JadeTrack Helping Companies Save Money and the Environment
Originally written by Kelly Stincer at Tech Ohio.
Most companies understand that making small changes in how they use energy could save them big money and make a positive impact on the environment. The problem is that most don’t know how much electricity, gas and water they’re using until the monthly bill arrives. JadeTrack in Columbus, Ohio, allows businesses to track their energy usage and identify inefficiencies before they become costly problems.
“Real-time data provides better visibility of energy usage, creating accountability for organizations and helping them to identify savings opportunities that they never knew existed,” said Ryan Prestel, CEO of JadeTrack. “Making changes prompted by the JadeTrack system can save a company millions of dollars long-term, and also decrease energy consumption helping to reduce its carbon footprint.”
JadeTrack offers users access to a cloud-based platform to monitor how much energy their facilities are using at any time. They receive alerts when there are opportunities to cut back, and simple reports show trends in energy consumption along with actionable information to help users save.
The platform helped a central Ohio school district save nearly one million dollars in the first two years without a major capital improvement project. JadeTrack allowed Olentangy Schools to identify areas for savings, including a malfunctioning dishwasher that was running 24/7, wasting both water and money.
The concept for JadeTrack started six years ago when Prestel developed an energy software solution for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, a Fortune 1000 lawn care company. Prestel worked with a team to capture key sustainability metrics, trying to solve the problem using complicated spreadsheets and legacy IT programs. He saw the need for a solution that provided reliable data in a simple format.
While developing the concept, Prestel went to work for the startup CallCopy to develop performance optimization software for call centers. Inspired by the startup culture, he started JadeTrack, which is housed in the business incubator at Rev1 Ventures, a central Ohio partner of Ohio Third Frontier. So far the company has sold the energy and sustainability platform to 25 customers including schools, local governments and corporations such as Scotts Miracle-Gro and The Wendy’s Company.
“Our product is delivering results, and we are aggressively working to continue its improvement,” said Prestel. “We are adding additional automation and functionality to give users more information that they can take action on.”
Prestel says Columbus’ startup community has been extremely supportive of JadeTrack as they continue to advance the technology. The network has enabled him to reach out to prospective customers, entrepreneurial mentors and large corporations that have given the company direction on how to move forward.
“We have a very diverse pool of potential clients in Columbus, ranging from retail to corporate to government,” said Prestel. “Startup mentorship programs in central Ohio have helped JadeTrack capitalize on opportunities, while corporate partners have provided insightful feedback to help us create the best product possible, better serve our customers and continue to grow.”