Assessing Energy Performance
Establish baseline data Before tackling any energy efficiency measures, take time to establish baseline data about current energy usage. Without baseline data, energy managers have no way to know a facility's potential for saving resources, both financial and natural. This is much like timing a runner. Without a stopwatch, we only know that the runner runs, not that she runs fast, or that she runs faster today than yesterday. Baseline data, which can be compared to post-retrofit results, does the same thing for energy management that a stopwatch does for a runner. Tracking energy usage to establish a baseline The easiest way to establish baseline data is to make a statistical comparison of energy use over time. Most of the information needed will already be in hand. Main data streams to record: - Total demand, peak demand and rate schedule - available from your local utility.
- Production output.
- Hours of operation.
- Facility location (for climatic information).
Other data streams that might be useful: - List of energy-intensive equipment and operating schedules, with a record of any changes to equipment or operations.
- Degree-day data, especially for facilities with central HVAC, refrigeration or process cooling, available from online sources such as the National Climate Data Center.
- Occupancy levels.
There are many ways to store collected data. The simplest is to keep a spreadsheet that can be updated on a monthly (or more frequent) basis. On the other end of the spectrum, businesses can install an energy management system (EMS) that automatically gathers and records data, providing real-time information and analysis of a facility's performance over time. Either way, such an energy accounting system helps energy managers compare program results against a performance baseline. This historical record also helps catch problems as they arise since a manager can see spikes in energy use that may be caused by faulty equipment. Data collection with an EMS
Aerial view of S. Martinelli & Company and the surrounding area in Santa Cruz County. Photo courtesy of S. Martinelli & Co.View Details.
An energy management system (EMS) can track hundreds of individual data points, quickly overwhelming the end user with too much information. One way to help focus information is to create key performance indicators, and then track relevant data points relating to these indicators. If your company has an energy policy, this is the best place to begin. Look at each goal and objective, and then reframe these as indicators. For example:
Goal: reduce energy use Objective: curtail lighting in unoccupied areas Indicators: # of hours lighting is on and # of kilowatt-hours required The EMS can then be configured to collect information about the lighting system that is consistent with the key performance indicators. This winnowing process reduces the number of superfluous data streams, making the information gathered easier to analyze and manage. Advanced metering Advanced meters and submeters further facilitate data collection and are particularly valuable for operations with several energy-intensive equipment systems. Instead of a single meter for the entire facility, each equipment system can be metered and measured. This shows energy managers which systems use the most energy and can help identify any equipment malfunction causing spikes in energy use. Advanced meters also provide real-time information that can be reconciled with utility bills. For businesses that participate in demand bidding programs, real-time information is the only way to be sure a facility has reached its reduction targets. For more information, see the section on Operations and Maintenance.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking Most industrial and manufacturing facilities can still take advantage of free commercial benchmarking programs such as ENERGY STAR's Portfolio Manager. Simply calculate the floorspace dedicated to offices, warehouses or refrigerated warehouses. Use sub-meters to determine energy usage in these areas, then input these numbers as if each area were its own building.
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Benchmarking for California’s Wineries
Benchmarking for California's Wineries Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory teamed up with Fetzer Vineyards to develop a special benchmarking software for California's 1,100 wineries. The Benchmarking and Energy and water Saving Tool (BEST) is available free-of-charge, and can help wineries self-assess their management of water and energy resources. BEST can even calculate the cost and benefits of different energy efficiency and energy conservation measures, helping to analyze the most cost-effective investment.
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Business Examples
S. Martinelli & Company has already installed an energy management system (EMS) at one facility. Work is underway to install another system at the remaining facility. The EMS is used to monitor energy savings, energy use, and to assist with peak load curtailments. Marinelli's also installed whole-facility meters in one building to provide real-time energy use data on peak demand, total consumption, power quality, and outages, if any. Martinelli's staff can access this data on a computer 24-hours a day, 7-days a week via a dedicated Ethernet connection. This data acts as a "shadow" bill for electricity and natural gas, basically, a second set of cost-controls to verify utility bills. With increasing monthly utility costs, even small errors can quickly add up to big losses.
J Wine purchased its facilities from an existing winery in 1996. In order to establish baseline data about energy-intensive equipment and processes, Facility Manager Dana DiLuvio started by identifying "cost centers," and then established baseline energy use for each of these. All future measures could be measured against these initial benchmarks. Small digital meters were used to take measurements since J Wine didn't have its own utility meter. DiLuvio explained, "At one time, we shared a meter with Rodney Strong, our next-door neighbor. It is very difficult to benchmark progress and make informed decisions without sub-metering." In lieu of a meter system, DiLuvio also added small digital meters to motor control panels. "It let us more accurately assign the energy costs to the production process," said DiLuvio.
Resources
Northwest Food Processors Association Energy Portal contains information on assessing facilities for energy efficiency opportunities. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Benchmarking and Energy and water Saving Tool (BEST). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Portfolio Manager.
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