Retrotec USACE - Manual (Page 34)

12 ENERGY PROCESS ASESSMENT PROTOCOL
ously updated information (e.g., kWh, CO
2
, $, €) about savings achieved by
certain ECM, energy management and assessment activities are easy to justify,
and the commitment of stakeholders can be improved. Communicating the
results of good practices and various saving technologies supports the further
development of schemes.
Step 2.3: Install Smart Meters and Submeters
The new automated meter reading technology (AMR) combined with modern
ICT is rapidly sweeping the world. Hundreds of thousands of so-called smart
meter systems comprising an electronic box and a communications link are
under installation at the moment. Smart metering is designed to provide utility
customers with information on a real-time basis about their energy consump-
tion. This information includes, for example, data on how much gas, electricity,
and water they are consuming, how much it is costing them, and even what
impact on the environment their consumption has in terms of greenhouse gas
emissions. A smart meter measures electronically the consumption in short
intervals (with hourly or better resolution) and can communicate this informa-
tion to other devices or systems, which in turn allows the customer or service
provider to view how much energy is used and when, and where the biggest
savings potential is.
Smart meter technology offers new possibilities for developing monitor-
ing activities. Automatic production of data for analysis will be possible, and
feedback on energy use can be much faster and easier to get. Unexpected or
abnormal consumption can be identifi ed quickly, and corrections can be made
automatically. Essential for real-time energy effi ciency services on the build-
ing or system level, however, is that the measured data be available directly
to the diagnostic modules of building automation or other systems, which will
optimize the building services systems (such as HVAC) according to outdoor
temperature, occupational factors, and targeted thermal comfort. For many
other energy effi ciency services, measurement data is not needed in real time,
but consumption data should be easily available at low cost via a standard
interface.
Monitoring the total energy consumption at the level of a whole building
is the starting point for energy assessment, but it does not tell how energy is
used by different systems or spaces of the building. Identifying performance
problems is often diffi cult on the basis of total energy consumption data
only. Therefore, installing submeters might be justifi ed to control certain
areas of energy use. This way, more accurate information can be produced
about how much energy is used and where the biggest saving opportuni-
ties are. Based on submetering, a breakdown of total energy consumption
can be done, and (for example) a Sankey diagram–type visualization can be
produced. Energy assessment activities can be focused at the most essential
energy fl ows. Submetering is especially advisable in buildings with energy-
intensive areas or processes. It can be used for the division of energy costs