The measurement and verification industry is rapidly moving toward real-time performance tracking and “Big Data” along with a host of new sub-metering devices is likely to have a big role, according to Lux Research.
Today, sub-metering devices are available to measure all types of building utilities, such as electricity, water, fuels, and heating or cooling input, with very high precision – but with a high cost to match, according to Alex Herceg, Lux Research Analyst and the lead author of the report titled, Proof in Performance – Improving BEMS (Building Energy Management Systems) through Measurement and Verification. As real-estate managers slowly adopt a data-driven approach, the demand for the devices that can deliver actionable insights will grow, Herceg says.
Current offerings are not a good fit for buildings under 50,000 square feet – with the cost being too high to justify the energy savings. This has created a big opportunity at the bottom of the building pyramid, according to the report. But a European Union directive calling for energy services aimed at this segment could lead to a new model for servicing small structures, the report says.
And Lux sees so-called Big Data dominating the building performance market.
Companies such as Sefaira and Retroficiencey are poised to democratize the market, replacing expensive energy modeling techniques and inadequate physics simulation engines, the report says. Sefaira uses a cloud-based tool to rapidly prototype a building and assess energy impacts of design decisions. Similarly, Retroficiency’s “Automated Energy Audit” is a rapid-modeling tool to help engineers find opportunities for energy savings.
Earlier this month, the Department of General Services launched Build Smart DC, a website and energy tracking system that details and shares energy consumption information of the more-than-400 District-owned facility in Washington, DC, in near-real time.
The system, powered by Honest Buildings, is built on thousands of data points that are captured and assessed in near real-time, creating an opportunity for the District to adjust and manage its energy consumption city-wide.
