnMS that provides transparency without active control or automated optimisation.

3. GreenPocket

GreenPocket offers flexible energy management software that visualises energy consumption, generation and load profiles. It provides companies, utilities and municipalities with a clear data basis for analysis and efficiency measures.

Strengths:

• Intuitive visualisation of consumption, generation and load data via a modern dashboard
• Flexible, modular platform adaptable to different sectors, meter types and sites
• Wide data integration from diverse energy consumers and external sources
• Extensive analytics and reporting tools, ideal for audits, benchmarking and consumption optimisation

Best suited for:
Companies and organisations seeking a powerful visualisation and analytics platform without active control or automation.

4. EnEffCo

EnEffCo is a modular software platform for energy efficiency controlling and energy monitoring. It systematically records and analyses consumption and process data to create transparent energy flows and support more efficient use.

Strengths:

• Comprehensive data capture and analysis of electricity, gas, heat, water and process-related metrics
• Real-time monitoring and reporting through clear dashboards, ideal for ISO 50001 compliance
• Modular and adaptable to different company sizes and requirements
• Optimisation and scenario modelling including integration of external market and weather data, forecasting and simulations
• Clear recommendations for energy efficiency measures, load management and operational optimisation, though without active asset control

Best suited for:
Companies needing classic, data-strong monitoring and efficiency controlling with insights, forecasts and recommendations, but not direct asset control.

5. GridVis

GridVis is a scalable network visualisation and energy management software that helps companies record, analyse and visualise energy and measurement data. It enables early identification of savings potential, peak loads or disturbances.

Strengths:

• ISO 50001 certified, suitable for EnMS with regulatory requirements (e.g. BAFA funding or audit obligations)
• Extensive visualisation and documentation including dashboards, heat maps, Sankey diagrams and reports
• Flexible data integration via OPC UA, REST API, CSV, Modbus and other interfaces, supporting numerous media and measurement points
• Analytical tools and KPI functions for identifying consumption hotspots and detailed evaluations
• Alarm monitoring for threshold breaches, differential currents or voltage fluctuations, supporting operational safety and preventive maintenance

Best suited for:
Companies requiring reliable visualisation, measurement and documentation of energy and supply data, particularly where many meters, media and measurement points are involved and normative reporting and detailed analysis are key.

Which energy management system is the best?

If there is one key takeaway from this comparison, it is that traditional EnMS solutions focused solely on visualisation are no longer sufficient. Companies need systems that are flexible, intelligent and scalable – solutions that can act as a co-pilot offering insights or as an auto-pilot actively controlling assets depending on the need.

Our recommended energy management system is therefore flexOn by encentive. The smart energy management platform works directly within the industrial system environment. It does not simply analyse data – it automatically controls equipment, optimises energy flows in real time and adapts dynamically to new sites, technologies and operational requirements thanks to in-house development. This gives encentive the capability that many other systems promise but rarely deliver: actual optimisation rather than mere recommendations.

For companies aiming to improve their energy efficiency in a meaningful and lasting way, the shift from traditional visualisation-focused EnMS to intelligent, controlling systems is essential. In this comparison, encentive offers the most advanced and capable solution.

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