Cambridge University

The following is based on information provided by the Energy Management Team at Cambridge University:

The Customer

Cambridge University Estate covers more than 300 buildings, a number of which are supplied by BizzEnergy. With a mix of sites ranging from ancient listed buildings to cutting edge modern architecture and design, its energy management team faces some tough challenges in monitoring and comparing consumption.

The Idea

In 2004, around forty of the different Non Half Hourly (NHH) sites, from office buildings to sport pavilions and science laboratories, were selected for the installation of Smart Meters. These sites had meters which were previously read on a quarterly basis. This meant that invoices were frequently based on estimates of usage. Paul Hasley, the University’s Energy Manager explains “The Smart Meters came to be installed from our program of Monitoring and Targeting. We wanted to get better information about our electricity usage in smaller buildings.”

The University had already installed sub-metering where possible on their larger, Half Hourly metered supplies to get consumption breakdowns. They were now looking at options for their smaller buildings to provide accurate consumption data here too.

The Solution

The University opted for the very latest technology in the form of the latest EDMI remote communications Smart Meters. The data is gathered using cutting edge GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) technology. It is then validated by the meter provider, who also performs the role of Data Collector, Retriever and Aggregator. This revolutionary advance means that the actual electricity consumption at site is captured every thirty minutes. This allows the smallest of sites to receive the benefits of Half Hourly metering at a fraction of the cost.

The Benefits

Two years on, the benefits of the Smart Metering are evident. The customer is now able to spot the slightest changes in their consumption patterns. They now have the option to take remedial action immediately. In addition, by having actual Half Hourly consumption data at their fingertips, they’ve been able to take steps to improve their energy efficiency through a scheme with the Carbon Trust.

Using the Half Hourly data provided by the Smart Meters, energy efficiency experts were able to investigate the actual consumption at the sites. They could then make recommendations to increase efficiency and help reduce costs. In one example, they spotted anomalies such as higher than expected consumption at sites over the weekend. On further investigation, it became apparent that this was due to storage heaters running on a 24-hour-a-day basis. When these were switched onto a 7-day pattern, consumption was reduced.

Energy efficiency has increased with the added benefit of reducing their energy spend as well as making inroads into Cambridge University’s target of reducing their CO2 emissions by 10% by 2010. Overall, the savings identified using the Smart Metering data are estimated at 10%, savings which Paul could not have made if actual consumption figures for specific half hours weren’t available. They have also seen a benefit in the management of their accounts. Accurate “real time” readings are used for billing. As a result, the number of billing queries has decreased along with the amount of administration involved in checking estimated readings. Knowing that invoices are accurate, and not having to make contingency for large “catch up” bills means that a more precise energy budget can be planned.

“Compared to how things would be without them [Smart Meters], we’d expect anything up to a quarter of them to have inaccurate or anomalous readings” says Paul.

The Future

The University plans to monitor its consumption even more closely using the web analyser software (provided as part of the Smart Metering solution). This will allow staff to compare usage on a meter not just against historical trends but against other sites as well. Because data can be easily extracted in half hour blocks, they can build up a pattern of usage and manage energy costs more effectively. With actual readings available on their PCs immediately, they also aim to improve energy efficiency even further. They know the results of any steps taken can be seen quickly through their Smart Meter data.

Paul Hasley confirms, “We are definitely glad that we switched to Smart Meters, and any new buildings will have these installed as standard”. The advantages of Smart Meters are such that the University may extend their use to other utilities. “We’re keen to try and use Smart Meters to track our gas consumption and hope it will bring the same benefits as we’ve seen for electricity.”

Paul Hasley, Energy Manager, Cambridge University

Page last updated August 2008