URMRIREA N TIMP A CONSUMURILOR DE ENERGIE N SECTORUL CLDIRILOR DE LOCUIT

Daniel, Rusu, PhD. student, Junior assistant, Department of Building Services, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Daniel.Rusu@insta.utcluj.ro

Rezumat: In contextul unei dezvoltri durabile, reducerea consumului de energie reprezint unul dintre cele mai importante obiective ale strategiei energetice mondiale avnd n considerare epuizarea combustibililor fosili i exploatarea surselor regenerabile de energie. Sectorul rezidenial este cel mai mare consumator de energie, cercetarea n acest domeniu fiind de maxim prioritate. Urmrirea n timp a consumurilor de energie este singura cale pentru stabilirea modelelor, ceea ce va da nastere soluiilor de optimizare pentru fiecare tip de cldire, innd cont de condiiile naturale.
Cuvinte cheie: Sector rezidenial, contoare telemetrice, soft de analiz, metode de optimizare

1. CONTEXTUL GENERAL Principalul factor n dezvoltarea societii umane n epoca modern este reprezentat de consumul de energie. Aceasta difer n funcie de gradul de dezvoltare al industriei i al societii, zona geografic i clima, nivelul de trai, nivelul de educaie i cultur al populaiei. Obiectivul principal al strategiei n sectorul energetic, att n prezent ct i n viitor, este de a satisface nevoile energetice la un pre ct mai sczut, ceea ce corespunde unei economii moderne si unui standard de via decent, n termeni de calitate i siguran, n ceea ce privete cu principiile dezvoltrii durabile. Modul n care energie este produs de n prezentz poate fi analizat din prizma gazele cu efect de ser care sunt eliberate n atmosfer, n special CO2 care este produs la nivel mondial ntro cantitate de 30 de miliarde de tone n fiecare an. Cantitatea de emisii de CO2 depinde de cinci factori principali: numrul de oameni de pe Pmnt, numrul de servicii pentru fiecare persoan, cantitatea de energie per tip de serviciu i cantitatea de CO2 emis per unitate de energie. Numrul de persoane este estimat s creasc de la 6.75 miliarde n ziua de astzi la 9 miliarde n 2050 i numrul de servicii este posibil s se dubleze odat cu creterea nivelului de trai. Aceasta presupune c doar doi factori pot fi modificai cu scopul de a reduce emisiile de CO2. Cantitatea de energie consumat pentru fiecare tip de serviciu poate fi redus prin optimizare. In cazul departamentului de construcii, aceste servicii sunt de nclzirea, iluminatul, rcirea i ventilaiea, apa rece i furnizarea de energie electric. Toate aceste servicii depind de caracteristicile zonelor n care sunt furnizate precum caracteristicile naturale (temperatura exterioar, prezena apei, vntul, lumina soarelui, temperatura solului, ape termale, etc) sau caracteristicile umane (nivelul de trai, educaia i cultura, programul de munc etc), astfel nct este imposibil s se gseasc o soluie general pentru a optimiza consumul de energie. Prin urmare, fiecare cladire sau grup de cldiri similare ar trebui s fie analizat separat, cu particularitile ei. Urmrirea i analizarea consumului de energie este singura modalitate pentru ingineri de a determina soluiile de reabilitare ce ar trebui aplicate pentru a mbunti fiecare cladire sau grup de cldiri. Cantitatea de CO2 emis pentru producerea fiecrei uniti de energie poate fi redus la aproape zero prin trecerea de la combustibilii fosili spre o energie curat furnizat de surse regenerabile de

