ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 33

Technical FeaTure
Fea

table 1 Four M&V plan options. (The information in Table 1 is based on International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol: Concepts and Options for Determining Energy and
Water Savings, Volume 1 (September 2010; Efficiency Valuation Organization, Washington, D.C.); pp. 21 - 22.
M&V Plan OPtiOn

HOw SaVingS are DeterMineD

COMMOn aPPliCatiOnS

Calculated by measuring baseline and selected
parameters; and estimated values.
Routine/non-routine adjustments as needed.

A lighting retrofit (power draw is the key measured
performance parameter).
Estimate operating hours for lights based on building
schedules and occupant behavior.

a. retrOfit iSOlatiOn: MeaSuring key ParaMeterS

Energy consumption is determined by field measurement of
selected parameters: Specifically, those that define the energy
use of the building's energy conservation measures (ECMs) and/
or the success of the project.
Short-term or continuous measurement.
Parameters not measured are estimated.

b. retrOfit iSOlatiOn: MeaSuring all ParaMeterS

Consumption is determined by field measurement of the energy
use of the building's ECM-affected system.
Short-term or continuous measurement.

C. MeaSuring tHe entire builDing

Consumption is determined by measuring energy use at the
whole building or sub-building level.
Continuous measurement.

Application of a variable-speed drive and motor controls
to adjust pump flow.
Calculated by measuring baseline and selected Measure power every minute with a kW meter installed
parameters; and/or proxies of energy use. on the motor's electrical supply. During the baseline period, leave the meter in place for a week to determine
Routine/non-routine adjustments as needed.
constant loads. Then leave the meter in place during
the performance-testing period to identify and track
usage variations.
Calculated by measuring whole-building baseline
and utility-meter data.
Routine adjustments as needed, using techniques
such as simple comparison or regression analysis.
Non-routine adjustments as needed.

A multifaceted energy-management program affecting
many of a building's systems.
Measure energy use by monitoring utility meters for
a 12-month baseline period and then throughout the
performance-testing period.

D CalibrateD SiMulatiOn

Consumption is determined by simulating the energy use of the
whole building or a sub-facility.
Simulation routines must adequately model actual energy use.
Performance is measured in the facility.
Note: This option requires considerable skill in developing
calibrated simulations.

Calculated from simulated energy use; calibrated
with hourly or monthly utility-billing data. Multifaceted energy management program that lacks a
End-use metering may be employed to help refine metered baseline but affects many systems in a facility.
input data.

with the OPR. The owner then takes occupancy of the
building, uses it as it was designed to be used, and enjoys
a building that performs within a reasonably acceptable range of its OPR parameters. In that case, the M&V
process is little more than an academic exercise that
measures and verifies the as-expected outcome of an
effective commissioning process.
Under less-than-ideal conditions, however, the building owner might be getting power bills that are 25%
higher than was specified in the OPR. In that case, you
can use the M&V process to carefully analyze the building's energy consumption, find out where the problems
lie, and then help the owner understand the reasons for
the building's unexpected performance. For example,
if the owner decides to operate an entire second shift
in a building designed for only a first shift, the facility's
resource consumption will be dramatically higher than
the energy model you specified in the OPR document.
And then there are buildings with major issues.
There are a thousand and one reasons why things go
wrong-and buildings are just as likely to "suffer the slings

and arrows of outrageous fortune" as anything created
by man. Whether it is the result of planning, design,
construction, or even commissioning problems, we
sometimes end up with underperforming buildings that
require constant adjustment and recalibration after the
facilities are occupied. We find ourselves asking, "What
went wrong? Were our OPR requirements inaccurate?
Have unresolved or unknown design or construction challenges caused higher-than-expected resource consumption? Or is the building being occupied and operated
beyond the parameters specified in the OPR document?"
This article is intended to help you deal with problem
projects that can make your life miserable.

Vital Importance of Metering and Submetering
The saying "You can't manage what you don't measure"
is especially true when you are struggling to control a
building's energy costs. Certainly, metering the building's total utility usage is a given. But the ability to submeter various loads cannot be overemphasized. It's the
practice of submetering that enables you to accurately
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