FAQ.
What is automatic monitoring and targeting (aM&T) technology?
aM&T technology provides instant and live information on activity and energy consumption in key (targeted) areas within a building or for a piece of machinery.
t-mac is an automatic monitoring and targeting device which assists business to remotely monitor, manage and identify opportunities for improved efficiency (efficiency of performance and energy consumption) within a building or for individual pieces of machinery such as boilers and air conditioning systems, compressors and manufacturing plant.
Ultimately aM&T technology helps businesses to identify opportunities to introduce energy-saving measures.
What is a mini building management system (BMS)?
Mini BMS is a system for centralising and optimising the monitoring, operating, and management of a building through control of equipment such as heating, ventilation, refrigeration and cooling. A building management system is designed to ensure each individual piece of equipment within a building is operating to desired levels.
t-mac is a mini building management system. It provides all the functionality of a standard building management system but is designed for smaller buildings such as retail outlets and offices. A mini BMS is more cost effective than a larger scale BMS.
In addition to being a mini BMS, the t-mac enables remote management of multi-site BMS activities, providing a single, central portal for BMS management via an online software tool.
A BMS or mini BMS helps monitor and control energy consumption, helping to save money and carbon emissions.
How does t-mac work?
t-mac works by wirelessly gathering energy consumption data from multiple utilities and energy intensive equipment, such as lighting, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration. It then displays the data in a variety of formats for easy analysis of energy consumption and areas for improvement.
t-mac as an aM&T system (for metering and monitoring only) can help achieve up to 15-20% energy savings. As a mini BMS (for metering, monitoring AND controlling equipment), t-mac can help achieve up to 30-40% energy savings.
Unlike other mini BMS or aM&T systems t-mac has the added function of remote and automatic control which means that a user can log-on to the my t-mac webpage and turn an air conditioning unit on or off if heat levels are not comfortable.
Users can also pre-programme a system to operate as required, for example heating can be programmed to come on in the morning prior to working hours so the building is at a comfortable temperature when occupants arrive.
t-mac also sends SMS or email alerts which can be sent to users when levels deviate from pre-set ranges or when levels become abnormally high or low, ensuring users are alerted to any problems and are able to rectify them before they escalate in time, energy waste and expense.
Easy-to-read reports can also be printed off to gain understanding of use and to see unusual consumption patterns. These reports can also be used for environmental accreditation, such as IS0 14001, for internal reporting, to prove the building is meeting Government targets and even to act as proof that corporate social responsibility practices are being taken seriously.
What is smart metering?
Smart meters monitor utilities.
Smart metering enables owners and occupiers to see energy patterns and assess suitable tariffs for their properties. Smart metering provides utilities readings day+1.
Smart metering is key to helping businesses achieve reduced energy consumption. By providing data day+1, businesses are more informed of their energy consumption over a shorter time period to enable them to change operations to reduce consumption moving forward. Smart metering also eradicates estimated billing.
However, smart metering is still day+1 and only provides information on the mains utilities, for increased energy efficiencies, businesses need to identify ‘reasons’ for energy consumption through sub-metering and need to know this information ‘now’ through live readings/displays. t-mac provides smart metering but extends this offering to incorporate ‘live’ reads, instead of day +1, and also extends to incorporate sub-metering to enable businesses to identify the ‘causes’ of the mains consumption and therefore ‘target’ areas for improvement.
What is sub-metering?
Sub-metering measures energy consumption within a particular area or piece of equipment. It helps to identify activity areas and the route cause for energy consumption and individual costs. t-mac accommodates a large sub-metering facility, as it can incorporate up to 32x multi-functional power meters attached to a single point on the t-mac device or up to 255 pulse meters.
How much does t-mac cost to install?
The financial investment required to set up and install a t-mac device depends on the individual requirements of a building, area or site and what is to be monitored within it.
The average return on investment is 12-18 months
What is energy management?
t-mac Technologies believes that energy management is about doing more than smart metering. Smart metering only provides information on mains utilities and also only provides this information on a day+1 rate. With t-mac, businesses can: access smart metering data for billing purposes, extend this to incorporate sub-metering to identify key causes of energy consumption and waste, and control equipment performance to reduce energy consumption and eradicate waste*
*t-mac view energy waste as equipment performing unnecessarily (out of hours or a/c working at the same time as heating) or performing inefficiently (pulling too much load.)
Businesses need to incorporate technology not just to provide metering data but to identify the what, why, where and when of energy emissions. Once this information is gathered equipment use and performance can then be controlled and carbon emissions can be reduced.
t-mac’s energy management ethos is to help businesses achieve significant carbon reduction by using its expertise to advise on the best energy management solutions for individual businesses.
What is t-mac’s energy management strategy?
t-mac believes that a proactive well rounded energy management strategy for every business should follow these steps:
- Mains metering of utilities to identify total cost and consumption.
- Sub-metering to identify where and when energy is being used.
- Monitoring and analysis to highlight the peaks and troughs of energy use and consumption.
- Control to help draw up a strategy to reduce energy consumption and ultimately minimise cost.
- Education for an organisation’s energy management strategy to be truly effective it must be rolled out to everyone in the business.
- Showcase results to show success and boost corporate social responsibility.
What legislation does t-mac help meet?
- Carbon Reduction Commitment.
- Display Energy Certificates.
- Part L of Building Regulations.
Carbon Trust and the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme
t-mac has also secured a place on the Carbon Trust’s coveted Energy Technology List. The Energy Technology List (ETL), which allows businesses purchasing listed equipment to apply for 100% Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA), aims to encourage UK companies to invest in energy-saving technology.
What can t-mac monitor?
t-mac can monitor the energy emissions and consumption of a number of variables, from heating and ventilation equipment to full buildings lighting schemes and server rooms. Anywhere there is energy and utility use t-mac can monitor.
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)
t-mac can also monitor and manage equipment and is a perfect tool for OEMs wishing to incorporate remote management into their product offering. t-mac has been incorporated, as a bolt-on technology for compressors, air conditioning systems and industrial air dryers.
Got a question that hasn’t been answered here? Then ask t-mac directly via our online contact form.