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RESPONSIBLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT

  • HOW TO USE THIS TOOLKIT
  • MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL RISK
  • OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT
  • RATINGS & CERTIFICATIONS
  • ENERGY
    • GN4.1: An energy policy
    • GN4.2: Energy performance standards
    • GN4.3: Air conditioning inspections
    • GN4.4: Advanced metering
    • GN4.5: Energy consumption profile
    • GN4.6: Undertaking an energy audit
    • GN4.7: Benchmarking energy use and setting targets
    • GN4.8: Template action plan
    • GN4.9: Energy efficiency opportunities
    • GN4.10 Maintaining sustainable energy and water assets
    • GN4.11: Procuring renewable energy
    • GN4.12:  Energy performance monitoring
  • WATER
  • WASTE
  • TRANSPORT
  • SOCIAL VALUE
  • SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
  • FIT-OUT & ALTERATIONS
  • OCCUPIER ENGAGEMENT
  • BIODIVERSITY
  • HEALTH & WELLBEING

GN4.12:Energy performance monitoring

Guidance Note purpose 

The purpose of this Guidance Note is to provide asset managers, property managers and facilities managers with information relating to continued monitoring of energy performance which can be used to enhanced property energy management and the on-going improvement of energy performance. 

This Guidance Note has been prepared primarily in relation to energy.  However, the principles covered can also be adopted to inform advanced metering with respect to other utilities. 

Context 

Continued monitoring for energy performance involves analysing and reporting energy performance to avoid unnecessary cost and to drive on-going energy performance improvement. 

Having a process in place to continuously monitor energy data involves using information from energy monitoring systems and regularly reviewing when and where energy is being used. 

Continued monitoring for energy performance aims to: 

  • Establish historic energy consumption patterns and trends. 
  • Identify areas of major energy usage. 
  • Compare current energy consumption with historical data/benchmarks. 
  • Compare actual energy consumption with targets. 

Importance 

With the intention of achieving good practice energy management, continued monitoring for energy performance contributes towards energy efficiency improvement through the identification of opportunities to reduce unnecessary energy use. 

The benefits of continuous monitoring for energy performance include: 

  • Identification of energy waste. 
  • Driving continued improvement of the operation of equipment. 
  • Enabling conformance with ISO 50001 energy management system requirements. 
  • Increase lifecycle of equipment. 
  • Demonstration of energy efficiency project impacts. 
  • Supporting funding bids for energy saving investment. 

Responsibilities & Interests

The table below summarises the key activities associated with continued monitoring for energy performance, and highlights where asset managers, property managers and facilities managers are likely to have a responsibility or specific interest. 

  • AM - Asset Manager
  • PM - Property Manager
  • FM - Facilities Manager

Step 1: Energy measurement and data collection from advanced sub-metering 

Stakeholder:

Step 2: Key performance indicators 

Stakeholder:

Step 3: When and where energy is used 

Stakeholder:

Step 4: Energy reporting 

Stakeholder:

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How to

Intro

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Continued monitoring for energy performance is normally led by a property manager, with input from the facilities manager.  Technical support from an energy manager or other competent individual is usually central to the process. 

Continued monitoring for energy performance involves consideration of the following four steps: 

Step 1: Energy measurement and data collection from advanced sub-metering

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It is important to be able to measure a property’s energy consumption profile frequently, regularly and accurately.  Reliable advanced metering and sub-metering enables detailed and effective energy monitoring and analysis. 

Step 2: Key performance indicators

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Key performance indicators (KPI) support a property’s continuous improvement in energy performance.  KPIs provide visibility of the fulfilment of energy objectives and drives improvement by encouraging energy efficiency measures to be delivered 

Good energy KPIs will be visible to stakeholders.  The meaning of KPIs should be clear, including the extent to which a property is making progress in relation to the performance being measured through the KPIs.   

There are two types of KPIs that an energy manager should consider: 

Strategic KPIs: High-level or industry-level measures. 

A strategic KPI that is commonly used to track and benchmark a building’s performance is the energy usage intensity (EUI). 

The EUI expresses a building’s energy use as a function of its size.  EUI is typically expressed as energy per square meter per year.  This calculated by dividing the total energy consumed by a building in a year by the building’s total gross floor area.  EUI can be defined as a building’s energy performance indicator. 

As a building’s energy usage intensity is related to the building’s total energy usage, it is important that accurate data from the main utility meters can be obtained.  

By using EUI, a building’s energy performance can be benchmarked against comparable and/or average buildings.  

By using data from advanced sub-meters, it is possible to review how system components, such as lighting and HVAC systems, for example, compare to industry standards. 

For example, comparing a property’s EUI against CIBSE’s Guide F: Energy Efficiency in Buildings, which includes industry benchmarks for different building types and system components.  

To benchmark buildings, The Real Estate Environmental Benchmark (REEB), a publicly available operational benchmark of environmental performance for commercial property in the UK, is also beneficial.  

Control-specific KPI: This focuses on specific plant and equipment. 

For example, a KPI could be set for optimal setpoints for HVAC systems, so that deviations from optimal parameters can be reviewed.  Deviating from optimal parameters can be due to fault equipment or control settings which would increase a property’s energy usage unnecessarily. 

Step 3: When and where energy is used

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Monitoring and analysing collected energy consumption data, profiles and patterns and comparing these to KPIs benchmark helps to identify areas of energy wastage.  In turn, this enables opportunities for energy performance improvement to be identified and evaluated, and progress towards energy targets to be assessed.  

