The market for enterprise energy and carbon accounting (EECA) software grew 400 percent during 2010 and is forecast to grow another 300 percent this year, according to research by efficiency system provider Groom Energy Solutions.
The research (pdf summary) found that more than 200 large corporations – including Arch Coal, Bayer, RJ Reynolds, Safeway and Wyndham Hotels – bought EECA software in 2010.
The report names ten companies as EECA leaders for 2011. They are: Advantage IQ, Enablon, EnerNOC, Enviance, Hara, IHS, Johnson Controls, PE International, SAP, and Summit Energy.
Selection criteria included the number of customer deployments, technology features, energy management capabilities, market vision and financial stability.
The report also found that more companies are reporting carbon disclosure as part of quarterly results, and although the largest markets for EECA products are the U.S. and Europe, Asian and South American companies are steadily becoming part of the sales mix. The vast majority of Fortune 500 companies now track and report carbon emissions at least yearly, the report said.
2010 was a year of market maturation, and companies’ product requirements shifted to include enterprise-wide tracking of energy consumption along with carbon management, Groom said.
The threat of regulation is no longer the primary factor driving the purchase of EECA software, according to Groom. The report said the three principal factors behind the sector’s growth are now environmental data requests from top customers, a desire to enhance company image and brand loyalty, and cost savings.
To meet increased reporting pressure, the study expects the number of companies purchasing EECA software to grow by more than 300 percent by the end of 2011.
"During the past year we've seen strong adoption of EECA solutions by large corporations with several leading vendors beginning to break away from the rest of the providers. Reflecting the market maturity, there were fewer venture capital investments and limited M&A activity as compared to previous years," said Paul Baier, report author and vice president of sustainability consulting services for Groom Energy.
"With the new demand for energy consumption reporting along with carbon management, the vendor landscape has expanded and now comprises the EHS software providers, energy management firms, and well capitalized specialist firms," Baier added.
The report, now in its fourth edition, identifies 75 vendors in the EECA space.
Other key findings were:
Groom Energy provides energy assessments, corporate sustainability consulting and installation of renewable and energy efficiency systems.
