“Low hanging fruits” or cost-effective energy and water savings using intelligent metering and monitoring systems?

Vasco Ferreira and Luis Alves, Research Group on Energy and Sustainable Development, Instituto de Engenharia Mecânica – Instituto Superior Técnico – Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Portugal
Paul Fleming and Graeme Stuart, Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development – De Montfort University, Leicester, United Kingdom
Prakash Patel, Peter Webber, and Stewart Conway, Leicester Energy Agency – Leicester Energy Efficiency Centre, United Kingdom

Keywords

energy, water, metering, monitoring, local authority, buildings, Directive on end-use efficiency and energy services

Abstract

The paper presents Leicester’s approach to identifying energy and water savings in local authority buildings (schools, libraries, leisure centres, swimming pools, administration offices, warden assisted accommodation, maintenance depots). Traditionally Leicester City Council collected and analysed monthly and quarterly utility billing data to identify energy and water saving opportunities. More recently, it has been gathering electricity, gas and water consumption data on a half hourly basis using a proprietary system which combines information technology and a proprietary software package. Energy and water consumption for nearly 300 local authority buildings is metered and monitored continuously. Electricity, gas and water meter readings are taken at half hourly intervals, and after being collected in a central workstation data is automatically checked for errors. The data is then analysed by the energy manager using the software’s built-in analysis techniques, leading to the detection of potential energy and water savings. The initial savings are usually caused by incorrect operational management and maintenance procedures – sometimes described as “low hanging fruits”. Once these operational issues have been solved, the analysis helps maintain effective energy and water management of the buildings. This paper presents the actual costs and savings produced, and examples of the “low hanging fruits” picked up by the new metering and monitoring system.