energyOrbit
Consolidating Demand Side Management Programs Operations to Create Efficiencies and Economies of Scale

Utilities residing on traditional client-server and onpremise architecture are becoming old stories with each passing day, amid the increased adoption of cloud computing modality. Explaining the reason for this transition, Udi Merhav, CEO and Founder, energyOrbit says, “Fear of ‘switching costs’ is diminishing given the longevity, scalability, versatility and adaptability of cloud based solutions.” Cloud modality in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS) eliminates the need for vast capital expenditures, enabling the utilities to finance investments in modernizing their Demand Side Management (DSM) operations environment through operating budgets. The perception amongst utilities that cloud architecture is somehow less protected is fast dissipating. Against this market backdrop, energyOrbit, riding on the Salesforce.com (SFDC) cloud platform provides outreach, tracking, and reporting capability for utility DSM programs.

Utility executives are continuously confronted with the everchanging regulatory requirements, chiefly is the increase in energy savings baselines. energyOrbit provides an innovative solution to help utilities achieve kWh, kW and therms savings more cost effectively. The solution helps utilities endure and answer to persistent changes coming from DSM markets as well as regulatory pressure. The DSM value chain is complex and contains a multitude of market actors taking part in the fulfillment of energy savings. Traditionally, partner eco-systems assist utilities to achieve mandatory energy savings, but withmultiple parties serving a single customer, there is the potential for a communications breakdown and outright chaos. “With energyOrbit, utilities are in the ‘driver seat’,as they obtain an unprecedented level of control and visibility into how their constituents are being served,” asserts Merhav. The solution empowers staff at utilities to run core energy efficiency programs as well as to interact with partners (third party implementers) and customers.energyOrbit’s portal infrastructure delivers contractors, trade allies, third party implementers and customers a selfservice DSM CRM environment to effectively apply for energy savings rebates, and to run complex energy savings projects in both the commercial and residential sectors.

In addition, the company’s mobile infrastructure allows field operations to execute energy audits more efficiently.

With energyOrbit, utilities are in the ‘driver seat’as they obtain an unprecedented level of control and visibility into how their constituents are being served

“We provide our customers with unparalleled levels of independence and self-sufficiency, once the solution is implemented,” cites Merhav. energyOrbit’s customers are able to deploy new energy efficiency programs within hours autonomously, thereby attaining substantial savings in operating budgets. Time to market is also a critical factor for DSM organizations. For instance, a leading mid-West utility that manages a portfolio of com¬mercial and residential energy efficiency incentive programs was struggling to increase customer participation. energyOrbit assisted this utility in segment based cus-tomer targeting through coordinated marketing and outreach, leveraging a unified business customer database and tracking solution. As a result, the client’s program management improved to the point where energy efficiency incentive budgets were used in full prior to the end of program cycle.

“Our customers not only enjoy enegyOrbit product updates, but also enjoy the continuous evolution of the SFDC cloud platform, as more and more utilities are acquiring SFDC technologies,” says Merhav.

The company prides itself on the level of collaboration within the team. Culturally speaking, we are all wearing the hat of the trusted advisor. “There is a keen and genuine desire to understand and internalize customers’ pain points,” Merhav adds. energyOrbit is currently focusing on boosting its respectable footprint in the U.S., with a desire to expand into DSM markets outside the United States. The company is in the process of forging alliances with major players in the industry to expand its offerings and to touch additional areas in the DSM operations spectrum.