The scheme, which is run on behalf of the Carbon Trust by Siemens Finance, provides initial funding for the installation, with repayments made over a maximum of five years from the savings generated by working with the equipment.
The MeasureMyEnergy system - already installed at the Royal Opera House's Linbury Studio - utilises sensors on each circuit within a distribution board to log consumption, flag up anomalies and present real-time data via a secure web app.
Companies already working with the system - anecdotally report savings of between 10% and 20% through the ability to target the highest areas of consumption within a building.
Sensors are also available for water and gas meters, as well as for temperature, and power & heat generation. Generated sources are automatically balanced with consumption to calculate savings.
As all logging is automatic via the building LAN, there is no 'gappy' data, and consumption history for any sensor can be interrogated down to 1-minute resolution. Installation can usually be achieved by in-house building staff or, indeed, any qualified electrician.
Its built-in reporting system is ideal for organisations calculating consumption and CO2 generation for regulatory purposes, such as Arts Council England or Creative Scotland funding, as well as government initiatives such as the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). It can also be used to verify the savings made through improvement programmes, such as the introduction of LED lighting systems or sensor-based water saving equipment.
Tim Atkinson, Technical Director at :entertaining sustainability said, "It can be a real challenge for some venues or suppliers to justify upfront expenditure on a system like this, despite the enormous savings that can be made. The Carbon Trust scheme offers these organisations, however big or small, a bit of a 'breather' while the equipment starts to offer a return."
Elliott Porter, Chief Engineer at Hilton London Gatwick, also using the equipment, said, "Using the system has identified areas where the Building Management System was not working as it should, and highlighted where plant was beginning to fail - meaning that maintenance costs were reduced as a direct result of using the system." Overall, the MeasureMyEnergy project has seen Hilton London Gatwick reduce energy consumption in these areas by 27%.
Application for the Energy Efficiency Financing scheme is simple, with a two-side application form and often a 48-hour turnaround - the equipment falls into the scheme's 'Building Controls' category.
For more information on the MeasureMyEnergy system, or for a quotation please visit //entsust.com, or for information on the Energy Efficiency Financing Scheme, please visit www.carbontrust.com.
