Measurement and Verification:
Monitoring Building Systems for Optimal Performance

This summary is a shortened, condensed version of the Full Article.

Executive Summary

Monitoring a building’s energy and resource use can help a building owner and design team maximize performance and efficiency. Measurement and verification (M&V) systems monitor electricity or water use, indoor air quality, or other key areas. The systems compile that information and make it easy to isolate and potentially correct inefficiencies in a system.

Although other metrics can be monitored, M&V systems usually meter the lighting, heating, cooling, and ventilation systems of a building. Information from sensors embedded in system components is relayed to a central processor, allowing technicians to analyze data to detect system malfunctions, maximize efficiency, or determine if a new building commissioned to achieve certain performance specifications actually meets those standards. The International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol has published industry standards for M&V systems, and the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating System offers credits for M&V based on those standards.

The cost of M&V systems depends on their accuracy and complexity; in large buildings, however, the cost of installed equipment plus operation for the first few years typically equals about 1% of the overall project cost. Because M&V systems use the same processor as automated building systems, shared equipment reduces expenses. The biggest challenge is often ensuring that facility managers understand how to interpret and act on the information M&V systems provide. Aside from the benefits of direct reductions in utility costs, M&V systems can prove that a building is functioning as expected, offering building component or design feedback and, in some countries, can help companies apply for cap-and-trade emissions reduction credits.

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