Building Energy Management Systems Can Support Fleet Electrification Initiatives

As the popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) grows, organizations of all sizes are increasingly looking to electrify their fleet. The procedures for fleet charging at facilities are complex, and organizations need to consider all the possibilities upfront and continuously update policies to address the unique issues of electric fleets, such as managing charging and determining grid capacity.

In an article for GreenBiz, William Hughes, principal research analyst at Guidehouse Insights, discusses the importance of building onsite charging stations that are integrated with the building’s energy management system (BEMS) for organizations starting their fleet electrification journeys. He explains that to mitigate some of the concerns around fleet electrification, organizations can utilize software tools to electrify their fleets more seamlessly.

“Several progressive BEMS manufacturers are including the option of EV fleet management in their offering,” said Hughes. “This gives the department responsible for the fleet the tools to manage the unique characteristics of EV fleet management that are distinct from fleet management of vehicles that rely on internal combustion engines.”

Another challenge of fleet electrification is determining which department is responsible for electrical capacity planning and management. While facilities staff has traditionally managed building energy management, exceptional circumstances such as grid outages—which can be more disruptive with EV fleets—change organizational dynamics.

“Substantial demand for EV charging heightens the importance of determining priority decisions relating to power that supports the overall mission and objectives of the organization,” explained Hughes.