Criteria Performance Data Review INTRODUCTION

Transcription

1 Criteria Performance Data Review INTRODUCTION Advanced Buildings Core Performance requires under Design Process Strategies Criteria 1.7 Performance Data Review that building energy use data be collected and reviewed for building performance. Data collection requirements include at least hourly metered data on electric and gas use (where applicable), as well as current information on typical occupancy patterns and hours of use. Tracking building performance and analyzing the results has multiple purposes including: Energy performance and savings verification for building owners and utilities Improved building operations Greater occupant comfort Increased equipment life Reduced O&M costs Feedback to design professionals Greenhouse gas (and other) emissions accounting Thus, there is substantial value in determining that a building operates to design intent, and that over the building life, there will be a reliable source of information about the how well it continues to operate. See Benefits section below for a more detailed discussion. Monitoring technology is changing rapidly and the cost of monitoring is dropping steadily. The design team for a new building needs to consider what level of monitoring is most appropriate and cost effective during the design process. Further, building systems should be structured to anticipate additional future system submeter installations in the layout of the energy service, such as separating daylit and non-daylit space lighting panels. The extent of a performance tracking system, and its ability to accurately, meaningfully and economically define the building s operation, is a function of the complexity of the building systems and controls (not building size). There are two sets of inputs needed to analyze building performance: 1) metered data that tells us how much energy is used, and 2) building operations data that provides the context for the use. There are two types of metered data: whole building data and systems data. Whole building data is based on the utility meters serving the building and aggregates all energy (and water, if appropriate) inputs. Systems data, as the name implies, tracks the energy use by building system, using submetering to disaggregate the loads. While whole building data as well as systems data is to be preferred where building size and/or complexity warrants, whole building energy use data alone is very valuable because the timing and energy use signatures of various systems can be teased from the data and provide a usefully complete picture of systems operation. Since the focus of Advanced Buildings Core Performance is on smaller, simpler buildings, it was imperative that we identify a simple, inexpensive method of collecting the necessary whole building data. 1

2 Monitoring for Metered Data Monitoring of whole building electric and gas energy use is required as a minimum for all Core Performance buildings. This can be accomplished through the use of a basic monitoring system described below under Data Acquisition System that tracks, stores and transmits data on actual energy use. The system automatically downloads each day s data to external storage, although it has sufficient logging capability to store multiple day s results as necessary. The external storage archive can maintain two years records at minimum. Since the monitoring equipment is on the customer side of the utility revenue meter and reads the same data as the utility meter, it is frequently referred to as shadow metering. Unlike electronic electric and gas meters, electronic oil and water meters are not as readily available in all areas. If tracking these resources is needed for a given building and if metering is not available, copies of the bills for these services can be obtained and saved monthly. NBI recommends that the sponsoring organization provide the automated interval data metering equipment with hardware/installation costs and monthly data service fees waived as an incentive to participants in the AB program. Cost-sharing between AB sponsor and building owner is of course an option. Building Operations Data Monitoring energy use data is of limited use without information about the equipment layout of the facility and the schedule and level of use (occupancy). Therefore, as-built floor plans with zone, sensor, lighting and HVAC equipment locations must be available in an operations manual. Documentation requirements are covered in Design Process Strategies Criteria 1.9, Operator Training and Documentation. In the case where there is a DDC system in the building, this information should be available as graphics on the user interface with real time status of the points shown. Similarly, equipment operating parameters including schedules, set points and building occupancy, need to be readily available in an operations manual if the monitoring data is to be most useful. These elements should also be available in tabular or graphics format on a DDC system. Data Acquisition System NBI has selected Obvius LLC data acquisition equipment for the launch of the Core Performance program. Obvius LLC ( ) specializes in monitoring systems with a special focus on operating through the web. Its products are reasonably priced, open source based, flexible and simple to install and operate. The company currently estimates the installed cost of the AquaLite system at about $1,890 and $2,975 for the AquaSuite system, not including the annual data storage fee which is $195 for each building. Current hardware pricing can be obtained directly from Obvius. NBI s price sheet from Obvius is posted in the reference materials section of 2

