The latest additions to the popular Memera range of consumer units from Eaton’s Electrical Sector have integral energy monitoring facilities, making them a convenient and cost-effective solution for local authorities seeking to improve their performance against National Indicator 186, which targets their CO2 emissions. In properties where energy monitors with real time displays have been installed, it has been found that users are readily achieving sustained reductions in energy usage of between 5% and 20%, by simply changing the way they use electricity.
The Local Government Performance Framework has reduced the central government burden on local authorities, but has increased direct accountability. Underpinning the framework is a series of National Indicators (NIs) against which the performance of the local authorities is now measured. Among these is NI 186, which deals with the per-capita reduction in CO2 emissions in the local authority area, and effectively obliges local authorities to find ways of continually improving their emissions performance.
While CO2 emissions relating to energy used in domestic properties account for a significant proportion of the whole, reducing domestic energy use has, in the past, been difficult. Eaton’s new Memera consumer units with integrated efergy wireless energy monitors can now offer an effective and affordable way of addressing this crucial issue, by encouraging the behavioural changes required to effect these reductions.
Designed primarily for use in new installations and for incorporation during major refurbishment work when a new consumer unit is also being fitted, these new units feature a wireless energy-monitoring transmitter and sensor pre-installed by Eaton. This means that they take should take no longer on site to install than a standard unit and that the inconvenience and potential hazards associated with an unskilled person fitting current sensors around meter tails are also eliminated. In addition, with this arrangement the transmitter is powered internally direct from the consumer unit, and so needs no batteries.
The transmitter sends information wirelessly to an efergy remote display unit that can be mounted in any convenient location up to 40 metres away from the consumer unit. The display shows not only the amount of energy currently being used, but also the cost of that energy – a feature that has been found to provide a big incentive for homeowners to look for ways to economise.
The efergy energy monitoring system also stores historical data about energy costs, usage and CO2 emissions for up to 24 months. This not only makes it easy for homeowners to evaluate the success of their energy- and money-saving efforts over that period, but also could allow local authorities to check on the patterns and trends of energy use in specific properties.
Part of the well-proven and widely used family of Memera consumer units from Eaton, the new versions with integral efergy energy monitoring are available in both main switch isolator controlled and dual RCCB versions. When correctly installed, the consumer units comply fully with all applicable UK standards, and with the requirements of the 17th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations.
Eaton
www.eaton.com/uk
