VEIL energy’s approach to scalable multi-site energy management
An interview with Max Menthel – Project Manager at VEIL energy Germany GmbH
Can you briefly describe your role in the multi-site setup and operational launch of e·boost?
While we usually support clients with single-site energy management, I was responsible for one of our largest multi-site project. This project marked a major step forward in scale and complexity, since it involved the simultaneous rollout of e•boost, our energy management solution, across five different sites. My role was to coordinate all on-the-ground activities of the hardware, electrical, and IT teams, overseeing the installation process and ensuring everything was properly implemented on-site.
To date, we have completed installations across eight sites for this client, with an additional seven locations currently in the planning and coordination phase. Installation activities for these new sites are set to commence in the coming weeks, reinforcing our commitment to delivering scalable, high-impact energy solutions.
ABOUT MAX
Max started his career as a test engineer in the automotive sector and has progressively expanded his technical expertise into project management responsibilities.
Today, as Project Manager at VEIL energy Germany, he leads the rollout of energy efficiency solutions across industrial sites, integrating operational understanding and strategic execution.
What are the benefits and challenges of a multi-site energy management strategy?
The primary advantage of a multi-site energy management approach lies in the potential for scalable impact. When sites share similar equipment or processes, successful measures implemented at one location can often be replicated across others, accelerating impact and ROI.
That said, each site comes with its own specific conditions—such as layout, machinery, and operations—which require tailored adjustments, even within a standardized framework. We adopt a collaborative, client-centric approach. By working closely with the customer’s operational and technical teams, we ensure that every deployment is not only aligned with overarching energy goals but also customized to reflect the individual characteristics of each facility. This balance between standardization and site-specific adaptation is essential for achieving consistent, measurable results across a distributed network of locations.
What were the main objectives of the multi-site rollout for the client, and how did VEIL tailor the deployment to meet those goals?
The client had two primary objectives: ensuring compliance with ISO 50001 standards and reducing energy consumption to lower operational costs. e·boost is fully aligned with ISO 50001 requirements, and we are supporting the client throughout the certification process. Additionally, the client wanted to activate all sites simultaneously to gain centralized visibility and accelerate the implementation of efficiency measures. By coordinating the multi-site rollout, we were able to streamline the deployment, reduce installation time, and enable faster scaling of energy-saving strategies across all locations.
What kind of facilities and spaces were involved in the installation? How did we integrate the monitoring system with the customer’s existing infrastructure and equipment?
The installations were carried out across several facilities, which include a mix of food production areas and cold storage units. Each location presented distinct operational challenges, from high energy demand in refrigerated environments to strict hygiene and safety standards in processing zones. These varied conditions required careful planning to ensure that the energy monitoring infrastructure could be deployed without disrupting production workflows or compromising regulatory compliance.
Two main technical dimensions had to be addressed: the physical hardware setup and the IT network integration. On the hardware side, site inspections conducted in the early planning phase allowed us to assess specific needs, such as the installation of dedicated control cabinets, the extension of existing cabling infrastructure, and the provision of reliable network access points, either via LAN or secure WLAN. These upgrades not only supported the immediate deployment of e·boost but also served to strengthen the client’s overall infrastructure for future scalability.
Equally critical was the integration with the IT infrastructure. For a system like e·boost, which depends on real-time data transmission and centralized analytics, ensuring robust and secure communication channels between field devices and cloud services is essential. We worked closely with our in-house IT specialists and the client’s technical teams to align on architecture, configure secure data flow protocols, and meet internal security requirements. This collaborative process ensured a smooth integration with existing systems while maintaining high reliability standards.
Can you walk us through VEIL’s methodology when implementing e·boost across multiple sites? What are the key phases of the project?
At VEIL, we follow a structured and repeatable methodology: the process begins with a detailed site inspection and the development of an asset register. This register captures all major energy-consuming equipment at each facility and forms the foundation for designing a tailored energy monitoring system.
Following this, we move to the planning phase, which is critical to ensure the installation is accurate and scalable. We assess the specific technical requirements of each site, including the layout of the control cabinets, available space for hardware, wiring routes, and potential connection points. We also list all relevant energy consumers, verify their rated power, and determine how each asset will be integrated into the monitoring system.
Once the planning is complete, we proceed with the execution phase. A multifunction energy meter is typically installed to monitor and measure all electrical parameters such as voltage, active power and power factor. At this point we connect to existing sensors to measure the additional parameters of the selected energy consumers, and we install new ones where necessary. Installation is carried out by certified electricians, in coordination with our team, to guarantee that everything is installed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with site standards. This rigorous process helps prevent errors, ensures high-quality data collection from day one.
