As businesses look to gain greater control over energy usage and costs, energy management systems (EMS) have become an essential investment — but how do they actually work? From the installation of sensors and meters to the delivery of usable insights through software, the process is highly technical and depends on precision and expertise at every stage.
At Elcomponent, we don’t just provide the technology — we deliver a complete service, guiding businesses from installation through to full utilisation of their energy data. Here’s how it works.
1. System Installation: Connecting Devices, Meters, and Sensors
Every energy management journey starts with a detailed site assessment. Elcomponent’s experienced engineers work with you to understand the building layout, infrastructure, and monitoring requirements. This planning stage ensures optimal positioning of all metering equipment.
Next, monitoring hardware is installed — this may include:
- Sub-meters for electricity, gas, water, and heat
- Pulse or Modbus meters for specific circuits or equipment
- LoRaWAN or wired sensors for temperature, flow, or environmental readings
- Gateways and communication devices to transmit data to the cloud
Elcomponent uses a combination of wireless and hard-wired devices, depending on site needs, ensuring the system is robust, scalable, and low-maintenance. Devices are carefully configured to capture high-resolution interval data across all measured utilities.
2. System Configuration and Commissioning
Once installed, the system is configured to ensure all devices are communicating properly with the central platform. This involves:
- Assigning logical names and locations to each meter or sensor
- Setting the correct pulse values or Modbus configurations
- Testing communication pathways (e.g. LoRaWAN signal strength or TCP/IP connections)
- Verifying data collection intervals and synchronisation
The commissioning process is critical. Elcomponent engineers test and validate each device to confirm accuracy and ensure data integrity from the outset.
3. Data Capture and Storage
After commissioning, the system begins collecting data continuously — often at intervals as frequent as every 15 minutes. This allows for detailed energy profiling and trend analysis.
The data from all meters and sensors is transmitted securely to a central server, where it is stored and timestamped. Elcomponent uses its MW2 software platform as the heart of the system — capturing, storing, and managing this high-volume dataset.
MW2 provides the flexibility to monitor one site or a multi-site estate, with built-in tools for filtering, comparing, and managing data from hundreds of devices simultaneously.
4. Data Analysis and Visualisation via MW2 Software
MW2 turns raw data into meaningful insight. Through a web-based interface, users can:
- Visualise live and historical energy use
- Compare usage across departments, zones, or time periods
- Identify spikes, trends, and abnormal consumption
- Benchmark performance against targets or other buildings
For businesses with sustainability goals, cost-reduction targets or ESOS/SECR reporting obligations, this level of visibility is invaluable. MW2 helps convert data into action — supporting better decision-making and investment planning.
5. Additional Support Services from Elcomponent
Energy monitoring is just the start. Elcomponent offers a suite of additional services to help you get full value from your system:
Energy Analysis
Detailed reviews of your energy data, conducted by our experts, to help identify inefficiencies, highlight cost-saving opportunities, and validate energy-saving initiatives.
Tenant Billing
Where buildings are sub-let or shared, we offer accurate energy billing based on sub-meter data — ensuring transparency and fair cost allocation.
Energy Manager Assistance
Our team can support in-house energy or facilities managers with system management, data analysis, and reporting — providing peace of mind and reducing resource pressure.
System Management & Reporting
We can manage your MW2 system on your behalf, including data integrity checks, automated reporting, and tailored dashboards to meet your internal KPIs.
Alert Tracking
MW2 supports configurable alerts — from excessive usage spikes to device communication failures. Elcomponent monitors and resolves issues, often before clients are aware.
Support & Maintenance
Our UK-based technical support team is available for remote troubleshooting, firmware updates, or scheduled maintenance visits — keeping your system performing at its best.
Why Choose Elcomponent?
With four decades of experience in energy monitoring and metering, Elcomponent offers more than just installation. We provide ongoing partnership — combining technical accuracy, user-friendly software, and human expertise to help businesses turn energy data into measurable value.
Whether you're managing a single commercial property or a complex multi-site portfolio, we deliver a complete, dependable solution — from the meter to the dashboard, and beyond.
Ready to get started with energy management?
Talk to Elcomponent today about planning, installing, or upgrading your system — and start unlocking the full potential of your energy data.