The adoption of smart meters has transitioned consumption data from 12 monthly bills to 8,760 hourly data points per year. This allows M&V professionals to better understand energy usage trends, identify peak-demand periods, and improve operational efficiency. 

The first question many M&V professionals ask is “How do I get access to this data?” For Option C Whole Facility approaches, one option is to utilize API software, such as Arcadia or Utility API. If your customer uses utilities supported by these platforms, they can grant you third-party access to this data. Another option is utilizing real-time equipment, such as a CT kit, with API capabilities. For Option B, BAS or submetered data can provide this level of detail. With either approach, this equipment can be installed in the Investment Grade Audit (IGA) phase to establish a credible baseline and reporting period. This data can be automatically imported via API integration.

The benefits of this data granularity are compounded when using M&V software, as you no longer need to wait for the client/building owner to provide the most recent bills, removing large bottlenecks in M&V reconciliation. For the M&V professional, receiving 8,760 data points- but still using spreadsheets- can be time-consuming to reconcile. M&V software is pivotal in analyzing this data, identifying non-routine events, and providing ongoing performance monitoring. 

Combining Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) with M&V

Explore how combining bottom-up equipment diagnostics (FDD) with top-down whole-building M&V creates a holistic energy management tool. Discuss how software can not only prove savings but also actively alert teams when energy waste occurs.