Once the physical and digital infrastructure is in place and the system fully operational, our IT and technical support teams steps in to configure dashboards tailored to the client’s operational requirements and energy management goals. These dashboards enable real-time visibility into energy consumption across multiple facilities, offering actionable insights and optimization opportunities.
We meticulously check the Energy Management System’s validity and reliability as soon as enough data is available. If we find a problem in the hardware installation or doubt the collected values, we perform a second on-site check and correct the issue.
What kind of data does e•boost collect and how does it help improve efficiency in practice?
e•boost collects comprehensive energy-related data across all monitored assets, including real-time consumption and system status. The platform not only monitors energy flows but also offers control capabilities to manage energy-consuming and energy-generating systems actively.
In practice, this dual functionality enables a two-phase approach to improving efficiency. In the first phase, by analyzing the collected data, we can identify inefficiencies, energy losses, and unexpected consumption patterns. This alone allows us to implement targeted savings measures—often without any need for additional investment—by optimizing how existing systems are used.
In the second phase, e•boost enables intelligent control of selected equipment. For example, systems like combined heat and power (CHP) units can be automatically regulated in response to stock market energy prices or actual site demand. This control logic is applied to non-critical systems—those that do not directly affect core production—so that performance and cost-efficiency can be improved without operational risk.
How do you ensure data standardization and comparability across sites with different equipment, processes, and energy profiles?
When we talk about standardization and comparability across sites, there are two key aspects to consider. First, we focus on comparing the energy performance of the same site over different periods, as well as comparing the performance of different sites within the same timeframe. To achieve this, we rely on a process called normalization, which allows us to account for differences in scale, production, or operating conditions. The result is the Energy Performance Indicator (EnPI), a standardized metric that reflects the energy efficiency of a site, where a higher value typically indicates lower performance. With the EnPI in place, it’s easy to assess how a site’s performance evolves or how it stacks up against others. e•boost supports this comparison by visually displaying weekly energy consumption from multiple sites in a single, centralized diagram.
The second aspect involves analyzing energy consumption and power profiles using consistent criteria. All raw data collected through e•boost is processed using the same methodology across all sites. Our team at VEIL Energy reviews this data regularly to help clients uncover insights and identify opportunities for improvement. By applying a uniform analysis framework, we ensure that internal benchmarks are accurate, relevant, and actionable, regardless of the site’s specific characteristics.
What are some tangible benefits that clients typically experience from centralizing energy management across sites using e·boost?
Centralizing energy management across multiple sites using e·boost delivers several tangible benefits to our clients. By consolidating energy data from all sites into a single platform, clients gain the ability to directly compare energy performance across locations and set realistic benchmarks for improvement.
Secondly, as mentioned before, scalability. Once a successful energy-saving measure or control strategy is validated at one site, it can be efficiently replicated across other locations with minimal additional effort.
Third, a centralized energy management enables clients to implement coordinated control strategies across sites. This allows for optimization of energy consumption in response to dynamic factors such as market prices, operational schedules, and demand fluctuations. Such control helps reduce overall energy costs, improve system reliability, and support sustainability goals.
How important is training and change management in a multi-site rollout, and how did VEIL support the client’s internal teams during this process?
Training and change management are absolutely critical to the success of a multi-site rollout. At VEIL, we believe that the full value of our system can only be realized when local teams are actively involved and well-equipped to use the tools we provide. Internal staff possess deep knowledge of the company’s operations and are best positioned to evaluate the feasibility and impact of energy efficiency measures.
Our approach ensures that personnel on site are not only trained to use e·boost, but also understand its potential for process optimization, without compromising production quality or operational integrity. Energy savings should never come at the cost of product quality or process reliability.
Without this focus on people and change management, even the most advanced system would face resistance or be underutilized. Our goal is to empower users across all sites to actively contribute to the long-term success of the energy management strategy.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give to companies considering a multi-site energy management strategy?
My key advice is to be patient and invest in the foundation—accurate data collection and a clear, structured rollout. Once the initial setup is complete, managing energy across multiple sites becomes exponentially more efficient.
Once the above-mentioned processes are in place and the system is running, the benefits become very tangible: operational visibility improves, inefficiencies become easier to detect, and savings measures can be deployed in a more coordinated and impactful way. With the right tools and approach, multi-site energy management is not only feasible—it becomes a powerful driver of efficiency, cost reduction, and sustainability across the entire organization.
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