Achieving energy savings targets through smart energy monitoring and control
Charles Sturt University
- Charles Sturt University
- Wagga Wagga, NSW
- Energy Management Systems
In 2007, Charles Sturt University (CSU) became a signatory to the Talloires Declaration, an international commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education, signed by over 350 universities around the world. As part of this commitment, CSU conducted an energy audit over 2 campuses to identify where energy savings could be made. Conservia, energy solution specialists, conducted these audits, outlining that they could reduce campus electricity usage by 15.55% and gas by 19.5%.
Gas and electricity initiatives were implemented throughout 17 buildings over 2 campuses during the year 2015, and a Measurement and Verification Procedure put in place to ensure true savings were made, the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) methodology was used for this process. The first year of reporting concluded in June 2017 and the project achieved higher than expected savings with an electricity saving of 16.1% and a gas saving of 37.7%.
CSU had 17 buildings spread across their Bathurst and Wagga Wagga campuses that had a number of different and separate control systems managing and monitoring HVAC, lighting, cogeneration plant and other services throughout the two campuses.
Optergy was chosen because it enabled two typically siloed systems to be combined into one platform. Combining Building Automation and Energy Management allowed smart energy saving control strategies using information from both systems. The Optergy solution also maintained compliance with the reporting requirements necessary to conduct the IPMVP vital to project verification.
Optergy was used to visualize, track, monitor, control and alarm all utility usage and BMS over the multiple sites. Optergy as a solution was imperative to the success and monitoring of the multi-campus project.
Optergy was used to visualize, track, monitor, control and alarm all utility usage and BMS over the multiple sites. Optergy as a solution was imperative to the success and monitoring of the multi-campus project.
Using the Optergy historical database, including site-wide sub-metering and HVAC trend logs, an energy specialist company, Conservia, were able to identify opportunities including:
- Updating current HVAC control with minimum hardware upgrades
- Upgrading the existing lighting network to implement control strategies and new high efficiency light fittings.
- Actively control peak demand in real time through use of the cogeneration plant and Optergy’s built-in demand limiting tools.
Initiatives that were undertaken were: