How can universities benefit from monitoring and metering?
For universities to be able to reduce their energy consumption and costs, they must first understand the peaks and troughs of their usage. Schools, colleges and universities are huge contributors to the UK’s energy consumption rates. So, it is important that they embrace green energy management as net zero targets grow ever closer.
Monitoring and metering are essential in building an effective energy management strategy. Aside from identifying potential inefficiencies, these services come with many environmental and financial benefits for universities.
So, what other benefits can universities gain from carrying out monitoring and metering?
Understand usage patterns
Monitoring allows universities to understand the areas with the highest energy consumption within their sites. As universities across the country become more eco-conscious, having a grasp of where they are using energy has become essential. Being able to tackle waste and inefficiency, universities must also understand why these specific areas consume so much energy. This is where sub-metering comes in.
Sub-metering allows the education sector to accurately and efficiently reduce their consumption, costs and carbon footprint. It also allows you to dive deeper into the reasons behind these high consumption areas. More specifically their peaks, troughs and base-loads. For universities, high energy activity usually takes place in areas where air-conditioning, lighting and heating are in full use. Such as sports halls, canteens and data centres.
Spot inefficiencies
Lights and computer equipment left on and unnecessary use of HVAC systems are some of the simple ways universities can waste both energy and money. By reducing energy consumption, cutting out waste and upgrading outdated equipment universities could save up to one third (36%) on annual energy costs.
Installing sensors to monitor energy systems means that universities can spot leaks and wasteful areas quickly and efficiently. Schools, colleges and universities make up around 25% of the total public sector costs in the UK. So, spotting unnecessary waste is vastly important as we move towards net zero. Ongoing performance monitoring of implemented schemes gives universities reassurance that the systems are continuing to deliver successful results.
Get green
Understanding your energy consumption is the first step towards becoming more sustainable. Not only does sustainability reduce a university’s impact on the environment, but also attracts a wider range of eco-conscious students and funding. A green campus creates the perfect environment for students to learn and get involved in environmental issues both on and off campus.
Both university students and staff very rarely run short of work to do. And for this reason, green energy management can often be pushed to the wayside. But actively incorporating energy management strategies like monitoring and metering is increasingly important in becoming eco-friendly.
Identifying areas that could improve energy efficiency also allows schools to actively adjust behavioural habits. Educating staff and pupils on how to lower their environmental impact can make a huge difference to a university’s energy consumption.
t-mac
Understanding your energy consumption is the first step towards reducing it. Without that vital data, becoming sustainable is near enough impossible.
With the help of our expert team and a long list of services tailored to your needs, we at t-mac can help our clients become as efficient as possible. t-mac systems provide greater visibility and clarity on unusual usage trends and inefficiencies. Allowing universities, the chance to reduce energy consumption, waste and costs.
Get in touch today to hear more about how we could help you get green.