M&V Case Study: City of Yarra EPC

Government Case Study: The Measurement & Verification (M&V) process is a vital component in any Energy Performance Contract. M&V is the term given to the process for quantifying savings delivered by an Energy Conservation Measure (ECM). M&V is the accountability mechanism by which Energy Services Companies (ESCO) report on any variations in the actual savings versus the contractual savings embedded in the EPC. To illustrate this point, consider the M&V case study example of The City of Yarra EPC.

In 2014, the City of Yarra Council engaged Ecosave in a $3.3 million 10-year EPC to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, achieve energy savings and lower their operational and maintenance costs. Ecosave implemented a wide range of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) across 18 of the Council’s buildings and facilities, among which was the Aquatic Centre in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

Energy Conservation Measures

In particular, Ecosave designed and implemented 3 Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) at the City of Yarra facility housing the Fitzroy Swimming Pool:

1. Main Boiler Replacement
2. Pool Controls
3. Lighting Upgrades

The Measurement & Verification / M&V Process for City of Yarra EPC

Ecosave engineers had undertaken the Measurement & Verification (M&V) plan at all sites including the Fitzroy Swimming Pool. The M&V process involved taking measurements of the baseline consumption of plant and equipment – prior to the installation of proposed ECMs – as well as measuring actual consumption over a 12-month period after the upgrades were complete.
The results of the M&V process are outlined in the table (below) showing predicted savings, actual savings and the variation in savings for each ECM as identified throughout the M&V process.

Ecosave’s Measurement & Verification in the City of Yarra EPC was conducted using the International Performance Measurement & Verification Protocol (IPMVP) – the same protocol used by NSW, Vic, SA Governments and many jurisdictions across Europe and the U.S.

The M&V procedure for these ECMs were based on Pre and Post-Retrofit data collection and analysis:

M&V outcomes for the Council

As a result of Ecosave’s M&V procedure, the Council had verifiable proof they achieved the following outcomes:

• Electricity savings: 159.9 MWh
• Gas savings: 3,950 GJ
• Carbon savings: 429.1 tonnes of CO2
• Cost savings $47,518

 

The energy savings achieved were significantly higher than Ecosave’s Guaranteed Savings as confirmed by the M&V process using the international protocol (IPMVP)

The M&V process, or Measurement & Verification per the international protocol, gives EPC clients assurance that the energy savings predicted by Ecosave is in line with actual savings achieved and accounts for any variations from the performance guarantees.