Yesterday (23 February 2012), I had the opportunity to update on the developments for energy management systems through attendance at the ESTA (Energy Services and Technology Association) 10th National Conference covering automatic monitoring and targeting technologies (aM&T).
One of the focus points for the conference was the European Commission proposal for a set of measures to achieve a 20% energy efficiency target for 2020. A later blog post will highlight the main measures in more detail.
The initial conference presentations dealt with the roll-out and use of smart metering in an industry and domestic setting with issues related to interoperability of energy management systems presented by the European Commission and implementation views from India and the United Kingdom. Key issues are defining the level of functionality, which is still a divided issue, the cost of the roll-out with the cost borne by the consumer and, especially in the case of domestic properties, the cost of installation would be several hundred pounds with only a £1.50 per annum benefit to the householder.
Later sessions covered the benefits of smart metering with the application of aM&T, the behaviour change aspects and engaging staff in energy management.
For copies of the presentations, please go to www.esta.org.uk/key