Load limiting can help building operators mitigate the impact of the cooling season on their operating budgets while reducing their cooling demand.

District Energy demand is based on the average of a building’s highest cooling peaks using a rolling 1-hour window recorded over the past two years. Demand is established as a fixed cost on the bill over 12 months, so small, incremental reductions can add up to big savings. A building’s programming (residential, office, commercial) will often dictate which methods are available to reduce demand. However, it is true for all buildings that you cannot manage what you do not measure.

District Energy meters can assist in doing just that. Coupled with a building’s automation system, District Energy can provide an output from its meter that will show up-to-the-minute readings of exactly how much cooling demand (aka “tons”) a building is using. With minimal programming, the building operator can set a limit on how much cooling the building is allowed to take. This limit, along with some minor temperature resets in non-critical areas, can result in real reductions in overall demand.

If you think your building could benefit from additional programming and improvements or if you would like more information regarding best practices and available outputs from the District Energy meter, please contact the District Energy team at 651.297.8955, email info@districtenergy.com, or support request form.