The Case for Multiple Models and Methods of Verification in the Measurement & Verification of Energy Efficiency Projects

The Measurement & Verification (M&V) of energy procedure is exceptionally important since it is the procedure for quantifying savings delivered by an energy savings initiative. This process is thus important in the energy savings field, especially when quantifying savings for initiatives such as 12L and 12I. A study of the literature relating to the energy M&V process however showed an alarming trend. It was found that the majority of M&V teams rely solely on a regression analysis with a single verification, namely R-2, in order to verify their models. However, as illustrated in this article, evaluating and selecting an M&V model based solely on its statistical characteristics can be misleading. It is therefore necessary to use multiple, alternative approaches in order to evaluate and compare potential M&V models.