American School & Hospital Facility

next-highest expense after salaries and
bene;ts. One recent study showed
electrical usage at 63% of the total
square-foot cost of all energy used
by the surveyed facilities during the
school year. As a measurement and
veri;cation tool, electric submeters
are expanding their role in monitoring
and controlling energy costs on cam-
pus.
To effectively manage those resourc-
es, it is necessary to ;rst understand
how and when energy is being used
throughout the facility. Most edu-
cational institutions and healthcare
facilities provide only one utility me-
ter that records energy consumption
(kilowatt-hours or kWh) and demand
(kilowatts or kW) for the entire facil-
ity. This scenario does not allow fa-
cilities to understand exactly where,
when or how their energy is being
used, nor does it allow facilities to
identify areas of waste or opportuni-
ties for conservation and cost savings.
As front-end energy data acquisition
devices, submeters can contribute di-
rectly to certi;cation of schools, uni-
versities and medical providers under
major energy initiative guidelines.
At the enterprise level, these devices
can be used to assist in the measure-
ment and veri;cation of energy con-
servation initiatives, including LEED,
Green Globes, EnergyStar and others
that give facility operators the tools
they need to optimize building per-
formance in a wide variety of param-
eters, especially energy management.
In the academic facility environment,
for example, submeters are ideal for
gathering energy data for:
• Event allocation—energy use of
stadium and parking lighting,
sounds systems, vendors
and more can be submetered
to allocate costs accurately
back to event sponsors
• Leased spaces—bookstores, food
kiosks and other retail spaces use
energy at different rates.
Submeters are ideal for
monitoring and generating
accurate and fair energy
statements based on
individual use
• Department allocation—
metering individual departments
to include energy use is an
effective way to increase
energy awareness, lower
usage and relieve departmental
budgetary pressures
• Student housing—metering
individual spaces increases
energy responsibility
through accountability
• Equipment maintenance—key
items of equipment can be
metered to pro;le energy usage,
providing a diagnostic function
that allows facility personnel
to identify potentially costly
failures before they happen
and to reduce system
downtime
• Student/faculty education—
strategically located in kiosks
or common areas, “green”
submeters and meter dashboards
are effective ways to visually
quantify how behavior impacts
energy conservation and cost
savings issues, thus increasing
environmental awareness

Submeters Facilitate Energy
Management for Health Care
According to industry estimates,
Because of the energy requirements
associated with supporting 24/7 op-
erations and other unique needs, hos-
pitals and other patient-care facilities