Energy monitoring and targeting
Importantly, they also give early warning of unexpected excess consumption caused by equipment malfunctions, operator error, unwanted user behaviours, lack of effective maintenance and the like.
The foundation of M&T lies in determining the normal relationships of energy consumptions to relevant driving factors (HVAC equipment, production though puts, weather, occupancy available daylight, etc.)
Other benefits generally include increased resource efficiency, improved production budgeting and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
[citation needed] Throughout the numerous M&T projects implemented since the 1980s, a certain number of benefits have proved to be recurrent: Monitoring and Targeting techniques rely on three main principles, which form a constant feedback cycle, therefore improving control of energy use.
Its primary goal is to maintain said pattern, by providing all the necessary data on energy consumption, as well as certain driving factors, as identified during preliminary investigation (production, weather, etc.
)[2] The final principle is the one which enables ongoing control of energy use, achievement of targets and verification of savings: reports must be issued to the appropriate managers.
As some buildings use technology that can significantly influence their energy usage, it is important to consider these patterns when setting up monitoring systems.
For instance, refrigeration units often have specific cooling periods throughout the day, while production technologies may operate in cycles, leading to fluctuating energy demands.
These variations necessitate a tailored approach to energy monitoring, ensuring that data collection aligns with the operational characteristics of each building type.
For example, buildings with extensive refrigeration needs, such as supermarkets or food storage facilities, exhibit distinct energy usage patterns, with peaks during periods of high cooling demand.
Very scattered points, on the other hand, may reflect other significant factors playing in the variation of the energy consumption, other than the one plotted in the first place, but it can also be the illustration of a lack of control over the process.
Energy efficiency specialists, in collaboration with building managers, will decipher the CUSUM graph and identify the causes leading to variations in the consumption.
Once the base line has been established, and causes for variations in energy consumption have been identified, it is time to set targets for the future.
An example with some features of an M&T application is the ASU Campus Metabolism, which provides real-time and historic energy use and generation data for facilities of Arizona State University on a public web site.
