Methodology for energy audits in the framework of the energy efficiency directive

The Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU (EED) was released in October 2012 and transposed in June 2014 by Member States. The Directive requires large companies to carry out an energy audit before December 2015, which has to be repeated every 4 years. A possibility for companies to be exempted from regular energy audits is to be or become certified by an approved energy management system (EnMS), most likely the international standard ISO 50001. In both cases it means that companies have to set plans and define actions to comply with European and national requirements that aim at improving their energy efficiency. Considering the differences across European countries regarding the awareness and involvement of the industrial sector in terms of energy management, a large number of companies still lack systematic and comprehensive systems to understand, monitor and improve their energy consumption in a cost-effective and sustainable way. This paper presents a methodology to carry out indicative energy audits in compliance with the European standard EN 16247-1 and including the ISO 50001 requirements of the energy planning phase (e.g. energy review, energy baseline and energy performance indicators). The proposed methodology follows a top down approach, starting from the energy bill and identifying major energy sources. It covers the evaluation of the actual system’s energy efficiency, identifies energy savings opportunities and presents an innovative approach for energy consumption monitoring via surrogate models of processes. It makes use of state-of-the-art techniques such as data reconciliation, heat integration via total site pinch analysis and statistical tools. Since natural gas and electricity usually take up the largest share of the total energy consumption in industry, the focus is put on these two energy carriers. One of the interesting aspects of the methodology concerns the data gathering and processing phases. Here the required data are targeted and classified in a systematic way in order to characterise the energy consumers and identify the areas of significant energy use presenting a potential for energy efficiency improvement. Once the energy review step is carried out, strategies for energy consumption monitoring should be developed. The methodology proposes an innovative approach to generate specific energy consumption models of industrial processes (surrogate models) that could be used to monitor units, online or offline, and detect deviations from expected behaviour

Energy performance and energy saving of life-support systems in educational institutions

This article describes the results of energy consumption monitoring analysis in buildings of educational institutions. Relevance of resource-saving technologies use is substantiated in order to improve energy performance and energy saving. The principal model is proposed. This model describes the impact of building automation systems (BAS) and utility systems management tools (USMT) on the accomplished level of energy performance. The method for determination of the minimum requirements for the aforementioned systems in respect of educational institutions is given. Provisions for heat distribution stations upgrading in order to improve heat supply of a building are proposed.The contemporary automation systems of buildings ensure the most efficient control automation for heating, ventilation, lighting, hot water supply systems. This leads to significant increase of operation efficiency and reduction of energy costs. The integrated energy saving processes and functions are optimized depending on the specific climatic conditions in a region, special considerations in respect of building operation and user requirements. It leads to significant reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission.Keywords: Energy efficiency, energy conservation, energy efficiency, heat supply system, engineering control equipment, automatic control syste

Web interactive non intrusive load disaggregation system for active demand in smart grids

A Smart Grid combines the use of traditional technology with innovative digital solutions, making the management of the electricity grid more flexible. It allows for monitoring, analysis, control and communication within the supply chain to improve efficiency, reduce the energy consumption and cost, and maximize the transparency and reliability of the energy supply chain. The optimization of energy consumption in Smart Grids is possible by using an innovative system based on Non Intrusive Appliance Load Monitoring (NIALM) algorithms, in which individual appliance power consumption information is disaggregated from single-point measurements, that provide a feedback in such a way to make energy more visible and more amenable to understanding and control. We contribute with an approach for monitoring consumption of electric power in households based on both a NILM algorithm, that uses a simple load signatures, and a web interactive systems that allows an active role played by users

Концепция построения интегрированных систем контроля эффективности использования электрической энергии на производственно-хозяйственных объектах

Стаття присвячена створенню методичних основ побудови інтегрованих систем контролю ефективності використання електроенергії на виробничо-господарських об’єктах, які ґрунтуються на поєднанні удосконалених методик нормування питомих витрат електричної енергії з побудовою та застосуванням удосконалених систем оперативного контролю ефективності енерговикористання.The article is dedicated to the creation of methodical foundations of integrated systems of monitoring the effectiveness of electricity consumption in industrial and commercial facilities, which based on a combination of advanced methods of rationing the unit costs of electric energy with the construction and application of improved operational control systems energy efficiency. Analysis of existing methods assessment and monitoring energy efficiency was conducted, including existing system in Ukraine of rationing unit costs of electric energy. The method developed for constructing optimal computational models electric balances. The method of setting «standards» for energy consumption was improved as well as the control and analysis process of their performance in systems operating control effectiveness of electric exploitation. Proposed concept of building integrated control system of efficiency of use electrical energy, creation and systematic development which would improve the existing system of rationing unit costs of electric energy and eventually replace the this system operational control of effectiveness of electric exploitation in production.Статья посвящена созданию методических основ построения интегрированных систем контроля эффективности электропотребления на производственно-хозяйственных объектах, которые базируются на сочетании усовершенствованных методик нормирования удельных расходов электрической энергии с построением и применением усовершенствованных систем оперативного контроля эффективности энергоиспользования

