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Investing budgets and resources in a project hinges on one key factor: ROI. Entrepreneurs, even when considering energy requalification, often ask, “What will be the return on this investment?” The best way to ensure this is by using forecasting and monitoring tools that comply with the IPMVP® protocol.
In this article, we’ll explore why understanding and relying on this convention is crucial. We will cover:
- Why IPMVP® was developed.
- The benefits of using IPMVP.
- How to request a DEMO of Energis.Cloud, the only software that uses IPMVP-compliant models and calculations.
Why was the IPMVP® originally developed
IPMVP® (International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol) standardizes the measurement and verification of energy, water, and renewable energy projects’ performance globally.
Why was it needed?
Indeed, as EVO® explains, energy savings can’t be directly measured because they represent the absence of consumption. The only way to determine true savings is by comparing consumption before and after implementing efficiency measures, considering all variables. The International Protocol aims to define precisely what and how to measure, ensuring consistency and clarity.
The purpose of the International Protocol is to define exactly what and how to measure, to ensure consistency and clarity.
What are the benefits of using IPMVP?
IPMVP applies to various facilities, including existing and new buildings and industrial processes. This protocol offers a reliable, impartial way to measure savings from energy efficiency, water, and renewable energy projects.
Specifically:
- When financial payments depend on proven energy or water savings, as with Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs), IPMVP compliance ensures the reported savings meet best practices. An IPMVP-compliant report allows customers, energy users, or utilities to readily accept performance data. ESCOs using IPMVP-compliant reports typically receive faster payments.
- For professionals like ESCOs and energy managers, using IPMVP as a basis for designing a project’s M&V simplifies energy performance contract negotiations. Tools that forecast project costs and benefits using this protocol also reduce the risk of disputes.
- Reports generated with IPMVP®-based software carry greater credibility and value, offering energy professionals a competitive edge. The protocol provides a reference for tools and methodologies that help companies achieve and promote energy-saving goals more effectively.
Choose software that measures and verifies savings according to IPMVP guidelines
Energis.Cloud, our energy management software, fully complies with IPMVP® to support energy professionals and companies. Recognizing that consumption is influenced by factors like weather and occupancy, Energis.Cloud uses AI algorithms to accurately relate these factors to consumption. It’s the only software on the market that can identify energy models with just a few clicks, all in line with the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol.
The resulting consumption baselines can be used to:
- First, optimize energy performance (generate intelligent alerts);
- Then, forecast energy consumption and production;
- Finally, calculate savings before and after project implementation, under the same conditions.
The figure below illustrates in fact the various criteria used to create and apply highly accurate models that guarantee correct energy consumption forecasts and the determination of achieved savings.
About EVO (Efficiency Valuation Organization)
EVO® is a non-profit organization that empowers professionals to manage and invest in energy efficiency projects. The organization ensures indeed accurate and verifiable measurement of savings and project impacts.
A dedicated internal commission, composed of qualified volunteers from around the world, develops and updates the IPMVP® protocol. Moreover, they also promote energy efficiency tools and best practices globally.
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