utiliVisor Selected as Qualified Vendor for New NYSERDA RTEM + Tenants Program

Background

Funded through New York State’s systems benefit charge (SBC), the goal of the $25 million RTEM + Tenants program is to support the implementation and use of energy management systems and services to reduce energy use in commercial office buildings, including in tenant spaces. A 2016 inventory of New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reported that commercial buildings are responsible for 39% of the city’s total GHG emissions. Therefore, commercial office tenants are critical to reducing a building’s overall energy demand and its emissions. 

Part of the new generation of smart building technologies, RTEM systems use meters, sensors, and controls to collect and monitor a building’s energy performance data over time. The data collected can then be used to detect abnormal energy consumption, help optimize equipment performance and minimize maintenance time and expense.

Continuing the utiliVisor and NYSERDA Partnership

utiliVisor has been a NYSERDA-approved RTEM system and service provider since 2016 and is proud to be chosen as one of the first vendors for the new RTEM + Tenant program.

Tenant Interaction Leads to Savings

Tenant education and behavioral change strategies are integral to effective energy management programs. Recently, utiliVisor met with a client’s tenant—a business with approximately 150,000 sq ft of office space in Manhattan. Leveraging the existing submeter network and billing platform in place, utiliVisor’s Operations Center analyzed the tenant’s RTEM data to determine the associated HVAC, lights and plug load energy/costs. After discussion with the tenant, HVAC schedules were adjusted to reflect the business’s actual hours, rather than the 24/7 schedule that had been assumed. These changes identified a savings of approximately 151,000 kWh, or a cost reduction to the tenant of more than $30,000 per year.

Cost-Sharing Opportunities

NYSERDA’s RTEM + Tenant program provides cost sharing of up to 33% for RTEM system implementation and services for up to three years. For a property to qualify, its buildings must include multiple tenants and the RTEM system must monitor at least 75% of total building energy consumption, including tenant loads.

Resources

To learn more about submetering and how utiliVisor can help you, visit our submetering overview.

To learn if you qualify for NYSERDA’s RTEM programs, visit https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Programs/Real-Time-Energy-Management.