Schematic Design

Write an M&V plan and provide the tenants with information on submetering their individual spaces as soon as possible.   

Determine the best infrastructure for a metering network. The system must be installed in a central location and have the capability to expand to metering tenant spaces. Although for this credit you do not actually have to meter tenant spaces, you do need to provide the means for tenants to connect to the system. You’ll also need to include a section in the M&V plan on developing corrective actions if the measurements of tenants’ actual energy use differ from those predicted. 

Discuss as a team whether M&V will contribute to project goals for energy reduction and system monitoring. Consider your project’s size, complexity, and tenant needs. Also think about how the building is likely to be operated. If an M&V program is not likely to be fully utilized, it may not be worth the investment.

The cost to create an M&V program for Option D, according to IPMVP, is influenced by the following:

For new construction, the combined cost of the installed equipment and the first year of monitoring is generally less than 1% of the total project cost for buildings larger than 150,000 ft²—and less than 1.5% for smaller buildings, according to studies.

M&V retrofits typically average no more than 5% of the total project cost, studies show. 

The cost implications of this credit can vary and depend on the complexity of the meters and the submetering system, the cost of energy modeling and calibration, the cost of commissioning M&V components, and the size and complexity of the building.

Submetering different use areas in mixed-use buildings, such as office and laboratory spaces, can offer insight into what energy reduction measures are most appropriate for each space type. 

An M&V program generally includes sensors—which measure the watts of energy draw, temperature, length of time, and other variables—and a central processor, which stores the collected information and helps building managers interpret it. Building automation systems typically include the central processor needed for M&V, but not all of the sensors or the additional programming to tally energy use and track patterns. Adding these pieces to a building automation system, however, is relatively easy.

Most M&V programs submeter individual systems such as lighting, heating, and cooling. Plug loads are not always submetered individually—it is easiest to individually submeter larger items and then subtract total plug load data from total building usage to get an estimated plug load.