By Martin Ochieng
Measurement and Verification (M&V) of energy efficiency and improvement projects is a crucial tool developed by energy professionals towards verifying the effect of efficiency and improvement projects. This process is data intensive and aims towards ensuring investor and stakeholder confidence in reported results. This article will introduce a tool developed by energy professionals for the measurement and verification process as well as reporting.
Case Study 1
Consider a facility in Kenya with office space. The organization needed help with the office space’s cost of energy and contracted an energy service company to assess energy consumption within the section and recommend appropriate actions. The organization contracted a consultant to help identify and recommend solutions.
The consultant found that the facility still relied heavily on fluorescents for indoor artificial lighting though some sections had installed LED lighting. The audit team also noted that the facility operated on a 9-hour workday for 5 days a week with the sixth day having a 6-hour workday.
The audit team focused on the facility’s fluorescent sources as they showed the highest potential in energy-saving potential.
The facility implemented the recommendation selecting 99 fixtures for the efficiency test. The task at hand at this point became identifying the portion of the change in consumption over the following weeks that was a direct result of switching from fluorescents to LEDs.
Model identification
The facility had a real-time monitor logging energy consumption in various sections within the office space. Discussions and interviews with facility staff identified occupancy as one of the main factors affecting the organization’s lighting load.
However, the staff could did not collect occupancy data previously. However, the team noted that higher occupancy would always mean increased energy consumption within the kitchen section whose data was being collected by the energy management platform. Tests on this sections viability involved multiple linear correlation between total lighting load and kitchen loads which included kitchen sockets and the cooker with January 2021 as a sample range.
Figure 1 shows the results of this study.
Linear model equation:
2. -Total Lighting Load* (kWh)= (2.390 × 1. -Kitchen Sockets (kWh)) + (3.341 × 1. -Cooker unit (kWh)) + 2.665
Coefficient of determination (Adjusted R2): 0.9214
The Adjusted R2 value (0.9214) (the square of the correlation coefficient), indicates that 92.1380% of the variation in 2. -Total Lighting Load* (kWh) may be explained by the independent variables.
The Adjusted R2 value (0.9214) indicates a good correlation between 2. -Total Lighting Load* (kWh) and the independent variables.
This realization allowed the next step involving the use of the Eagles Energy management Platform to generate a Measurement and Verification report.
Project Set-up
This section involves filling up a form on the platform to allow the platform’s identification of data required.
Figure 2: General M&V data
This section identifies the basic M&V parameters such as baseline data range and M&V option selection.
Figure 3 shows model selected as well as M&V data
This section helps identify modelling approach as well as data to be modelled.
The result is an editable report whose main sections identify actual savings accrued by the facility during the reporting period as shown by Figure 4
The platform also allows for the inclusion of non-routine adjustments to adjust the reporting period based on changes to the same. This sections accounts for adjustments to reported savings that occur after the baseline period. Figure 5 shows the form used to add non-routine adjustments. Figure 5 shows the executive summary .
Figure 6 shows the actual adjustment as recorded by the system
Figure 7 shows the trend chart before the adjustment
Figure 8 shows the trend chart after the adjustment.
The system also allows data input through a CSV file for measurement and verification analysis.
In conclusion, the M&V module within the Eagles energy management platform presents a powerful tool energy professionals can use to quickly calculate and present Measurement and Verification data in a comprehensive manner.
Therefore, for all companies interested in taking up energy efficiency projects and still unsure of how to verify the true effects of the same, Eenovators Ltd has a wealth of expertise and tools for this purpose. These tools are capable of verifying these identified savings as long as the engagement starts before the implementation phase. Contact Eenovators Limited through info@eenovators.com for inquiries on how our Measurement and Verification expertise and tools can help you gain a little more confidence in energy efficiency.