3 under Criteria 1.7. Contact Scott Mills, , for information on NBI package pricing. The following documents, also found in the Criteria 1.7 Reference Materials section, describe the Obvius system: A7801 Cut sheet AcquiLite a description of the basic data logger A7801 Manual AcquiLite the complete installation and operations manual A8811 Cut sheet AcquiSuite a description of the advanced data logger A8811 GSM Cut sheet AcquiSuite a description of the advanced data logger with the cellular capability A8811 Manual AcquiSuite the complete installation and operations manual Demand Response Internet System a discussion of the use of the Obvius system for utility demand response management Measurement and Verification examples simple hypothetical examples Core Performance Monitoring Report Example Obvius hook up - examples of various configurations of the system Standard Terms and Conditions of Purchase the Obvius warranty Using the Web for Energy Information a look at the future of energy monitoring. NBI Obvius hardware quote Obvius Cost of System examples NBI recommends a minimum of two years of performance data collection, archiving and assessment. As noted, data retrieval can be accomplished by telephone line, Internet access or cellular access. Regardless of communication option, owners must be assured that the use of this equipment to send out the energy data once per day, will not and cannot compromise data security in the building. There is only a call out function. It is in side any existing firewall. There is no access whatsoever to call in or obtain access. It s just not possible. Where IT personnel are specifically involved, a face-to-face conversation along with providing clear documentation, is always recommended. Obvius maintains a data storage facility for NBI that accepts and stores the incoming data from each building. The building owner can access that data directly over the Internet at any time to see how the building is operating. NBI will access the same data on a quarterly basis, and will prepare and send a report to the owner that analyzes performance (see the Quarterly Reports section below for details). NBI will provide this quarterly reporting service directly to building owners for two years following the startup of the monitoring. Beyond that period, the customer may at their option continue to receive the data and the basic performance report at their own initiative. Continued payment of the annual data archiving fee will be a decision that must be discussed upfront with the customer since it is possible for some jurisdictions or Sponsors to be tied into performance monitoring and verification requirements for demand management and/or greenhouse gas emissions accounting that must be maintained. At the Sponsor s option and by prior agreement with NBI, this information may come through the Sponsor to the building owner. 3

4 The system physical layout is show schematically on the following page. The simpler data logger (AcquiLite) is shown here. For more complex buildings or where there is a greater interest in demand management, a more sophisticated unit (AcquiSuite) is used. Basically the data flow for both units is as follows: 4

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6 For each unit of energy used, a meter generates a pulse that goes to the AcquiLite data logger where it is temporarily stored, usually in 15 minute increments. This data is then automatically downloaded once daily to the storage device at the Obvius office by the AcquiLite unit using either an Internet or phone link. The building owner or operator can access the information at any time by connecting directly to the AcquiLite through the Internet using software supplied by Obvius called Building Manager Online (BMO). The BMO software allows the viewer to look at both current and historical data. These data can be used to create load profiles to verify performance as well as troubleshoot and tune the building. Access to the data is restricted by user codes and passwords to avoid unauthorized viewing. A sample screen is shown below. The output from the data storage can also be downloaded over the Internet as a data file in common formats such as Excel for further analysis. Go to for a more detailed discussion of the software and a virtual tour. 6

