A Framework to Evaluate the Energy Performance of School Buildings with a Real-Time Monitoring Plan

Abstract

Building energy consumption contributes a significant portion of secondary energy use. Energy consumption in school buildings represents enormous annual cost for school boards nationwide. However, a large portion of the energy used in schools is wasted due to inefficient equipment and occupant behaviour. To reduce the operating budgets of schools in terms of energy costs, an effective energy management strategy must be developed and applied. This thesis presents a framework of an electrical management program to evaluate the energy performance of school buildings. The examination of building energy performance incorporates the analysis of historical electricity consumption data and the establishment of building energy benchmarks. A real-time monitoring plan is also proposed in order to continuously track the energy performance of school buildings and identify any energy saving opportunities. This research study is based on an ongoing project with Edmonton Catholic School District (ECSD) Facility Services. The methodology proposed in this research can be used as a reference by school districts to categorize school buildings based on energy performance and identify electricity-saving opportunities.