An energy audit of the Canmore Nordic Centre

The operation of buildings consumes a considerable amount of energy worldwide. Rising energy costs and the desire to reduce greenhouse emissions mean the desire to improve energy efficiency is becoming increasingly strong. Energy audits provide a structured method of analysing energy consumption at a facility in order to understand how energy is being consumed and thereby make intelligent decisions on how to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption. This dissertation provides a review of the practical application of an energy audit to the Canmore Nordic Centre, a cross country ski training and recreation facility located in the province of Alberta, Canada. The audit process is first placed in context through a literature review of building energy trends, the relevance of energy efficiency, energy auditing methods and a number of case studies of energy efficiency measure implemented in similar facilities. A method of auditing the particular facility is developed, the results of the audit presented and the implications of the results to wider sector and other findings discussed. The energy audit identified 38 specific efficiency measures that have the potential to save 3692 GJ of energy annually, saving $31,400 in energy costs and 325 tonnes CO2e per year. The facility was found to be relatively inefficient and as such the majority of savings could be made by optimising the existing systems at low cost. Estimated capital costs were$22,600 with a simple payback period of 0.7 years. Additional recommendations include conducting a detailed audit of the compressed air system, the recommissioning of two buildings, ongoing monitoring of individual building energy consumption and updating HVAC maintenance plans

Electrical Energy Efficiency For Retroffitting Commercial Building

The objective of this study is to reduce energy operating costs by introducing electrical energy conservation programmes such as improving lighting efficiency, reducing internal energy transmission losses along power cables and to replace inefficient equipment with energy efficient products for retrofit commercial buildings. Retrofitting commercial building has been defined as existing commercial building that will be undergoing major upgrading works such as replacing of wear and tear equipment and use products of new technologies or energy conservation techniques which can increase energy efficiency within the commercial building operation in order to remain competitive in operations. Energy conservation literature was reviewed and energy conservation techniques were implemented in a Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) headquarters building located at Lot 69, Section 57, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. In this study energy analysis and inefficient usage of energy was determined by tabulating energy consumption and expenditure by referring to previous monthly electricity bills; monitoring of power consumption by computing variables such as power factor value, reactive energy and harmonic contents using (HIOKI) power monitoring meters and degree of luminance by determining luminaires system lux value using (HIOKI) Lux meter. Analysis of the energy data revealed that practical energy conservation programme techniques can be implemented to alleviate inefficient energy usage and reduction in operation cost. The results showed that by retrofitting the existing luminaires system to the recommended parabolic mirror reflector (PMR) luminaire and replacing the conventional bulb ' EXIT' sign luminaires to light emitting diode (LED) technology, inefficient usage electrical energy can be reduced and will lead to cost saving. The power factor correction method derived from analysis of practical energy data indicated that internal energy transmission losses over power cable can be reduced and also improve power system distribution capacity. The wear and tear of the existing electric motor can be replaced with energy efficient electric motor based on the energy consumption data comparison analysis. Improving the power quality problem especially the harmonic contents in the power system can also reduce electrical energy transmission losses by correcting the non-linear current distorted waveform. The conclusion that can be drawn here is that the electrical energy conservation programme techniques are indeed able to reduce the electrical energy consumption as shown by cost saving calculations

Mapping and analyzing energy use and efficiency in a modified hydroponic shipping container

In urban centers today, vertical farming is becoming a popular alternative to conventional agriculture in an effort to increase local food production and improve urban food security by growing crops using hydroponic methods in controlled environment spaces. More specifically, one vertical method involves growing crops inside refurbished shipping containers, or a “farm-in-a-box” concept, which offers a flexible, mobile, and scalable means of year-round food production in a variety of climates. Despite benefits of producing food locally, some of the concerns associated with these vertical farming systems include high energy consumption from climate control and electric lighting systems as well as expensive capital investments. Therefore, this study investigated the viability and effectiveness of shipping container farms as alternative food systems through analysis of system energy requirements and resulting crop yields. A Modified Hydroponic Shipping Container (MHSC) system was designed, and a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponics system was tested by growing lettuce plants and monitoring energy use throughout the growth period. Additionally, theoretical energy use was quantified for one year of production at full scale by modeling energy consumption of major system components. Crop production and energy consumption were assessed using a crop production efficiency metric created to evaluate the ratio of system outputs to inputs. A baseline crop production efficiency value was determined, and scenarios for improving system efficiency from the baseline value were then analyzed. As a result, alternative energy scenarios reduced yearly consumption up to 53 percent from baseline consumption. Improvements to the MHSC design through suggested energy use reduction strategies will allow for the creation of a viable and sustainable alternative food system that is capable of providing local, accessible foods year-round for a variety of urban communities

