The Energy Data Innovation Network (EDI-Net) will use smart energy and water meter data to accelerate the implementation of EU sustainable energy policy. It will do this by increasing the capacity of EU public authorities to act quickly and decisively. This capacity will be increased by the provision of just the right amount of intelligible information, by targeted training, by exchange of experiences of public authorities, by provision of tools and support, to implement and monitor their sustainable energy plans.
The core of EDI-NET is the analysis of smart meter data from buildings, from renewable energy systems and from building energy management systems (BEMS) using Big Data analytic technologies. The attractive fruit around this core is an online forum to spread knowledge and facilitate exchange of experience and best practice through peer to peer education in a friendly and useful way. The tree that supports and ripens the fruit is the existing European network of Climate Alliance that builds the capacity of EU public authorities to more effectively implement sustainable energy policies. We recognise the smart meter data, by themselves, will not implement sustainable energy policy. However, when combined with on-line discussion forum, local campaigns, awareness raising and peer to peer knowledge transfer it can achieve savings of between 5 and 15 percent; at least 16 GWh/yr, worth over 1.5 M€.
Objective 1: To enable public authorities to spread knowledge of the potential to use information from smart energy and water meter data to:
• rapidly identify renewable energy supply and energy saving opportunities in their buildings
• more accurately represent energy and water budgets to financial managers to help motivate people to save energy
• Compare the performance of their buildings with similar buildings in other EU member states to help energy managers share best practice.
• analyse the potential sustainable energy investment opportunities.
The dashboard and benchmarking tools enable public authorities to use information from smart energy and water meter data. The dashboard tool allows public authorities to view their smart water and energy meter data very easily. The benchmarking tool to record and evaluate investment in sustainable energy.
Objective 2: To enable public authorities to engage more effectively with their building users/managers to promote sustainable energy to:
• establish an on-line forum to exchange information about energy and water use in buildings and share best practice
• quantify renewable energy supply in buildings increased knowledge of building users through peer to peer education
An online forum enables public authorities to engage more effectively with their building users and building managers to promote sustainable energy. The forum allows public authorities to create private areas to have conversations with their users, as well as join public conversations that take place across public authorities and across Europe.
Objective 3: To enable public authorities to deliver sustainable energy policy more effectively by the:
• implementation of energy efficiency directive
• implementation of Sustainable Energy Action Plans, local Climate Protection Plans and energy Efficiency Directive, through
o monitoring, benchmarking and exchange of good practice amongst public authorities
o identifying other potential uses for energy and water meter data
o feedback from users to develop new opportunities for the information from half hourly meter readings
The dashboard and benchmarking tools enable public authorities to more effectively deliver against their obligations of the Energy Efficiency Directive, Sustainable Energy Action Plans and Climate Protection Plans. Public authorities have recognised that the energy and water meter data, graphed against the historical trends and communicated using the smiley faces, is very useful at identifying malfunctioning and faulty equipment in buildings and for identifying opportunities for investment in sustainable energy
Objective 4: To enable public authorities to improve networking and knowledge transfer at the European level on benchmarking of public authority buildings to share best practice through:
• improved knowledge transfer
• capacity building
• creation of a new “smart data” user community.
Public authorities using EDI-Net will be able to gain knowledge from the training and capacity building events, to share knowledge via the forum and to share this knowledge with other users. A new user community of “smart data” users will be established when new partners start using the EDI-Net services in the next part of the project
