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M&V plan requirements

The M&V plan describes the potential for the project to achieve demand and energy savings and describes the specific activities the Project Sponsor intends to perform to determine those savings.

In general, a project-specific M&V plan should:*

1. Describe the project site and the project; include information on how the project saves energy and what key variables affect the realization of savings.
2. Describe the M&V approach to be used.
3. Indicate who will conduct the M&V activities and prepare the M&V analyses and documentation.
4. Define the details of how calculations will be made. List analysis tools, such as DOE-2 computer simulations, and/or show the equations to be used. A complete "path" should be defined indicating how collected survey and metering/monitoring data will be used to calculate savings. All equations should be shown.
5. Specify what metering equipment will be used, who will provide the equipment, its accuracy and calibration procedures. Include a metering schedule describing metering duration and when it will occur, and how data from the metering will be validated and reported. Include data formats. Electronic, formatted data read directly from a meter or data logger is recommended for any short- or long-term metering.
6. Define what key assumptions will be made about significant variables or unknowns. For instance: "actual weather data will be used, rather than typical-year data," or "fan power will be metered for one full year for two of the six supply air systems." Describe any stipulations that will be made and the source of data for the stipulations.
7. Define how any baseline adjustments will be made.
8. Describe any sampling that will be used, why it is included, sample sizes, documentation on how sample sizes were selected, and information on how random sample points will be selected.
9. Indicate how quality assurance will be maintained and replication confirmed. For instance: "The data being collected will be checked every month," or "to ensure sufficient accuracy, results will be subjected to third-party review by the ABC company."

Project Sponsors should work with CenterPoint Energy to develop an M&V plan that is appropriate for their projects. To help Project Sponsors get started CenterPoint Energy has created M&V plan templates for certain projects. To download a template (a Microsoft® Word® file), click on the filename in the table below.

* This list is from the 1997 International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP).

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