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BEAM P
LUS FOR
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B
UILDINGS
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NERGY
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SE
(E
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V
ERSION
1.2
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12 M
ETERING AND
M
ONITORING
Copyright © 2012 BEAM Society Limited. All rights reserved.
Page 118
B
ACKGROUND
Surveys of a large number of buildings in Hong Kong [4] revealed that
buildings are in general insufficiently equipped with measuring and
monitoring devices for measurement of energy performance. This makes
it particularly difficult to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and
major plant, such as the central chiller plant.
Opportunities for reducing energy consumption can be identified only if it
is possible to monitor performance of the systems. Good monitoring
systems can allow better control of part load performance, not only
improving efficiency, but also improving the control of the building’s
thermal comfort conditions. Plant control can be altered and the results
monitored to show how energy consumption changes. Unseen plant
faults, which are not evident during routine maintenance, can be
identified from analysis of performance trend data. Control problems can
be detected and control strategies improved to match the building
demand.
The cost of instrumentation is not significant when compared with
installation costs and the accuracy should be such as to provide
meaningful readings. The payback on improved performance can be
very high taking into account the reduction in electricity consumption and
demand charges resulting from more efficient plant operation.
4
Yik F W H, Chiu T W. Measuring instruments in chiller plants and uncertainties in performance evaluation. Transactions,
The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, 5(3) 95-99.