7 Further information on the system is available on this website and at Quarterly Reports Each quarter, NBI will prepare an Energy Performance Report using the collected data. The information is graphically presented to provide the building operator with easy to understand information to help him/her identify possible issues or opportunities. A single report of this type provides verification of performance relative to standards and to other buildings. It is also intended to provide a preliminary screening for conservation potential. The repetition of this report quarterly is intended to provide on-going screening and performance feedback. Taken together, the reports provide a very coherent record of energy use that can act as the core and paper trail of a basic energy management information process. [How are we charging for this? It will mean 4 hours of Howdy time per quarter, I would guess.] A sample Energy Performance Report is included. Benefits - You cannot manage what you do not measure. There are multiple benefits and monitoring and tracking energy consumption. Some of the more common for developers, owners and operators are: Energy cost savings (5 to 15 percent) Reduced greenhouse gases, both on an off-site especially to produce peaking power. Improved budgeting Cost allocation Identification and diagnosis of waste Verification of energy bills Hard data to justify upgrades and expansions Early warning to users of problems in operations Utilities will see additional benefits: 1) Satisfied customers who have experienced the direct benefits high efficiency buildings made possible by utility support, 2) The accuracy of DSM/EE program evaluation is dramatically improved through the availability of metered data. The cost and structure of conducting program impact evaluations for both internal cost control and regulatory purposes should be positively affected. There would be an expected decline in evaluation costs since specialized metering studies will not be required. Building performance data provides direct validation of persistence of savings, and 3) Utilities will have the information needed to feed back to the designers and engineers that their attention to higher performance is paying off. Regulators will see additional benefits. The veracity of the data collected through the Core Performance program will provide a more accurate picture of actual efficiency accomplishments. This will provide confidence to regulators that ratepayer dollars are being effectively spent. 7

8 Efficiency resource developers will see benefits. The New England Independent System Operator (ISO) has implemented a Forward Capacity Market. Excerpted from The most viable option to deal with this [peak demand increases] is to become more efficient about our own usage," ISO Chief Executive Officer Gordon van Welie told reporters earlier this month. "We can do something to address this peak demand growth New England s peak demand grows significantly faster than its overall consumption. And referencing the ISO s Scenario Analysis process to model various future resource options, he noted: this analysis has clearly confirmed that the New England region has little choice but to fully exploit its demand response and energy efficiency potential One such place where that recognition is occurring is in the developing Forward Capacity Market (FCM) administered by ISO-New England In the FCM, competitive auctions will be held to procure appropriate levels of energy capacity to meet New England s forecasted demand three years in advance. What is groundbreaking about the FCM is that in addition to traditional supply resources qualifying as capacity, demand resources including energy efficiency, distributed generation, load management, real-time demand response, and emergency generators can also qualify as capacity. According to ISO, approximately 12,400 MW of new resources have submitted applications to participate in the initial FCM auction, scheduled for February This includes 2,400 MW of demand-side resources. The quality of the FCM kw reductions in Core Performance Buildings will likely have a certain premium attached due to the presence of a metered performance based monitoring and verification system, potentially with 100% tracking of demand offsets over time from a variety of buildings. Greenhouse Mitigation Gas Policy will receive benefits. Eleven Northeast states (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative-RGGI) as well as the Pacific Coast states plus Arizona have signed on to regional greenhouse gas/carbon cap and trade initiatives beginning in The value of emissions offsets claimed by Core Performance Buildings should be higher in the overall market framework due to the presence of an active monitoring and verification protocol. Future Proofing the Design Future Proofing is the intelligent anticipation of technologies or applications that are likely to provide benefit at some future time. In performance tracking, it means more specifically, that the building systems should be laid out to accommodate additional metering that may be beyond the immediate construction budget. Examples are: Power distribution will be, to the degree practical, designed so that there is a single point of metering possible for each installed system. At minimum, power for different building 8

9 systems will not be co-mingled in such a way that they can not be metered separately. For example, lighting circuits should be ganged separately from plug and HVAC equipment circuits. An extra conduit can follow the main electrical distribution to provide a path for future monitoring and control wiring. Control components, such as thermostats, should be specified as LonWorks or BACNet compatible and ready even if they are only used locally at first. In this way, the cost to upgrade the system is minimal as more monitoring and/or control becomes cost effective. 9