Motor Energy Management Based on Non-Intrusive Monitoring Technology and Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper proposes a motor energy management architecture, which is composed of a data acquisition platform, a condition monitoring platform, an energy consumption and saving analysis platform, a communication platform, and a motor energy data management platform. Under the guidance of the architecture, an in-service motor monitoring and energy management system is developed based on non intrusive monitoring technologies and wireless sensor networks. The system has two subsystems: a data acquiring and analysis subsystem, and a condition monitoring and energy management subsystem. To evaluate the in-service motor energy usage, motor efficiency estimation methods are discussed. And a motor monitoring front-end device is developed with the implement of the methods introduced. The device is designed as three separate units, including a sensing unit, a processing unit, and a communication unit. Such a flexible design could meet various requirements in the application. The wireless sensor network is a self-organized network with dynamic topology. As a lowcost, robust, and reliable communication network, it is used to connect the front-end devices with the central supervisory station. A WSN node is designed and implemented for the inservice motor monitoring system, which can also be used as a unit of the front-end device. The laboratory tests and plant application show that the system can help the plant managers to improve motor-driven systems

Структура системы комплексного контроля эффективности энергопотребления объектов коммунального водоснабжения

В статті розглянуто питання побудови системи комплексного контролю ефективності режимів енергоспоживання об’єктів комунального водопостачання як складової енергоменеджменту. Сформульовано її завдання та функції. В структурі системи виділено процедури оперативного контролю та порівняльного аналізу. Для формування нормативів та «стандартів» енергоспоживання запропоновано використовувати дані системи моніторингу та враховувати кращі зразки ефективного енергоспоживання. Формалізацію контролю енергоефективності здійснено на основі об’єктно-орієнтованої технології. Сформовано класи, що враховують параметри стану і функціонування об’єкту, енергоспоживання, зовнішнього середовища, методи планування та контролю енергоспоживання. Виконано опис функцій класів та запропоновано алгоритм контролю. Використання запропонованих принципів дозволяє враховувати реальні умови функціонування об’єкту водопостачання, здійснювати контроль енергоефективності в режимі реального часу, інтегрувати процедури контролю в систему енергоменеджменту підприємства.The issues of energy efficiency control in municipal water supply system are discussed in the article. The research goal is the formation of the principles of complex control the energy consumption modes efficiency of water supply objects to improve energy management effectiveness. Complex control system is considered as component of the management process of energy consumption. Its tasks and functions has been formulated. Procedures of operational control and comparative analysis (benchmarking) have been selected in the structure. Data of monitoring system and consideration of better samples of effective energy consumption have been proposed to use for the formalization norms and "standarts" of energy consumption. The formalization of energy efficiency control procedure has been performed based on object-oriented technologies. The architecture of the system of energy efficiency complex control has been proposed. Her classes take into account the parameters of condition and functioning of the object, energy consumption, environment, methods of planning and control the energy consumption. Classes, that have joint procedures, have been combined in the category of classes. The description of functioning of classes has been performed, control algorithm has been proposed too. Using the proposed principles allows to take into account the real functioning conditions of water supply object, to control energy efficiency in real-time, to integrate the control procedures to the energy management system of enterprise.В статье рассмотрены вопросы построения системы комплексного контроля эффективности режимов энергопотребления объектов коммунального водоснабжения как составляющей энергоменеджмента. Сформулированы задачи и функции. В структуре выделены процедуры оперативного контроля и сравнительного анализа. Для формирования нормативов и «стандартов» энергопотребления предложено использовать данные системы мониторинга и учитывать лучшие образцы эффективного энергопотребления. Формализацию процедуры контроля осуществлено на основе объектно-ориентированной технологии. Сформированы классы, учитывающие параметры состояния и функционирования объекта, энергопотребления, внешней среды, методы планирования и контроля энергопотребления. Выполнено описание функций классов и предложен алгоритм контроля. Использование предложенных принципов позволяет учитывать реальные условия функционирования объекта водоснабжения, осуществлять контроль энергоэффективности в режиме реального времени, интегрировать процедуры и результаты контроля в систему энергоменеджмента предприятия

Eco-intelligent monitoring for fouling detection in clean-in-place

Clean-in-place (CIP) is a widely used technique applied to clean industrial equipment without disassembly. Cleaning protocols are currently defined arbitrarily from offline measurements. This can lead to excessive resource (water and chemicals) consumption and downtime, further increasing environmental impacts. An optical monitoring system has been developed to assist eco-intelligent CIP process control and improve resource efficiency. The system includes a UV optical fouling monitor designed for real-time image acquisition and processing. The output of the monitoring is such that it can support further intelligent decision support tools for automatic cleaning assessment during CIP phases. This system reduces energy and water consumption, whilst minimising non-productive time: the largest economic cost for CIP