Existing energy management standards often refer to the measurement of energy as an important improvement of energy performance, but do not detail how a measurement and monitoring plan should be designed and implemented:
- EN 16247-1:2012, Energy audits: in specific cases an energy audit requires to get specific data measurement (§ 5-2 b) 5-3, 5-5). An energy measurement plan has to be set up in order to collect this data. But there are no guidelines given on how to design or implement an energy measurement plan: The future standard will help to fulfil this step;
- EN 15900:2010, Energy Efficiency Services: the energy efficiency service has to be based on collected data (4-1 b). If there is not available or reliable data an energy measurement plan is needed;
- ISO EN 50001:2018 states in 6-6: "The organization shall define and implement an energy data collection plan appropriate to its size, its complexity, its resources and its measurement and monitoring equipment. The plan shall specify the data necessary to monitor the key characteristics and state how and at what frequency the data shall be collected and retained." EN 17267 provides principles for the design and implementation of an energy data collection plan;
- ISO 50006:2014, "Energy management systems — Measuring energy performance using energy baselines (EnB) and energy performance indicators (EnPI) — General principles and guidance", provides some recommendation related to measurement (§ 4.2.6.2);
- ISO EN 50015:2014, describes the process of "Measurement and verification" (M & V) to help organizations determine and validate in a systematic way the improvement of its energy performance, within specified boundaries. As can be seen in Clause 5.2 [h) k) l) m)], the M&V process relies upon a number of measurements, without giving the methodology on how to organize the measurement. To ensure the quality of these measurements (reliability, accuracy as well as appropriateness) a "measurement plan" is needed.
The measurement and monitoring plan should be considered as a tool to facilitate the operational implementation of those cited standards.