RDES has expanded its services into Energy Efficiency
Monday, September 7th, 2009RD Energy Solutions, long known and respected for its work within the field of renewable energy, has expanded its portfolio of services to include the Energy Efficiency field. Having recognizing the vital importance of energy efficiency to improving sustainability, and its interdependence with renewable energy solutions, RDES has put together an expert team to deliver energy efficiency solutions.
The energy efficiency team at RDES is qualified to produce EPCs and experienced with energy monitoring, targeting and management, energy audits and carbon footprinting.
“We can now deliver the complete service that can turn your business into a lean, green, environmentally friendly machine” – Jonathan Webb (Energy Efficiency Manager)
Energy Performance Certificates
BRE qualified to produce commercial EPCs to level 4, the RDES energy Efficiency team has won contracts to deliver EPCs for NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside, NHS Fife, Angus Council, Fife Council, Dundee University, Scottish Prison Service and Carillion. RDES has built up considerable experience in buildings ranging from very large 40,000m2 hospital buildings to schools, offices, prisons, retail outlets and warehouses.
Energy Monitoring & Targeting
The RDES team has considerable experience monitoring energy data from renewable sources and is combining this expertise with the ability target energy consumption data creating an energy efficient operation. RDES is using this expertise to help companies such as Scottish & Newcastle, Dobbies and MacKays gain a better understanding of their energy usage. Old meters and inadequate metering prohibit the efficient collection of information and do not provide enough detail to understand where energy is being used. Additionally it is vital to have detailed information on energy usage in order to create an effective energy management programme. This can help to form the basis of real energy savings from energy efficiency initiatives.
RD Energy Solutions can provide the technical expertise and advice for the following:
· Assess the monitoring, communication and data collection equipment requirements
· Provide a cost benefit analysis
· Install any required equipment
· Monitor and analyse energy use at each site over an agreed period of time.
Energy Management
As a part of a compete energy service the Energy Efficiency team at RDES provide energy management expertise that turns energy monitoring and targeting into an ongoing, effective energy management programme.
Energy Management is a continuous process that is used to accomplish the efficient use of energy in a building or system. The process involves monitoring, analysing and targeting energy use. Energy management is an energy efficiency technique based on the standard management axiom stating that “you cannot manage what you cannot measure”. M&T techniques provide feedback on operating practices, results of energy management projects, and guidance on the level of energy use that is expected in a certain period.
The goal of using M&T to determine the relationship of energy use to key performance indicators (production, weather, etc.) is to help:
· Identify and explain increases or decreases in energy use
· Draw energy consumption trends (weekly, seasonal, operational…)
· Determine future energy use when planning changes in the business
· Diagnose specific areas of wasted energy
· Observe how the business reacted to changes in the past
· Develop performance targets for energy management programs
· Manage energy consumption, rather than accept it as a fixed cost that they have no control over.
· Improve energy awareness through all tiers of the business.
In addition to this the energy management service, using detailed energy monitoring, checks energy invoices and provide peak management to reduce energy bills.
The ultimate goal of M&T is to reduce energy costs through improved energy efficiency and energy management control. Other benefits generally include increased resource efficiency, improved budgeting and reduction of GHG emissions.
Energy Audits
An energy audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows in a building, process, or system with the objective of understanding the energy dynamics of the system under study. For an occupied building reducing energy consumption while maintaining or improving human comfort, health and safety is of primary concern. Beyond simply identifying the sources of energy use, an energy audit seeks to prioritize the energy uses according to the greatest to least cost effective opportunities for energy savings.
RDES team of energy efficiency experts can provide a site energy audit or detailed energy audit that would expand on the monitoring and targeting by collecting more detailed information about facility operation and by performing a more detailed evaluation of energy conservation measures. Using the interval meter data the detailed energy profiles will be analyzed for signs of energy waste. Additional RDES will perform a survey of the building and conduct in-depth interviews and surveys with facility operating personnel to provide a better understanding of major energy consuming systems and to gain insight into short and longer term energy consumption patterns.
This type of audit will be able to identify all energy-conservation measures appropriate for the facility, given its operating parameters. A detailed financial analysis is performed for each measure based on detailed implementation cost estimates; site-specific operating cost savings, and the customer’s investment criteria. Sufficient detail is provided to justify project implementation. These energy conservation measures feed into an Energy Reduction Strategy for Dobbies which will not only provide energy savings but also save money.
Carbon Footprinting
A carbon footprint is “the total set of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product” (UK Carbon Trust 2008). Working out the carbon footprint for a company should be an ongoing process that allows the performance with respect to a company’s emissions to be evaluated over time.
The energy efficiency team at RDES is helping companies to develop a carbon footprinting process and procedure in order to meet the internationally recognised standards for recording, measuring and reporting carbon emissions according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative.
Energy Training
In addition to the above services the energy efficiency team offers energy training. With years of experience in teaching and training the team can building an effective training programme to build energy awareness across a company. Using a practical and visual learning experience gives the employees an excellent understanding of the issues and the knowledge to affect change.
