MONITORING & METERING


Unlocking sustainability and energy efficiency through data


Energy managers now have access to more tools and data than ever before to influence efficiency. David Sing, managing director, Assets, at Energy Assets, looks into two case studies that highlight this – one for Central England Co-operative, the other for AFE Group


T


here are around 1.5 million industrial and commercial buildings in England and Wales,


and these are estimated to account for around one third of all UK carbon emissions from total building stock. Self-evidently, any improvement in energy efficiency in these settings will be significant both for individual organisations – particularly with escalating energy costs - and more widely to support progress towards Net Zero.


While there’s been some criticism that the


government’s energy strategy doesn’t go far enough to incentivise building energy performance, the good news is that energy managers now have access to more tools and more data than ever before to influence efficiency. How these tools are applied – and data leveraged


– will be key in the role of industry and commerce in helping to green Britain’s economy.


Moreover, the value of digital innovation


will only increase with time in step with market reforms, such as the introduction of Market-wide Half-Hourly settlement (MWHH) by 2025, which will enhance opportunities for demand side response incentives and preferential time of use tariffs. The question for energy and sustainability managers is where best to invest time and


CASE STUDY 1: CENTRAL ENGLAND CO-OPERATIVE - APPLYING MACHINE LEARNING TO HELP DRIVE CARBON NEUTRALITY


One of Britain’s best known retail brands has turned to machine learning to help optimise energy efficiency and reduce emissions across its portfolio of stores. Central England Co-operative (CEC), which holds three Carbon Trust Standards for meeting carbon, waste and water targets, is now focused on achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 – and sees artificial intelligence (AI) as a key weapon in its armoury. In step with this objective, CEC is partnering with AMR DNA to optimise


energy performance across its entire building estate. This AI-based approach provides Rob Godson, CEC’s energy and


environment lead, with both near-real time consumption data and a smart tool that progressively optimises energy efficiency in each building. “What AMR DNA gives us is a granular understanding of how our entire


estate is performing from an energy perspective,” said Godson. “The software automatically overlays half- hourly metered consumption data with unusual energy spikes and their root causes. Issues that would previously have taken many hours of manual intervention to analyse can now be identified automatically – and quickly resolved.” CEC adopted the approach having


generated a 206% return on investment in a pilot project that identified and eradicated energy waste. Today, it’s a process helping CEC to continue its impressive track record of energy efficiency, having reduced electricity usage by 51% and gas consumption by 58% since 2010.


“Using AMR DNA, we’re able to monitor energy performance site by site


and benchmark efficiency and carbon emissions on a like-for-like basis, whether it’s a convenience outlet, large store or funeral service. As our datasets grow, these insights will become increasingly valuable in helping us frame the science-based targets that will underpin our journey to carbon neutrality and Net Zero,” explained Godson.


DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH SMART ANALYTICS The software also takes account of changes in store operations, for example when new freezer equipment is installed or if a site moves to 24-hour opening. This means that only exceptional events outside the new ‘normal’ are flagged. It’s also possible to model multiple building operation scenarios to inform better consumption forecasting and strategic planning. Godson commented: “Our goal as a


cooperative society is carbon neutrality by 2030, to be achieved through a mix of energy efficiency actions, waste reduction and capital investment. “While there are clearly business and


productivity drivers for efficiency gains, we also want to be contributors to the culture shift we see in our communities towards more sustainable operations. Thanks to the granular data now at our disposal, we’re better placed than ever before both to bear down on direct carbon emissions and to shape the science-based targets that will guide CEC to a carbon neutral future.”


> 10 www.energymanagementmag.co.uk ENERGY MANAGEMENT - Autumn 2022 9


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