As part of this, it is important that energy usage patterns are reviewed though consideration of annual, monthly and seasonal changes in demand.  By using accurate data from advanced meters, energy managers can investigate data at a granular level to support understanding changes in peak load times and baseload.  

Step 4: Energy reporting

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Energy reports are important for keeping track of a property’s energy performance and the extent to which progress is being made against targets.  Compiling an energy report can also encourage on-going energy monitoring by a range of property stakeholders. 

Energy reports may be in the form of dashboards that can be used to engage with stakeholders, including property managers, employees and occupiers, who can use the information contained within the reports to act on energy saving recommendations. 

Dashboards should be shared with stakeholders on a regular basis (typically monthly), and should present information in an understandable and engaging way. An example of an energy dashboard which demonstrates how monthly consumption changes over time and how a building is performing against a target can be seen below. 

 

  • BBP How to guide: energy performance monitoring

    pdf | 230 KB

Related Guidance Notes 

The following Guidance Notes contain related information: 

  • GN2.2: Automating property level data 
  • GN2.4: Maintenance, monitoring and the property management cycle 
  • GN4.1: An energy policy 
  • GN4.2: Energy performance standards 
  • GN4.4: Advanced metering 
  • GN4.5: Energy consumption profile 
  • GN4.6: Undertaking an energy audit 
  • GN4.7: Setting energy targets 
  • GN4.8: Template action plan 
  • GN4.9: Energy efficiency improvements 
  • GN5.3: Benchmarking water use and setting targets 
  • GN11.2: Engaging Occupiers 

Additional Resources

  • BBP Beter Meteriing Toolkit
  • BBP Real Estate Environmental Benchmark
  • BBP Landlord Energy Rating Documentation 
  • BBP Establishing the Ground Rules for Property: Industry-Wide Sustainability Metrics 
  • BBP Net Zero Carbon Pathway Framework 
  • BBP Design for Performance 
  • CIBSE Metering Energy Use in Non-Domestic Buildings
  • Siemens Managing Energy Using Key Performance Indicators

RESPONSIBLE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT

  • HOW TO USE THIS TOOLKIT
  • MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL RISK
  • OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT
  • RATINGS & CERTIFICATIONS
  • ENERGY
    • GN4.1: An energy policy
    • GN4.2: Energy performance standards
    • GN4.3: Air conditioning inspections
    • GN4.4: Advanced metering
    • GN4.5: Energy consumption profile
    • GN4.6: Undertaking an energy audit
    • GN4.7: Benchmarking energy use and setting targets
    • GN4.8: Template action plan
    • GN4.9: Energy efficiency opportunities
    • GN4.10 Maintaining sustainable energy and water assets
    • GN4.11: Procuring renewable energy
    • GN4.12:  Energy performance monitoring
  • WATER
  • WASTE
  • TRANSPORT
  • SOCIAL VALUE
  • SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
  • FIT-OUT & ALTERATIONS
  • OCCUPIER ENGAGEMENT
  • BIODIVERSITY
  • HEALTH & WELLBEING

Solutions Scrapbook

Green Roofs in Central London

When British Land first included green roofs in its Sustainability Brief for Developments in 2004, the firm needed to work closely with its design partners and property teams to design, plant and maintain habitats that really enhanced biodiversity. Since then, British Land has created green roofs on 12 new buildings in central London, with more under design, and has successfully retrofitted them to three existing buildings. Read the case study here.

Air Source Energy at Regent’s Place

At 350 Euston Road at Regent’s Place, owner British Land and management team Broadgate Estates Ltd have reduced energy use for common areas and shared services by 65% in six years. Alongside no-cost and low-cost efficiency initiatives, a new air source heat pump is delivering additional cost savings for occupiers and CO2 reductions, whilst maintaining thermal comfort levels in the building. Here, we focus on this technology. Read the case study here.

Energy Centre at Spring Mews

CLS Holdings’ aim at Spring Mews was to design an energy centre that had the flexibility to supply different demands to mixed-use requirements in the most efficient way possible, while exceeding planning requirements on Part L 2010 Building Regulations. To achieve this, CLS appointed a Swedish energy consultant, EGMA Systems, which had previously supported the firm on a similar system at Vänersborg in Sweden in 2001. CLS wanted to build on the lessons and success there, and so EGMA Systems designed the energy centre at Spring Mews in partnership with Hoare Lea. Read the case stufy here.

BBP Members Use Big Data to Improve Comfort and Efficiency

BBP members Canary Wharf Group, Land Securities, M&G Real Estate, TH Real Estate, The Crown Estate and Transport for London are all using Demand Logic’s system to improve building performance. The Demand Logic system collects data through the Building Management System (BMS) and analyses it, producing simple graphics and tables, which help building teams identify potential operational improvements. By making HVAC and meter data immediately accessible via a familiar social media tool, these BBP members are improving energy efficiency, increasing comfort levels, saving on maintenance time, reducing energy bills and cutting CO2 emissions. Read the case study here.

Sub-Metering Energy Efficiency Savings at Arndale Centre

Through the introduction of smart metering and monitoring by EP&T, M&G Real Estate and intu Properties plc have saved more than £1m in energy costs and over 6500 tonnes of carbon at Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre. Read the case study here.

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