VRM Clarity

About

Summary VRM Clarity provides a real-time data dashboard for District Heating Network Operators (HNOs) with configurable KPIs, real-time alerts and a 3D map with a geographical representation of the connected dwellings and the surrounding community. HNOs can see in real-time how their heating systems are performing, without the need to employ an army of specialised engineers. It provides oversight and insight at the click of a button; unnecessary energy losses are easily located, flow and return rates monitored, inefficient boilers pinpointed, base and peak loads identified, and issues and KPI thresholds warn the user of breaches before they become serious problems. Project Status VRM Clarity was borne out of a live field trial with Camden Council. The project focussed on a solution that reduced energy consumption and making the complex easy to understand.  Phase 1 – Planning and Analysis VRM’s in-house technical experts worked closely with Camden’s sustainability team to create live multi-data source dashboard with KPIs and 3D image mapping and with a ‘traffic light’ alert system activated when set thresholds are exceeded. Phase 2 - Design and Implementation – After successful feedback on the Dashboard VRM integrated its dashboard at Somerstown, a 342-dwelling district heat network in Kings Cross, London. The dashboard contained a 3D map created, with client specific KPI’s were with a ‘traffic light’ alert system to alert Camden’s sustainability team,  Phase 3 – Product Launch - On the back of the success of this Project VRM Clarity has been rolled out across all of Camden’s housing stock, and VRM Clarity is now a mature product offering for VRM. Various landlords are trialling the software, and VRM Clarity has been shortlisted by the Association of Decentralised Energy and Sustainable Homes in the Innovation categories. Description There are currently 17,125 heat networks registered in the UK. The overwhelming majority of the owners have little or no insight into the real-time performance of their systems leading to higher levels of Co2 emissions, a lack of cost control, and a risk of non-compliance to statutory regulations including the Heat Network (Metering & Billing) Regulations 2014. The sector is also struggling with poor public reputation arising from inefficient heat networks that lock vulnerable households into fuel poverty from higher than average energy bills. Historically, when many District Heating networks were installed gas was a low-cost source of heat supply, and as the systems aged, the focus was on providing a reliable source of heat rather than energy efficiency. With the introduction of the Heat Networks (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014, the need for heat network operators (HNOs) to take greater responsibility for system efficiency has become a priority which is demonstrated by the creation of the Heat Trust. The main problem for existing networks is the limited insight into system performance. It is often not possible to monitor systems in real time. It is even harder to monitor KPIs and holds contractors to account. Not having this information limits the ability to identify cost and carbon savings. Championing the adage “you can’t improve what you can’t measure” VRM set out to develop a cost-effective dashboard to monitor and measure an existing network. VRM worked with Camden council on the ‘Somers Town Energy Network’ in Kings Cross for the project to create VRM Clarity. VRM Clarity provides a live data dashboard with configurable KPIs, a 3D map with a geographical representation of the connected dwellings and the surrounding community. Dashboard KPIs change colour when an issue arises or a KPI threshold is exceeded and alerts the HNO. This integrates with VRM’s repair and maintenance dashboard that fully encompasses residents into the repairs process and allows for the addition of further assets. HNOs can now have a detailed “look under the bonnet” and see in real time how their heating systems are performing, without leaving the office. Unnecessary energy losses are easily located, flow and return rates monitored, inefficient boilers pinpointed, base and peak loads identified, and issues and KPI thresholds warn the user of breaches before they become serious problems.  The project has provided Camden with carbon reduction and monetary savings by optimising the network and identifying issues and oversupply. Independent Monitoring and verification specialist EEVS modelled the annual savings at £45,000 with a 22% reduction in Gas usage and total carbon savings of 477 t/co2. Camden are now able to create strategies related to carbon reductions, fuel poverty and cost savings with highly accurate data points and can hold existing suppliers to account if KPIs are missed. On the back of the energy and cost savings on one of Camden’s best performing District Heating plants, they have decided to roll VRM Clarity out to their entire stock portfolio of district and communal heating plants. Innovative Aspect VRM Clarity is unique as it reduces energy consumption by generating efficiencies and provides greater transparency, accountability and heat network intelligence, without requiring HNOs to employ an army of specialised engineers. Real-time performance data and instant insight at the click of a button provides the confidence to HNOs that systems are running at optimal performance. Below is a list of benefits with an explanation on how VRM achieves this. Reducing energy, tenant bills and CO2 emissions- Clarity pinpoints and analyses underperformance of