Energy Management

Through the use of a submetering system, property managers can determine the effectiveness of a utility efficiency retrofit If an energy efficiency retrofit, such as a lighting or heating upgrade is completed, it is difficult, if not impossible, to measure the project savings without submeters. A main house meter will only be able to report on the entire building’s consumption, before and after the retrofit. Factors such as temperature, tenant changes, consumption changes, and new load additions can greatly impact the total consumption, and therefore distort any savings from the retrofit. Submeters allow the pre-retrofit consumption patterns to be compared to the post-retrofit patterns, factoring in all variables and directly pinpointing the savings in retrofitted areas.

Knowing how much each component of a building is costing to operate is a key element to effective property management. When utility costs are identified and appropriated, steps can be taken to decrease these costs, either through energy efficiency retrofits or decreased usage. These costs can also be passed on to the tenant or department, thereby increasing the incentive for the user to decrease their utility costs.

LEED certified buildings earn 1-3 points towards their certification with the installation of metering systems. These points are awarded since the submeters are used to verify the energy efficiency of a building and/or allocate costs to tenants within the building.

We all check our credit card, phone, and grocery bills to ensure the correct charges are applied. However, we seldom check our utility bills (and meters) for accuracy to ensure we are being charged fairly. When paying thousands (possibly millions for larger properties) for your utility costs, it makes sense to double check the utility reads. Your submetering system will double-check that the utility is reading and billing your consumption correctly.