1. New Horizon Energy Audit Tools
Virtual Energy Audit Tools
Andrea Salazar
Senior Research Associate, E Source
Rocky Mountain Association of Energy Engineers
14th Annual Energy Forum
www.esource.com
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Google analytics tells you anything you want to know about who visits your website – where they click, how long they stay on a page, where they go nextWe’re seeing very targeted ads pop up on our computers because of sophisticated data mining that’s going on in the backgroundOur smart phones seem to be able to anticipate our every need, in part because of data analyticsIn the world of energy, the smart grid promised lots of data and it has started to deliverMany companies are busy figuring out how to best use this data to make a product that we all can’t believe we’ve been living withoutAt a very high level, ACEEE estimates that taking advantage of currently available information and communications technologies (a category that includes energy analytics) in the both residential and commercial sectors could reduce energy use in the U.S. by 12 – 22%
Take 15-minute-interval utility data and the building’s address disaggregate the building’s loads, and identify energy-saving opportunities such as lights that are left on during unoccupied hours or an inefficient ventilation systemPart of analytics may be a pattern recognition engine
Quote is from Autodesk and I’ve references the article at the end (Who has the fastest… GTM).Virtual audits are cheaper than on-site audits (travel expenses, man/woman-hours, expertise needed, etc.)Virtual audits take less time than on-site audits
Helps to prioritize buildings that may need an on-site amongst a large portfolio of buildingsMay be able to avoid an on-site for some buildings that have low savings potentialHighlights areas (i.e. chiller, etc.) to pay special attention to when on-site.
- According to E Source research, there are well over 200 different products
EnerNOC is running a pilot (unspecified product) – GTM articleCleaResult is using RetroficiencyJones Lang LaSalle using RetroficiencyA Department of Defense demonstration project will use FirstFuelDOD is also using Autodesk’s solution: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Who-Has-the-Fastest-Virtual-Energy-Audit-of-Them-All
Hogsett also pointed out that the software doesn’t always produce reports of the same quality as that of hands-on audits. When VEA has an incomplete building profile, it uses an “inference engine” that makes assumptions about equipment use. For instance, if the type of cooling system hasn’t been specified, VEA might assume that the building uses a rooftop air conditioner based on energy-use patterns. If the inference engine makes incorrect assumptions, it can lead to inflated energy-use estimates and promises of energy savings that can’t be met. So although VEA is touted as a digital audit, the analysis outputs should be reviewed by a human to identify errors.