Energy monitoring and targeting is primarily a management technique that uses energy information as a basis to eliminate waste, reduce and control current level of energy use and improve the existing operating procedures. It builds on the principle “you can’t manage what you don’t measure”. It essentially combines the principles of energy use and statistics.
While, monitoring is essentially aimed at establishing the existing pattern of energy consumption, targeting is the identification of energy consumption level which is desirable as a management goal to work towards energy conservation.
Monitoring and Targeting is a management technique in which all plant and building utilities such as fuel, steam, refrigeration, compressed air, water, effluent, and electricity are managed as controllable resources in the same way that raw materials, finished product inventory, building occupancy, personnel and capital are managed. It involves a systematic, disciplined division of the facility into Energy Cost Centers. The utilities used in each centre are closely monitored, and the energy used is compared with production volume or any other suitable measure of operation. Once this information is available on a regular basis, targets can be set, variances can be spotted and interpreted, and remedial actions can be taken and implemented.