a network through live data analysis and allows the client to address the underperformance to provide greater efficiencies and reduce energy consumption. Diagnostics - VRM Clarity provides a live dashboard that analyses the heat network in real-time against pre-defined KPIs; it alerts the HNO of issues before they become problems due to thresholds on the KPIs. Proactive alerts - Most asset management is reactive, e.g. where a fault occurs a repair is issued. VRM Clarity identifies faults via real-time alerts before they become problems. This creates a proactive response to issues, saving on internal management time while extending the lifetime performance of the network. Relative vs actual efficiencies - There is a generally held assumption about relative efficiencies of systems based on manufacturer descriptions - which are rarely tested. Clarity is connected to live monitoring and measuring devices to provide actual data rather than assumed, and holds manufacturers, designers, installers and operators to account as part of a tailored M&V regime. Benefits Overview VRM Clarity is unique as it addresses the many faceted issues brought up by billing regulations and the drive toward transparency, accountability and heat network intelligence, without requiring the heat network operator (HNO) to employ an army of specialised engineers VRM Clarity’s Dashboard allows oversight and insight at the click of button. Proactive KPIs alert the user of issues before they become problems and provides the confidence to HNOs that systems are running at optimal performance, within budget, while ensuring that residents not only continue to see the value of district heating via low energy bills but experience a seamless and reliable heating service. Specifically innovation can be summarised as follows Specific Benefits Cost and Energy Savings VRM Clarity provided annual savings at £45,000 with a 22% reduction in Gas usage, these cost have been independently verified (Please see Appendix A) To illustrate: VRM’s system immediately identified that variable pumps on the networks were running at 100%, over £1,000 a month was saved by adjusting them to a suitable level.  Carbon Reduction The current challenge is the generally held assumption about relative efficiencies of systems based on manufacturer descriptions - which are rarely tested. The dashboard, connected to monitoring and measuring devices such as dwelling meters, temperature and (potentially) humidity and damp sensors, provides actual data rather than assumed data and hold manufacturers, designers, installers and operators to account as part of a tailored M&V regime. The total carbon savings on the Camden project have been independently verified at 477 t/CO2. Operational Efficiencies VRM provides cost-effective solutions which do not lock clients into lengthy and expensive contracts. Having data available at point of use produces greater efficiencies. Contractors don’t have to contact the authority to access data. Advanced analytics, with real-time performance data, lowered operational costs by having access to live data and faster fix times due to live alerts. Reduced consultancy costs - VRM gives clients unparalleled live insight into the performance of new and existing networks allowing clients to make informed decisions based on accurate live data. This provides considerable savings as clients can ‘do it themselves’ stripping the engineering complexity back to a simple dashboard. A substantial part of the independently verified savings are down to a reduction in consultancy cost.   Resource benefits - Camden has compared Somers Town to other heat networks and information that can be sourced using the dashboard in five minutes took over four hours on ‘site b’ indicating the resource savings that can be offered. Social benefits of VRM Clarity is hard for social housing departments to justify additional investment when borough-wide savings programmes are the drivers. As such, having a cost-effective, resource-light solution to managing network performance enables social housing providers to make decisions based on accurate data. This enables the creation of a new role, that of Heat Network Assessor, to be introduced so that the journey from preparation and brief through to customer expectation obligations is fully covered by ‘having the right people on the bus, in the right seats, at the right time’ to paraphrase Jim Collins. Camden has already started on this journey and commitment to best value.  Specifically, the platform: Helps protect the vulnerable from interruptions to their heat supply which may have adverse effects on their health and well-being. Protects and enhances the reputation of the HNIO through improved design, delivery and operation. Allows Camden to investigate high and low consuming sites and compare this against resident energy consumption and support those struggling to pay their bills. Helps residents experience a higher quality more consistent service, and lower long-term fuel costs Protects Camden from claims for compensation, requests for temporary heaters or costly out of hours visits as faults can be immediately picked up Improves performance, which means less gas is used which reduces charges to residents for their heat and hot water thus safeguarding against fuel poverty Most of the tangible benefits VRM Clarity provides have been independently verified, please see the appendix for a Report. On top of this Camden council has decided to roll out VRM Clarity across their entire stock, demonstrating the tangible savings generated through VRM Clarity.