Energy Reporting: Device Demonstration, Communication Protocols, and Codes and Standards

Energy reporting is the principle that all energy-using devices in buildings should track their own energy use and report it to the local network. Energy reporting can provide building owners with easy access to energy use data. This report makes the case that energy reporting should become a free basic feature of all devices, and discusses a project intended to move California toward that goal. A standards committee was created to continue the efforts of this research, but it has made little progress due to low interest from companies and a low priority by the Department of Energy.

The project collected demonstration devices with energy reporting features, including products modified by the project team or the manufacturer, or already available for sale. To show these devices operating live at meetings and conferences, the team created a management system that queried the energy reporting devices for their data, stored the data, and displayed it in compelling visualizations.

The devices covered heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (thermostat and air purifier); lighting (individual bulb, task light, and auto-dimming overhead light); an electric vehicle charger; a water heater; electronics (notebook personal computer and Universal Serial Bus charger); and three external meters (one integral with a dimming light switch).

This report reviews existing communication protocols that support energy reporting and describes how to use them with a proposed reference data model for energy reporting. It also assesses how energy codes and standards can be leveraged to drive energy reporting technology into the market. Energy reporting could ultimately save California 2.6 terawatt-hours per year and about $0.8 billion per year. Energy reporting is a highly practical technology with minimal cost to consumers and manufacturers.

This report discusses creating the energy reporting devices themselves, analysis and recommendations for data models and protocols for energy reporting, and energy codes and standards implications of energy reporting technology. While energy reporting does not directly save energy, it provides information for better decision-making to save energy in changing equipment operation, maintenance, and replacement.