energie i energia nuclear. Energia din surse regenerabile poate fi produs la nivel local sau colectiv, n funcie de suprafaa disponibil asigurnd ndependen energetic pentru o cas, un cartier sau chiar un ora. Studiind consumul de energie pentru un anumit tip de locuin se poate calcula ce cantitate de energie trebuie s fie produs din surse alternative. 2. URMRIREA N TIMP A CONSUMURILOR DE ENERGIE 2.1 CONTOARE TELEMETRICE INTELIGENTE Urmrirea n timp a consumului poate fi aplicat la toate cldirile care dispun de contoare individuale pentru diferite utilitati: electricitate, gaze naturale, ap, nclzire, aer condiionat etc. Cele mai multe cldiri au deja acest dispozitivele instalate n scopul de a nregistra consumurile lunare, cu scopul de a plti aceste utiliti, astfel nct, nu exist nici un motiv a nu fi folosite pentru urmrirea consumurilor pe perioade mari de timp i a face citiri ct de des este nevoie. Citirile necesit acces la contoare deoarece majoritatea contoarelor se afla n interiorul cladirilor, deci, dac citirea se face n mod tradiional este consumatoare de timp i deranjant pentru locatari. n schimb, citirea se poate face prin dispozitive electronice care pot transmite informatii wireless la un computer care adun toate datele. Dispozitivele de citire sunt plasate deasupra contoarelor i efectueaz citirea folosind senzori optici. Ele sunt alimentate cu ajutorul acumulatorilor, astfel nct, nu este nevoie de cabluri electrice. Cldirile care nu dispun de contoare individuale , la toate este mai ieftin s instalai metri telemetric sau inteligent de la nceput acest lucru n viitor, toate valorile vor fi realizate n mod automat (figura 1). n cazul n care cldirile nu au conexiune la internet, astfel nct datele colectate nu pot fi transmise la companiile de utilitati, un terminal portabil se poate folosi pentru fiecare cateva case sau a unui bloc de locuinte. Soluii care implic utilizarea de un terminal portabil poate obine, de asemenea, o multime de beneficii cum ar fi o cretere de 20% a sarcinilor ndeplinite de cititori pe zi, scderea cu 35% a cheltuielilor de deplasare sau reducere de 60% n activitile de la dispecer. Instead, the reading can be done by electronic devices that can transmit information wireless to a computer that gathers all the data. The reading devices are placed on top of the regular meters and they make their reading using optic sensors. They are powered by rechargeable batteries so there is no need for electric cables running through the house. In buildings that dont have meters at all it is cheaper to install telemetric or smart meters from the beginning so in the future all readings will be made automatically (Fig.1). If the buildings do not have internet connection so the data collected cannot be transmitted to the utility companies, a portable terminal can be use for every few houses or a block of flats. Solutions that involve using a portable terminal can also obtain a lot of benefits like an increase by 20% of tasks performed by daily readers, 35% decrease in travel expenses or 60% reduction in the activities at the dispatcher.

Fig.1 Different type of smart meters and data collecting mobile computers

In most developed countries, free interval meters have already been implemented by the utility companies. In some countries or states this is mandatory, but suppliers often do it anyway, as the detailed interval data helps them with billing and demand forecasting. For both the utility companies and consumers, benefits of implementing a mobile system for automatic meter reading are many: efficient utilization of human resources involved in the process of reading, by improving coordination team of readers, while a reduction in operational costs; decrease time spent reading activities by automating the processes of reading, billing service or consumption; eliminate human errors that occur in the process of reading classic data by removing the work by written paper; reducing delays in billing and cash flow improvement while obtaining accurate consumption bills; improving access to critical information on consumers and staff activities; reducing the number of annoyed customers by using automatic data acquisition methods. As well as using the meter data themselves, suppliers / utilities typically also make the data available to customers that request it for energy management purposes. It's most common for utilities to provide interval electricity metering, but some utilities also provide interval metering on natural gas and water. A private metering system is often installed by the organization occupying the building, by the property managers, or by a third party that leases the system to the tenants or managers. There are many different forms of smart-metering systems installed in buildings, but essentially they have the following components: meters - these are placed on electricity, water and gas supplies to monitor the energy consumed; logging software - these keep a record of data from the meters, and typically offer the means to export the stored interval data in a format that analyzing software can work with. They often offer some analysis features as well, but these are usually pretty basic. These private metering systems are typically the best form of interval metering: They usually have multiple meters recording data for separate areas of the building(s). The more detailed the energy consumption data, the easier it is to identify routine waste and to track progress at reducing it. They will typically collect interval data for gas as well as electricity. They sometimes also meter other forms of energy such as heat. 2.2 ANALYZING SOFTWARES The telemetric meters are connected wirelessly to a computer network and data recording starts. Specialized logging software gathers information at specific time intervals depending on the type of information that is required. In order to have a complete picture of a buildings energy consumption, data gathering should take for a period of at least one year so all the seasons will be covered. Besides the meters, it is important to store information about the natural conditions for every reading like outside temperature, wind factor, sunlight hours etc. Looking at the data one can see a strong correlation between the consumption peeks and the environmental conditions during both the cold and warm season. Analyzing software works with detailed interval energy data - records of energy consumption collected by a smart meter, typically at intervals of 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, or 60 minutes. Until recently

