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The goal of the U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) is to facilitate energy-efficiency improvements at federal facilities. This is accomplished by a balanced program of technology development, facility assessment, and use of cost-sharing procurement mechanisms. Technology development focuses upon the tools and procedures used " to identify and evaluate efficiency improvements. For facility assessment, FEMP provides metering equipment and trained analysts to federal agencies exhibiting a commitment to • improve energy-use efficiency. To assist in implementing energy-efficiency measures, FEMP helps federal agendes with identifying efficiency opportunities and in implementing energyefficiency and demand-side management programs at federal sites. As the lead laboratory for FEMP, Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) provides technic.ai assistance to federal agencies to better understand and characterize energy systems. The U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) has tasked PNL to provide technical assistance to characterize and modernize energy systems at FORSCOM installations. As part of that technical assistance, PNL performed an in-depth examination of automatic meter-reading system technologies currently available. The operating charaaeristics and relative merits of ali the majo_-systems were reviewed in the context of applicability to federal installations. That review is documented in this report. III Summary Utility company metering of electricity, gas, and water for billing purposes typically uses technologies that were developed a hundred years ago. And, as was the practice at its first commercial introduction, the overwhelming majority of the meters are still read visually and the readings recorded manually in a meter book by a person who walks a route. Advanced metering " systems provide an opportunity to totally redesign conventional revenue billing, load evaluation and survey, and customer relations processes. Advanced meters include both expanded metering 1 features, such as time-of-use rates and demand-prof'derecording, and communications technologies that allow 1) remote electronic meter reading, 2) mobile radio meter reading, and 3) fully automatic meter reading (AMR) systems. Handheld computers, with remotemeter reading and remote electronic meter readin$ introduced automation into the meter reading and billing process, plus access to hard-to-read meters. But these systems still require a person to physically contact each meter or a receptacle linked to a nearby meter. Mobile rach'osystems reduce labor requirements and reading errors by using low-power radio to communicate directly between a meter and a handheld or van-based computer. Mobile radio systems have the largest number of installed units and enjoy the highest acceptance by utilities. However, they are limited with regard to meter-reading frequency (scheduled monthly reads only) and other advanced metering features. Dial-in telephone system meters are programmed to periodically call the central station by using a shar...

PrefaceThe goal of the U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) is to facilitate energy-efficiency improvements at federal facilities. This is accomplished by a balanced program of technology development, facility assessment, and use of cost-sharing procurement mechanisms. Technology development focuses upon the tools and procedures used "to identify and evaluate efficiency improvements. For facility assessment, FEMP provides metering equipment and trained analysts to federal agencies exhibiting a commitment to • improve energy-use efficiency. To assist in implementing energy-efficiency measures, FEMP helps federal agendes with identifying efficiency opportunities and in implementing energyefficiency and demand-side management programs at federal sites.As the lead laboratory for FEMP, Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) provides technic.ai assistance to federal agencies to better understand and characterize energy systems. The U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) has tasked PNL to provide technical assistance to characterize and modernize energy systems at FORSCOM installations.As part of that technical assistance, PNL performed an in-depth examination of automatic meter-reading system technologies currently available. The operating charaaeristics and relative merits of ali the majo_-systems were reviewed in the context of applicability to federal installations. That review is documented in this report. III SummaryUtility company metering of electricity, gas, and water for billing purposes typically uses technologies that were developed a hundred years ago. And, as was the practice at its first commercial introduction, the overwhelming majority of the meters are still read visually and the readings recorded manually in a meter book by a person who walks a route. Advanced metering " systems provide an opportunity to totally redesign conventional revenue billing, load evaluation and survey, and customer relations processes. Advanced meters include both expanded metering 1 features, such as time-of-use rates and demand-prof'derecording, and communications technologies that allow 1) remote electronic meter reading, 2) mobile radio meter reading, and 3) fully automatic meter reading (AMR) systems.Handheld computers, with remotemeter reading and remote electronic meter readin$ introduced automation into the meter reading and billing process, plus access to hard-to-read meters. But these systems still require a person to physically contact each meter or a receptacle linked to a nearby meter.Mobile rach'osystems reduce labor requirements and reading errors by using low-power radio to communicate directly between a meter and a handheld or van-based computer. Mobile radio systems have the largest number of installed units and enjoy the highest acceptance by utilities. However, they are limited with regard to meter-reading frequency (scheduled monthly reads only) and other advanced metering features.Dial-in telephone system meters are programmed to periodically call the central station by using a sh...

V ac voltage, alternating current WHC Westinghouse Hanford Company xiv * Star indicates recommended action.

The measuredenergy savings resultingfrom using night temperaturesetback in typical lightconstructionwooden office buildingswas determined. Researchersinstalled monitoringequipmentin a six-building sample of two-story wooden buildingsat Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Data obtained duringboth single-setting and night-setbackoperating modes were u._edto develop models of each building's heat consumptionas a functionof the differencebetween inside and out_ide temperature. These models were used to estimate seasonal savings that could be obtained from the use of nightsetback thermostatcontrol. The measured savings in heating energy from using night temperaturesetback for the six Fort Devens buildings ranged from 14% to 25%; the mean savings was 19.2%. Based on an energy cost of $0.65/therm of naturalgas, the estimated average cost savingsof using automaticsetback thermostatsin these buildings is $780 per year per building. The authorswould like to thank Bobby Orr and his staff at the Fort Devens Directorate of Engineeringand Housing for.their support in installingthe automaticsetbackthermostats. Appreciationis extendedto PNL staff whose efforts supported the study: John Schmelzer for monitoringequipmentpreparationand installation, Su Thelen for remotedata collection, and Andrea Wood for data analysis. Thanks go also to ShannonMcDaniel, ShannonElectric, for installationof monitoringequipment.