Vitron Energy Group Corp
Energy
solutions
Smarter Energy Management
Gather and Track Data
Gather and Track Data
Evaluating energy performance requires good information on how, when, and where energy is being used. Collecting and tracking this information is necessary for establishing baselines and managing energy use.
Organizations of all sizes have established systems for gathering and tracking energy use data. For commercial buildings ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager tracks energy use over time. In the case of industrial plants, the ENERGY STAR industry specific Energy Performance Indicator (EPI) and Energy Tracking Tool can be used to track yearly energy use patterns. All or part of data collection and management can also be outsourced. Regardless of what method you use to gather and track data, consider the steps below.
Collect data
The data must be complete and accurate because it will be used for analysis and goal setting. Consider the following when collecting energy use data:
• Determine appropriate level of detail — The level and scope of data collection will vary from organization to organization. Some may choose to collect data from submeters on individual processes while others may only look at a utility bill.
• Account for all energy sources — Inventory all energy purchased and generated on-site (electricity, gas, steam, waste fuels) in physical units (kWh, mMBtu, Mcf, lbs of steam, etc.) and on a cost basis.
• Document all energy uses — For the sources identified above, assemble energy bills, meter readings, and other use data.
o Energy data may reside in the accounting department, be held centrally or at each facility, or can be acquired by contacting the appropriate utilities or energy service providers.
o Gather at least two years of monthly data or a more frequent interval if available. Use the most recent data available.
• Collect facility and operational data — To be able to normalize and benchmark, it may be necessary to collect non-energy related data for all facilities and operations, such as building size, operating hours, etc.
-
Evaluate, adjust, recognize success
Establish Tracking System
Vitron Energy Group Guidelines for Energy Management
• Scope — The design of your tracking system will be shaped, in large part, by the level and scope of information that will be tracked and the frequency of data collection.
• Maintenance — Tracking systems must be easy to use, update, and maintain.
• Reporting and communicating — Use tracking systems to communicate energy performance to other parts of the organization and motivate change. Consider developing formats that express energy performance information in ways that are easily understandable across the organization. A good tracking system should make such reporting easy!
-
Plot your energy savings journey
 We Can Help You With Your CostDecrease Your Energy Expenditure |  Redirect Your CapitalIncrease Your Profits |  Energy Reduction GoalsOur Team are Ready For Your Energy Challenges! |  Help The PlanetReduce Your Company Carbons |
|---|---|---|---|
 Partner With Our TeamWe Will Get Results |
-
Find your energy baseline
Establish Baselines
Measuring energy performance at a specific time establishes a baseline and provides the starting point for setting goals and evaluating future efforts and overall performance. Baselines should be established for all levels appropriate to your organization.
The main steps involve using the date you’ve collected to:
• Establish base year — Establish a base year or an average of several historical years. Use the most complete and relevant sets of data available. Depending on the type of facility, may want to normalize for weather or other factors.
• Identify metrics — Select units of measurements that effectively and
appropriately express energy performance for your organization. (e.g. ENERGY STAR benchmark score, Btu/square foot, Btu/ product, etc).
• Publish results — Announce performance baselines to facilities, managers, and other key stakeholders in your organization.
optimize your current program.
The Quest For Efficiency
Smart Money
Suggestions
Some voluntary environmental initiatives have specific baseline years. If your organization is participating in such an initiative, check to see if a specific base year has been established.
If price is not used as a normalizing factor, then be sure to use a source energy accounting method. Otherwise, if your facilities use a combination of fuels, your baseline data may contain errors.
BenchMark Essentials
EPa has made this step easier by providing a national energy performance rating system, currently available for common commercial and institutional buildings and selected industrial plants. The rating system, found in Portfolio Manager for commercial buildings and through Plant Energy Performance Indicators (EPIs), allows you to compare your performance against similar facilities. Benchmarking can be done in variety of ways. Facility or organizational performance may be benchmarked to:
• Past performance — A comparison of current versus historical performance established by a baseline.
• Industry average — Based on an established performance metric, such as the recognized average performance of a peer group.
• Best in class — Benchmarking against the best in the industry and not the average.
The Key steps in Benchmarking
1) Determine the level of benchmarking ( for example — equipment, process line, facility or organizational).
2)Develop metrics.
3) Conduct comparisons.
4) Track performance over time.
50 years of
COMBINED EXPERIENCE
We have the know-how you need.
Scroll Down
Analyze Data
Analyzing data to determine energy use trends can help an organization gain a better understanding of the factors that affect energy performance and identify steps for reducing energy consumption.
There are a variety of ways data can be analyzed depending upon the needs of the organization. The following analyses provide a starting point:
Quantitative Reviews
• Develop use profiles — Identify energy consumption peaks and valleys, and determine how they relate to operations or key events.
• Compare performance — Compare the use and performance data of similar facilities in your industry.
• Assess the financial impacts — Identify areas of high-cost energy use.
• Identify data gaps — Determine areas where more information is needed.
Qualitative Reviews
• Conduct interviews — Seek informed opinions from colleagues, specific anecdotes and lessons learned, systems-specific information (e.g., HVAC, lighting, refrigeration), and in-house audits or surveys.
• Review policies and procedures — Review organizational policies and operating procedures to determine their impact on energy use.
Conduct Technical Assessments & Audits
Knowing your organization's baseline energy use and the relative performance of your entire portfolio is only part of the information needed. Periodic assessment of the performance of equipment, processes, and systems will help you identify opportunities for improvement.
Energy audits are comprehensive reviews conducted by energy professionals and/or engineers that evaluate the actual performance of a facility's systems and equipment against their designed performance level or against best available technology. The difference between these is the potential for energy savings.
The main steps for conducting technical assessments and audits are:
• Assemble expert team — Expertise should cover all energy-using systems, processes, and equipment. Include facility engineers, system specialists, and other support. Outside support may be helpful and provide an objective perspective or specific expertise.
• Plan and develop a strategy — Identify and prioritize systems for evaluation, assign team members to tasks, and schedule completion dates for the activities. Use benchmarking results to identify poor-performing facilities whose equipment and systems should be targeted for evaluation.
• Create final report — Based on the audit results, produce a detailed summary of actual steps that can be taken to reduce energy use. The report should recommend actions from simple adjustments in operation to equipment replacement. Estimates of resource requirements for completing actions should be included.
CONTACT
US
Tel. 123-456-7890
Fax. 123-456-7890
500 Terry Francois Street,
San Francisco, CA 94158
​
VISIT
US
Monday - Friday 11:00 - 18:30
Saturday 11:00 - 17:00
Sunday 12:30 - 16:30