Energy Monitoring: Sensible Use Of Energy

Who thinks exactly, who has many power guzzlers in the household. In the next billing they are no longer noticeable, if a targeted energy management is used.

ENERGY MONITORING: MULTIPLE TASKS

The current electricity bill brings it to light: In the billing old appliances such as a washing machine, the fridge or freezer and other supposed household help much more book than desired. This is mostly due to the fact that existing household appliances have become too old and therefore no longer meet the modern categories, as they are also found in the energy certificate.

If that's the case at the latest, then it's time for a household to think about a state-of-the-art energy management system.

Such a concept of energy monitoring fulfills several tasks:

•             It is used to control all electrical energy in a home from one point.

•             It takes control of all existing energy flows and detects power guzzlers.

•             It makes it possible that components, such as mains electricity and photovoltaic systems, can be managed in a meaningful way and the feed-in of their energy into the grid is optimized.

RECORDING: INSTALLATION OF THE ENERGY MANAGEMENT

A system is installed and installed by a specialist in energy management, who integrates it directly into the in-house fuse box. For this purpose, it is often combined with a meter that transfers the data from the household to the central point of energy management.

In this way, the following points can be captured and optimized:

•             Energy consumption via a photovoltaic system

•             Better overview of all energy components

•             More precise statements regarding your own electricity consumption.

ENERGY MONITORING VIA AN ENERGY PORTAL

Anyone who decides on a modern and comfortable control of their household by means of energy management should do so best through the Energy Portal on his PC, tablet or smartphone. Thus, the homeowner or his tenant, the energy flows of a home always up to date and in detail in view.

The Energy Portal should contain the following elements:

•             The user interface offers numerous applications.

•             The user will find current data regarding power generation and consumption.

•             Special functions offer the consumer the charging status of an electric vehicle via app.

•             The connection with a weather app is possible.

•             There are recommendations for the efficient use of energy in the following days.

In addition, this dynamic system has the advantage that it can be expanded in various forms. In general, it can be said that in the smart home sector, there is a future-oriented sector in terms of energy management, which is to be further expanded.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT: GOALS OF A HEAT SERVICE

A few general words about the basic concept of energy management: This idea includes both the planning and the operation of energy production mechanisms and consumption units.

Goals associated with this heat service at a glance:

•             Resource conservation and climate protection

•             cost reductions

•             Ensuring the energy needs of users

•             Ensuring an uninterruptible power supply

•             Ensuring the voltage and current quality in the area of the power supply

•             Guarantee of economically viable electricity and heat prices

ENERGY MONITORING: POINTS OF THE CONCEPT

When planning an energy management, it is assumed that there is either a large overall concept, ie a strategy concept, or detailed concepts exist. These relate, for example, to heat protection, combined heat and power, coverage of electricity demand, recording of energy consumption and much more. In a well-thought-out strategy concept, it is also advisable that the general objectives of energy management be determined.

That can be:

•             Independence in the energy supply

•             Increase the voltage quality

•             cost optimization

On this basis, the collection and analysis of the energy consumption of the property under consideration is carried out, whereby several areas have to be considered:

•             Load gears, ie heat and electricity

•             Energy indicators, ie specific energy consumption per m² and year

•             future developments, such as expansion of production facilities, new legal steps.

From this, an all-encompassing concept is developed, which covers both the strategy concept as well as the current and future energy requirements and billing. In the details, it is important above all that a bill is created, based on which the consumer can see changes to the past years.

ENERGY MONITORING: REGULATION BY DIN STANDARD

The regulation, which is mainly used in the operational area for energy management, has existed since August 2009 in the standard EN 16001. In December 2011 replaced by them by the standard EN ISO 50001, which in Germany as DIN standard DIN EN ISO 50001 is published. The term "energy management" is understood conceptually also "energy controlling" or "energy monitoring".

By definition, energy management is a collaboration of fairly simple consumer data collection systems, from hardware to complex management processes. These then involve entire departments in a company and the associated processes, standards, technologies and much more.

In addition, the following points are important:

•             Energy monitoring: This area mainly relates to the collection of data.

•             Energy Controlling: Here the focus is more on the evaluation of collected data.

•             Energy Management: Tasks and competences should be specifically distributed and defined by the top management to the executing agencies.

•             Larger companies would do well to set up their own organizational unit "energy management", which can be subordinated directly to the management or the second hierarchical level of a company, for example.

•             In a small or medium-sized company, energy management often becomes a sub-task in the area of competence of the manager.

•             Whether small or large companies, the central task of energy management is to reduce the costs of energy in buildings and facilities. It is also important that the work processes are not restricted.

ENERGY MONITORING: CONSUMPTION AS A GUIDELINE

Responsible for all these conceptual processes is the Facility Manager, who deals with economic, environmental, risk-related and quality-oriented goals. He tries on the one hand to keep an eye on the bill and to minimize the total costs.

On the other hand, he deals with the use of smoke detectors, heat meters, technical possibilities of radiomonitoring and with the correct implementation of the guidelines that are anchored in the energy passport. Also important is the kilowatt-hour figure in relation to the square meter per year, short kWh / m²a.

For example, this measure divides apartments and houses according to their energy consumption:

•             Low energy house: consumption of max. 70 kWh / m²a.

•             Passive house: The heating demand may not exceed 15 kWh / m²a.

•             Passive houses use the heat of the sun and people for their energy balance due to their well-insulating building envelopes.

•             Plus energy houses: objects with a positive energy balance. The energy that is needed for everything in the house, is obtained by thermal solar panels or photovoltaic systems themselves.

•             Excess energy from this self-sufficient extraction is then fed into the grid of the region and taken into account in the settlement.