such interval data was only available to non-residential buildings, but with the recent growth in smart metering, it's now becoming more and more widely available to the household sector. After the data gathering is complete, analyzing software are used to compute and determine every piece of information that is needed in order to improve the energy consumption of that building. The software contains all the specified norms of consumption for that particular area and type of building so it can point out what kind of utility exceeds the norm, for how long, what was the natural conditions when that happened. This kind of data is very important because it classifies buildings according to their consumption rate. Professional energy managers know that the key to minimizing energy usage lies in analysis of detailed consumption records: Looking for patterns in the building's energy usage Tying those patterns to the equipment in the building (and the times at which it's running) Turning that understanding into action - behavioral or equipment changes that reduce consumption. Analyzing software can display charts and graphs for each day, week and month which are more expressive than the usual paper tables that the utility companies use to offer in order for the user to extract as much information as possible (Fig. 2).

Fig.2 Chart display of electricity consumption over two weeks 2.3 DATA INTERPRETATION AND DECIZION MAKEING After the analyzing software runs the initial data gathered by the logging software it can print valuable information on the buildings consumption rate. Out of this data clear patterns begin to emerge regarding the future rehabilitation of that particular house. The types of consumptions are then classified according to their nature, the percent that exceeds the norm, the money loss over the year, the CO2 emissions etc. In Romania over 50% of the residential buildings are more than 40 years old so in order to make all of this energy efficient, engineers have to focus their attention on saving as much energy as possible with the least amount of money. Listing the large energy consumers after a period of consumption tracking ensures that the appropriate action is being taken. The first big problem every building is facing is heating, with more than 50% of the average energy consumption and about 70% of domestic CO2 emissions. In the past 10 years due to increasing costs of heat and poor quality of services provided by the utility companies, many residents disconnected their houses from the heating networks, thus forcing local governments in certain urban centers to close the centralized heat production systems. In these areas heating is produced individually using natural gas so people can tell how much energy they are consuming to heat their house by looking at the gas consumption. This means that by tracking the gas meter and the outside and inside temperature we will have a direct correlation for that type of building and so, rehabilitation plans can be made for lowering the gas consumption. The most basic actions for doing so are: wall

insulation, reducing thermal bridging, heat recovery from domestic water waste and uncontrolled ventilation replacement with a system that can control the flow of fresh air and can enable heat recovery. Improving windows is one of the most important measures house owners can take to raise their buildings energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. A typical house which changes from a single glazing to a double glazing, saves of a tone of CO2 each year and about 200 on energy bills. Levels of double glazing windows in houses have risen significantly over the last decade in Romania, but there is still a significant number of buildings (particularly houses in poorer condition and those in the private rented sector) where single glazed windows remain the norm. Even where homes have been fitted with double glazing, most of them installed prior to 2002-2004 are performing well below their energy efficiency potential. This problem can be pointed out through energy consumption tracking in similar apartments or houses with different window solutions. By looking at the graphs of energy consumption, the buildings that have serious heating problems will be a priority and so the program of rehabilitation will have a greater efficiency. In addition to the energy used for heating, electricity is the second largest component of the consumption in the residential sector with a rate of approximately 40% of total consumption, being used for lighting (about 20% of the total electricity bill), powering electric appliances and cooling homes equipped with air conditioning. Without consumption tracking residents dont know how much energy is wasted by using low efficiency lamps and electrical appliances, keeping them in a stand-by mode instead of shutting them off. Smart meters can have warning signal (visual or audio) that alerts the resident that the energy consumption is exceeding a certain limit. After analyzing the tracking charts and graphs, residents can choose to lower their consumption by changing outdated equipment, use natural light in correlation with artificial light, use motion sensor for indoor and outdoor lighting etc.

