The integrated data center energy management market is expected to emerge first within campus environments and large facilities with significant data center resources on-site, noted Navigant Research. 

Small and medium commercial buildings (SMCBs) — up to 100,000 square feet — have not seen the same penetration of energy-efficiency technologies as larger facilities due to lower expenditures on energy management, lack of customer education, perceived high risk of retrofit financing, and split incentives between the building owner and tenant, noted Navigant Research. 

HVAC equipment accounts for nearly 40 percent of total global building energy consumption, while commercial buildings consume about 12 percent of the world’s energy supply. As concerns about the environmental impact of energy generation and uncertainty over future energy prices increase, efficiency improvements in commercial HVAC equipment are becoming more enticing.