Enigin Update - UK Government Reveals Real-Time Energy Data
THE UK government has installed energy meters in 18 department headquarters in London, that can now be seen online by the public, with the administration stating they want to increase accountability in a bid to cut emissions by 10% over the next 12 months.
Real-time energy meters should help departments identify when and where energy is being used and then find ways to reduce energy use, such as reducing the use of cooling systems and/or turning off IT equipment when not needed.
The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Home Office led the way with energy meters that update departmental energy use every five seconds, while other departments have provided online meters that give data on an hourly or daily basis. All the data is being made available through the government's new Data.gov.uk web site.
According to official figures, energy spend across the public sector estate reached £2.6bn in 2008/09, and generated 19.5MtCO2e (Metric Tonne Carbon Dioxide Equivalent) in carbon emissions.
The information is provided in a database format and reveals little of what is happening to the energy, just providing what is used. A more effective reporting process would provide accurate information on how, where and when energy is being used. At least it is a step in the right direction as real-time energy reporting is vital to managing energy properly.
Enigin Distributors supply many organisations and businesses with Enigin's real-time energy management system Eniscope, which goes way beyond the reporting provided by the UK government, supplying true real-time data even to public display screens so visitors to departments or businesses are able to easily analyse far more than just kWh readings, and as it happens.
The UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron, who heads a Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition, claimed soon after taking power earlier this year that his administration would be "the greenest ever".
And with this latest initiative Energy and climate change minister Greg Barker said:
“For too long Whitehall has been guilty of preaching and not acting on efficiency.
"Shining a spotlight on what’s being used in real time will help staff change their behaviour and the public hold us to account.
"We said we’d be the greenest government ever and we mean it.”
Francis Maude, the minister for the cabinet office, heads the government’s "transparency agenda", stated:
“The publication of the real time energy figures today is yet another demonstration of our commitment to transparency as a government.
"As with other transparency initiatives we urge the public to really hold our feet to the fire and make sure that we drive down our energy use as much as possible."
Many governments, organisations and businesses are finding it vital to be able provide real-time energy and environmental data, hence the intense global interest in Enigin's Eniscope and its related displays for energy management and public information.
