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BSEE ENERGY MANAGEMENT


The need to reduce energy usage in commercial buildings is something that all building owners and managers are aware of and many have introduced energy monitoring as a means to not only understand their usage, but also take action. Matt Gardner of Synapsys Solutions discusses energy apportionment and billing solutions.


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A QUEST FOR ACCURATE BILLS Total visibility of costs is achievable


nergy consumption in commercial buildings continues to rise and put a strain on the budget – despite the introduction of monitoring technology. Furthermore, when you consider the fact that 80% of the lifetime costs are accounted for in the running of the building it is easy to see why owners and managers need to take decisive action.


We are now at the stage where it is no longer acceptable to overlook the running costs of a building and as a result, we have seen the introduction of more and more energy monitoring and targeting systems in recent years. The problem here is that whilst these systems are very useful in monitoring the total energy usage in a building, they are unable to split the costs of shared service heating and cooling plant fairly between individual tenants.


In simple terms the building owners and managers don’t have access to the whole picture and where this is the case, it is difficult to achieve genuine savings. What they actually need is the ability to apportion their energy so that shared services energy such as heating and cooling plant is fairly charged between building users based on individual tenant demands on that plant. The introduction of the Heat Network (metering and billing) Regulations 2014 further cemented the requirement for a more accurate billing process. As a result, we are now seeing energy apportionment specified on a regular basis as a means of gaining an accurate picture of the running costs of a building – but more importantly as a means to achieve genuine energy savings.


Apportioned energy provides the bigger picture


Energy apportionment appears to be a simple process whereby the total energy usage of a shared space and/or the heating and cooling plant within a building is apportioned to each tenant based on their actual usage and energy demand. It provides total visibility of energy usage throughout a building and ensures that any energy which is used in shared spaces or to supply heating or cooling to a tenant area is fairly apportioned between building users. The main benefit here is that owners and managers have a much clearer picture of their energy usage and because there are no hidden


energy costs the route to achieving savings is much simpler. What this means in practical terms is that this type of information promotes a greater degree of responsibility for energy use within a building – from everyone.


It is a fairly simple concept and one that is very straightforward which leads us to the question of why, if it is so simple and straightforward, it is only just beginning to be specified on a regular basis. The answer lies in part in the Heat Network (metering and billing) Regulations 2014 which are UK wide regulations introduced to implement some of the requirements of the EU’s 2012 Energy Efficiency Directive.


The Regulations require commercial and domestic property landlords of multi let properties where heating, cooling or hot water is supplied to tenants through a district or communal heating network to provide detailed information about those networks to a central body.


The Regulations take into account the fact that the largest share of CO2 emissions from UK buildings comes from space and water heating. The main aim therefore is to allow users of heating, cooling and hot water supplies to be fully aware of their level of consumption and be incentivised to reduce that consumption. But the requirements of the regulations can only be met if landlords are able to not only monitor the energy usage, but also do so in a manner that allows for accurate billing on a tenant-by-tenant basis.


One step closer


We have all been in a restaurant when one person orders the most expensive thing on the menu because they know that the bill at the end of the evening will be split equally between the group. This often leaves a bad taste in the mouth at the end of what was an otherwise pleasant evening. But this isn’t just a common thing when groups of people eat out together. In fact, it is happening every day in a vast number of commercial buildings throughout the UK because if shared services energy isn’t apportioned on a tenant by tenant basis, the entire building becomes responsible for the actions of a few inconsiderate individuals.


If you are one of those inconsiderate individuals, then it’s great news for you because you are only responsible for a proportion of the cost of your own actions. But if you are trying to reduce costs and have introduced energy monitoring into your organisation, it can seem unfair that you are paying for the behaviour of others. The specification of energy apportionment in a building will allow the industry to address this issue and as a result tenants are able to ensure that they are only paying for the energy which they are actually using rather than the energy which their neighbours are using. It will also allow the industry to take a step closer to meeting the requirements of the Heat Network (metering and billing) Regulations 2014.


However, the calculations that are required are complex and to date, apportionment of energy has been done using manual calculations from data input – something that is both time consuming and costly.


In order for energy apportionment to be not just adopted, but rolled out successfully, it therefore requires a tenant billing solution which provides the landlord with the ability to automatically bill tenants based on their apportioned energy calculations.


These billing solutions, such as our own SIP Billing, effectively join up the dots, providing a portal for the landlord to view, monitor and make adjustments to the system and charges. But perhaps more importantly they allow the tenants to view and monitor their energy bills and usage and thus make changes to the way they operate in order to achieve savings. As billing systems continue to develop we will see more and more


34 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MARCH 2017 ‘


Energy apportionment appears to be a simple process whereby the total energy usage of a shared space and/or the heating and cooling plant within a building is apportioned to each tenant based on their actual usage and energy demand. It provides total visibility of energy usage throughout a building.





that offer automated apportionment based on a number of complex calculations as standard. This is something which is already offered by SIP Billing and takes away the need for complex manual calculations.


An additional benefit of apportioned billing to landlords and managing agents is that far less of the energy costs need to be included in service charges. As a result, tenants are charged fairly and accurately for their energy costs, service charges become more accurate and rental rates are protected.


Although energy apportionment is


straightforward and in many respects very easy to understand as a concept, it is still a major change for the industry and puts a definitive mark in the sand for the way that tenants are billed in the future. But it is time for that change to take place because total visibility of costs is something that we need if we are to promote greater responsibility for energy usage – some would even argue that it is perhaps one of the greatest drivers towards achieving greater efficiency.


www.synapsys-solutions.com VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.bsee.co.uk


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