| European Union Energy Performance of
Buildings Directive Energy efficiency: energy
performance of buildings
The
directive stipulates that:
The
common calculation methodology should include all the aspects which determine energy
efficiency and not just the quality of the building's insulation. This integrated approach
should take account of aspects such as heating and cooling installations, lighting
installations, the position and orientation of the building, heat recovery, etc.
The directive is being implemented in all European member states. In
Ireland, the main visible effect has been in the creation of the Building
Energy Rating (BER) certificate for residential buildings and the training,
certification and registration of assessors to provide the BERs to those who will need
them.
Next up will be non-residential buildings. To get an idea of what is
likely in Ireland it migh be of use to examine what has happened in the UK. There, the
Building Regulations have been modified to cater for the directive. The relevant documents
are available from the UK government's Planning Portal, as follows:
Approved Document L2A: Conservation of fuel and power (New buildings
other than dwellings) (2006 edition) ;
Approved
Document L2B: Conservation of fuel and power (Existing buildings other than dwellings)
(2006 edition))
The following is an extract:
Energy
meters
43.
Reasonable provision for energy meters would be to install energy metering systems that
enable: at least 90% of the estimated annual energy consumption of each fuel to be
assigned to the various endu-use categories (heating, lighting etc.). Detailed guidance on
how this can be achieved is given in CIBSE TM39
(from The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers); and
a.
The performance of any LZC (Low and Zero carbon) system to be separately monitored; and
b.
in buildings with a total useful floor area greater than 1000 m2, automatic
meter reading and data collection facilities.
The following document shows how the matter is dealt with by the University
of Exeter. The meters specified in this document are those supplied by Solarwave Enigin,
the Northern Design Cube series meters.
University of Exeter Electrical Services Design Briefing Note
The benefits to be derived from sub-metering are extensive. Not only
does real-time monitoring with high granularity lead to the elimination of energy waste,
sub-metering is also essential for demonstrating compliance, which is itself a requirement
of the Directive. This is reflected in the support that the UK Building Regulations have
for this measure. The output from the smart meter is
available in real time, on a PC or laptop, and also as an historical time sequence that
allows analysis of the drivers of electricity cost, and therefore carbon emission
pollution, in the most detailed manner possible.
Reading the output from the smart
meter could not be easier – just click on a shortcut on the PC or laptop, enter a
username and password, and all is revealed. The historical, time-based information can be
accessed from anywhere in the world by means of the Internet. Does this mean there’s
a security risk to the Local Area Network? The answer is an emphatic no, because the smart
meter is intelligent enough to transfer the data via the File Transfer Protocol (ftp), at
pre-programmed intervals, to an external data holding centre that can then be targeted by
an Internet browser. There are no holes in the operator's firewall, and nobody ever
actually accesses the meter unless they are on the LAN within the building, and then of
course subject to normal LAN security and authorisation.
The smart meter setup described above has the potential, all on its own, to
significantly reduce energy waste. As the operator owns the meter, this can continue
indefinitely.
Please feel free to contact seamus.mckenna@solarwave.ie
or at 086 0305454 for an informal discussion of your requirements, or to arrange a demo of
the smart meter in use, with no obligation.
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