Fig.3 Analyzing software charts, energy waste and savings Consumption tracking is very important even after the rehabilitation of a particular building is over. Energy consumption drops can be measured and the residents will know how long it will take to absorb the investment. Such studies can help making future rehabilitations more efficient by choosing different materials, different approaches for the same problems or by changing the priorities of the actions that are being done.
Renewable energy source Solar energy Wind energy Annual Potential 60 PJ 1.2 TWh 23 TWh Energy form Thermal energy Electric energy Electric energy

Hidro out of which under 10 MW Biomas i biogaz Energie geotermal

36 TWh 3.6 TWh 318 PJ 7 PJ

Electric energy Thermal energy Electric energy Thermal energy

Table.1 Analyzing software charts, energy waste and savings After the building is being rehabilitated it can be equipped with solar panels, photovoltaic panels or heat pumps in order to make it self-sufficient. Renewable energy sources are still poorly explored in Romania, even though there is a large potential (Table1). In the years that will come a lot of houses will be powered by these sources and some of them will even sell the energy excess back to the grid. Consumption tracking is vital in these cases in order to compute how much energy the building needs. The peak consumption is important also to determine a way to lower it or perhaps store a part of the energy within a few hours or days before. Many hidden defects in building and related facilities like water leakage, poor insulation generating thermal bridges, cracks in the walls, water infiltrations, defect electrical appliances etc., may emerge by examining data on energy tracking over a longer period of time. If the energy waste starts to rise to a new level without any common reason, that means some damage has occurred. By narrowing down the matter of the energy loss with thermal imaging cameras or other scanning equipment, repairing can be done faster and cheaper. 4. CONCLUSIONS Energy consumption tracking is the only way to establish patterns out of wich the methods of optimisation for each type of building and natural conditions will emerge. In order to reduce the greenhouse gases emissions, to promote renewable sources of energy and to set the stage for a stable development, the energy consumption has to be monitored by the inhabitants in the first place.One of the most important effects of the energy consumption tracking is making the residents aware of the quantities of energy that they consume for heating, lighting and electrical appliances, encouraging them to change their behavior towards energy conservation, invest in energy saving rehabilitation programs and change perception upon renewable energy sources. Changes in the behavior of people will make the difference in the end and being aware of their own consumption is one of the most important steps.
References: Badea, Gh., Drago, R., Rusu, D., Achilean, I., Consideraii privind utilizarea energiei solare pentru producerea energiei electrice Conferina Naional de Instalaii, Sinaia, 2008, Badea, Gh., Rusu, D., Drago, R., Achilean, I., Consideraii privind utilizarea energiei eoliene pentru producerea energiei electrice Conferina Naional de Instalaii, Sinaia, 2008, Badea, Gh., Drago, R., Rusu, D., Aspecte privind potenialul energetic solar i eolian n Romnia Conferina tiina modern i energia, Cluj-Napoca, 2010, Cocora, O., Berbecaru, D. Utilizarea eficient a energiei n cldiri Manual pentru personalul din serviciile tehnice ale autoritilor locale, Editura Alma Mater, Sibiu, 2004, Blan, M., Energii regenerabile, Editura UT PRES, Cluj-Napoca, 2007; Srbu, I., Francisc, K., Optimizarea energetic a cldirilor, Editura Matrix Rom, Bucureti, 2002 https://statistici.insse.ro/ - Institutul National de Statistica

IND109A - Consumul final energetic in industrie pe activitati ale industriei (inclusiv constructii)