Metering and tracking energy reduction

Metering

In many smaller tenancies, electricity data may typically be provided as a cumulative total, either monthly or quarterly. An energy audit seeks to identify what equipment is contributing to the total and help formulate an energy action plan.

But we can really only manage what we can measure. As signatories learn more about their energy use they will see the benefits of closer monitoring and may upgrade to advanced metering technologies to get more frequent, more detailed information on their energy use and emissions.

Metering includes sub-metering and smart (digital) meters. These technologies make it relatively easy to identify operational areas for improvement and track emissions reduction. It also allows for consistent and accurate benchmarking of your tenancy's performance and support the business case for changes that may require a cost investment. 

This video features efficiency expert Paul Bannister talking about the development in metering as part of green leases.

Dashboards

A dashboard is a generic name for a display technology that tells people inside an office how much energy is being used or saved. There are many software types and products available that appear on computer desktops, either for Energy Managers or for all staff. There are a variety of visualisation types, with different levels of analysis and graphic interfaces.

CitySwitch Signatory Arup developed a customised dashboard for their offices, and chose to display it in large format in the foyer visible to clients and visitors.

CitySwitch Signatory RACWA put in place an interactive, visual display of electricity usage data. Displayed within the ground floor café and member service centre it allows RACWA staff and customers to see, in real-time, how actions are impacting the environment.


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