Why sub-metering is key to building sustainability
With rising energy prices and a global commitment to zero emissions by 2050, the topic of building energy efficiency has never been more important.
In Europe alone, according to IMT’s guidebook, buildings are responsible for 36% of total carbon emissions and 97% of those buildings are not energy efficient. But you can’t manage what you can’t measure, which helps to explain the growing importance of sub-metering.
A sub-meter is an additional electricity, gas, water or heat meter that is installed in a building ‘beyond’ the main utility meter to measure the energy consumption of individual tenants or equipment in a commercial building.
Improved billing, resource and energy management
The benefits of sub-metering are considerable.
- Landlords can bill tenants for their actual consumption, improving transparency and incentivising water and energy conservation.
- Consumers can verify the accuracy of utility meters and hence their bills, keeping an eye on consumption between billing periods.
- Businesses can measure the utilisation and consumption of equipment such as heating, air conditioning, lighting and refrigeration to identify areas needing improved efficiency.
- Sub-metering also facilitates environmental and sustainability reporting to regulators, shareholders and the public.
Cellular sub-metering
There are a variety of ways of connecting sub-meters, but cellular communication has several advantages.
- Sub-metering installation and operation is commonly subcontracted and cellular offers an ‘out of band’ connection, avoiding the need for businesses to grant third-party access to their internal communications networks.
- Cellular connectivity is quicker and avoids the disruption and expense of installing fixed wiring, while providing the same reliable and stable connectivity.
- Since it is encrypted with SIM authentication and conforms to open peer-reviewed standards, cellular communication is also more secure than unlicensed wireless alternatives.
Why Vodafone
With tens of millions of smart meters and other energy applications already under management for utilities and the largest roaming network of any mobile network operator, Vodafone has the experience and reach to help you implement the right choice.
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