25 March 2022
The Department has received requests for policy clarification about a particular aspect of the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) Measurement and Verification (M&V) method under the Project-based Activities Regulations.
Stakeholders have proposed approaches that use concurrent baseline and operating periods for M&V projects whose effects can be suspended to measure conditions before the upgrade. This includes installations involving solar photovoltaic systems.
DELWP has considered the proposed approaches and can confirm that concurrent baseline and operating measurement periods can be used under certain circumstances. This will allow some projects to reduce their combined baseline and operating periods from 24 to 12 months, representing considerable advantages for the project. The clarification only applies to existing sites and cannot be applied to new sites (i.e. new buildings) or new operations that cannot demonstrate prior operating conditions.
This is consistent with the current M&V Specifications V7.0. Concurrent baseline and measurement periods are also consistent with the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) principles and are considered a version of adjacent measurement periods.
Projects adopting this approach should ensure:
- energy conservation measures (ECMs) baseline and operating consumption can be independently measured
- ECMs can satisfy the ‘On/Off Test method’ where they can be turned on and off easily and can be readily removed and reinstated without affecting the facility's operation
- measurement of site consumption excludes any effects of the ECM.
If you have questions, concerns and suggestions on this matter, you may send them to energy.upgrades@delwp.vic.gov.au.
Page last updated: 20/09/22