Measurement and insight to unlock net zero potential

Ireland has set ambitious plans for energy efficiency and net zero emissions by 2050. Companies and public sector organisations may want or need to act sooner. Reverve Energy understands that energy measurement and insight are the keys to unlocking the progress needed on net zero.

Accelerating our net zero carbon goals requires focused action and effective planning. The surge in energy prices in recent times has increased the focus on energy management as well carbon footprint reduction.

National targets are clearly set out by sector, with the built environment being asked to reduce carbon emissions by 45 per cent, industry by 35 per cent, and transport by an especially challenging 50 per cent. Ireland has also been remarkable in embracing and remaining committed to home/remote working at Europe-leading levels. This can make carbon emission reductions even more complex and challenging. Emissions from commuting may reduce but energy usage moves to a home setting still dominated by oil heating and low building quality.

Reverve Energy and its cloud service Verve, has the tools to manage the dual challenges of climate change and rising energy costs. Verve lets customers track their energy usage in detail as well as get valuable insights on energy patterns, anomalies and targeted action for energy reduction and efficiency. Reverve sees that each of its customers are on a unique path to net zero and it is important that the cloud platform allows them to map their own journey. It is vital that every journey starts with an energy baseline. Reverve’s certified energy auditors and IoT devices lay down that baseline and ensure a certain starting point, allowing customers to zoom in on areas that need attention.

“We are always surprised at the conversations unlocked by our energy baseline,” says Sustainable Energy Director, Philip Doyle. “Customers may reach out initially with help on solar panels or heat pump grants. We frequently take them on a journey that shows that the most effective energy action may be in other areas, sometimes areas that are not even on their energy radar. Often the challenge of heat management and insulation dwarf the scale and costs of electricity. That is why, in 2023, we have a huge focus on renewable heat and heat management.”

“For me, data accuracy is a priority. We measure a wide range of energy sources for electricity, oil, gas, and heat. We use a complex range of IoT devices, but I always insist on MID-certified meters.” Sireesla Talasila, Data Manager, Reverve Energy

Measurement tools and targeted action

Reverve Energy has made a commitment to high quality energy data since the start. This data at regular intervals through the day, builds up a detailed picture of energy usage across the organisation and provides detailed insight. Sophisticated IoT devices are the cornerstone of their energy services.

Data Manager, Sireesha Talasila, says: “For me, data accuracy is a priority. We measure a wide range of energy sources for electricity, oil, gas, and heat. We use a complex range of IoT devices, but I always insist on MID-certified meters. This ensures the highest data quality and reliability and allows us to create richer downstream services for energy insight, bill validation and tenant billing.”

While energy measurement creates vast amounts of data very quickly, Reverve analyses this information to show customers the patterns that matter and the forecasts that show where intervention is most effective.

Armed with the insights from Verve’s analytics, customers can move to identifying the behaviour changes and energy investments that will have the most impact. Verve can help to size solar panel installations and accurately estimate their cost saving impact. For customers, this helps to make their business case for investment and accelerate the pathway to grant aid.

Verve’s measurements can track energy usage and compare usage across all sites in a large organisation. It makes comparison easy and highlights the most efficient sites. These exemplars can show the way for others and help set a baseline for excellence that other sites can strive to achieve.

Verve’s accurate, MID-certified data can also mean fair allocation of energy costs to building tenants. Customers report that this helps, mostly by including tenants in the targets for carbon reduction. When tenants can directly monitor, control, and influence their energy usage, they are more likely to reduce it. Too often, energy is bundled as a component in a service fee and tenants have no incentive to reduce energy or strive for efficiency.

Public sector reporting

Public sector bodies have their own challenging targets and reporting requirements for 2030 and beyond. A 51 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and a 50 per cent energy reduction means comprehensive measurement and focused action to achieve this very near-term target. For that reason, Verve has committed to making public sector reporting on energy progress as easy as possible. In most cases, reporting is automated and has zero impact on staff time.

Avoiding the constrained energy grid

Reverve Energy has seen an increasing challenge emerging from national infrastructure and the energy grid. The electricity grid is increasingly constrained. New connections for large-scale renewable investments are delayed and this may slow the decarbonisation of the grid. Delays in the development of a biomethane or hydrogen sector means that the gas grid also is restricted to providing high carbon fossil fuels. The combination means that, increasingly, companies must look to their own sites and “behind the meter” to make progress on carbon reduction.

“The grid risks becoming the most expensive and high-risk source of energy,” says operations lead Terri Brannigan. “We are increasingly focused on customers generating their own energy and we are excited by the development of what we call grid-interactive buildings, using our Verve platform to optimise energy from solar, renewable heat and batteries and reaching out to the grid only when it is cost-effective. This will be an increasing area of activity for us in the future.”

T: 01 440 3865
E: Danielle.Quevedo@reverve.ie
W: www.reverve.ie