Determine the impact of energy saving solutions by using
measurement and verification (M & V) tools.
Two of the Obama Administration’s stimulus programs focus specifically on
energy efficiency: the Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG) and the State
Energy Program (SEP). Combined, these programs offer just over $6 billion
in funding for various energy efficiency projects, but they require project
participants to measure and provide verification of energy savings. For instance,
the EECBG program requires grantees to report energy savings per dollar invested
to the Department of Energy.[1] To
help customers using these programs meet new regulatory requirements for transparency
and effectiveness, electrical distributors should be familiar with measurement
and verification (M&V) protocols.
M&V provides reassurance for the customer (and the government) that what
was promised in the energy project proposal is actually delivered. Some incentives
and rebate programs may also require M&V. Many Energy Service Companies
(ESCOs) offer performance guarantees as a method of verifying energy savings.
Energy service providers, facility managers, and building owners can all follow
M & V guidelines to determine whether or not energy savings were actually
achieved. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management
Program (FEMP) developed a Measurement
and Verification Guideline for Federal Energy Projects to help with before-and-after
energy use comparisons. These guidelines can be scaled up or down depending
on the complexity of the energy project. The Efficiency
Valuation Organization’s International Performance Measurement & Verification
Protocol (IPMVP) also provides guidelines on how to measure systems in
isolation or to conduct whole building comparisons. This protocol is also
referenced in the LEED rating system, under Energy and Atmosphere credits.
What does this mean for the electrical distributor? A chance to sell customers
more sensors and other measurement systems, not only for these specific stimulus-funded
projects, but also for all the LEED projects that choose to pursue the point(s)
for using M&V systems. For more information, see NAED’s Findings
in Brief: Services & Solutions to Help Customers Go Green.
[1] http://www.eecbg.energy.gov/about/FAQ.html#lh1
accessed August 11, 2009.