Assessing the energy performance in the tertiary building sector. On-site monitoring of large-scale retail chain

The paper addresses the challenges of monitoring and benchmarking the energy performance of HVAC systems and other electric loads in the tertiary building sector. This information is necessary in many areas to enable the recast EPBD to achieve its full impact in reducing energy use in Building Technical Systems. The analysis covers hourly data analysis and benchmarking based on monthly data. The collection and processing of energy performance data could be part of the inspection of HVAC systems, aimed at identifying technically feasible and cost-effective Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECO’s), as required by EPBD. The paper is based on the IEE iSERVcmb project (www.iservcmb.info), which intends to monitor, for periods of at least a year, the sub-hourly energy consumption of 1600 HVAC systems installed in buildings around the EU Member States. One of the main aims of the project is to produce ranges of benchmark performance for the energy use of HVAC systems and components relative to the activities that are being served. The paper presents the pros and cons of existing benchmark schemes for HVAC systems, and discusses the strategy to be adopted for the production of these iSERVcmb HVAC energy consumption benchmarks.