Energy meter system connected to an EMS

Each apartment is provided with a heat meter system.

A continued monitoring and periodic auditing has been foreseen in order to verify the cost-effectiveness of the energy saving measures.

An EMS controls, monitors and records the main physical parameters involved in order to meter and process all the energy flows, their interactions and trends.

A central station with a personal computer gives the possibility of controlling and modifying the status of the heating system, including the control of local heat meters, providing an integrated load management of heating system in each apartment, depending on solar insulation and outdoor temperature.

The final aim is to monitor the energy efficiency and the internal comfort of the “prototype” building and to permit a comparison with the energy efficiency of the traditional building.

The management operations are made from the PC and they consist in the following possible actions:

• To control in real time, the system status, the alarms and the commands with reference to all the operating times.
• To permit an autonomous management of the energy consumption of the two buildings.
• To acquire all data for the continuous monitoring of each plant system.
• To provide expected performance.
• To monitor energy consumption of the buildings and hot and cold-water consumption.

The objective of the monitoring is to verify the energy saving obtained in the prototype building, comparing to the traditional building.

This is obtained by monitoring the solar thermal system and PV system.

Water consumption is also registered.

Heat contribution from the water solar collectors is monitored together with the weather conditions (temperature and solar radiation).

Regarding the PV system, the objective of the monitoring is to measure the electricity produced by the solar PV system and to optimise the operation on the base of the climatic conditions.

The EMS registers the following parameters:

• Daily operation time of the PV system.
• Daily electricity production of the PV systems.
• Total hours of operation of the PV system from the start of the EMS.
• Total electricity production of the PV system from the start of the EMS.

The monitoring is carried out by a data logger system. The acquired data are transmitted to the EMS. The EMS provides printed data of the measures.