Electrical Submetering at Queens Fresh Meadows to Enable Time Sensitive Pricing

The Queens Fresh Meadows complex includes two (2) 13-story high rise, sixty seven (67) 2-story low rise and seventy (70) 3-story low rise for a total of one hundred and thirty nine (139) master metered residential buildings located on the eastern end of Queens, just south of the Long Island Expressway. Most of the 3,008 apartments contained in these buildings are occupied by rent stabilized tenants under the jurisdiction of DHCR. Electrical submetering was implemented during the years 2005 to 2006 to enable Fresh Meadows to achieve the benefit of submetering as well as participate in a NYSERDA-sponsored Time Sensitive Pricing Program and maximize its incentive under the New York State ISO ICAP Curtailment Program.

Equipment – A wireless submetering system with integral temperature sensor

Despite the fact that there are dedicated circuit breakers for each apartment in the building basement electric rooms, each apartment submeter was installed inside each apartment adjacent to the apartment breaker panel in order to take advantage of an integral temperature sensor. The temperature sensor provides management the ability to monitor apartment temperatures and to optimize the building complex’s heating distribution system and boiler(s) operation. This feature has assisted in addressing resident heat complaints and should result in significant winter fuel savings which will more than offset the additional installation cost associated with placing the submeter inside the apartment as opposed to in the basement area.

Billing History

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An analysis of the building electrical data was conducted by Herbert E. Hirschfeld, P.E. in order to determine the impact of electrical submetering on the building complex’s electrical usage (kWh), demand (KW) and associated utility and ESCO electric costs. In order to determine the building’s cost benefit (or cost avoidance) due to submetering, the base line period (01/31/02 – 01/31/03) which was established during the submetering feasibility evaluation prior to submetering implementation was adjusted based on prevailing electric costs and weather data (cooling degree days or CDD) which occurred during the time period of comparison (03/27/07 – 03/26/08) after submetering. In this example the difference between the adjusted baseline period and the current period yielded an adjusted reduction in usage of 7,527,146 kWh or 35.3% and a cost avoidance (or cost benefit) of $1,450,713 which represents 35.3% of the adjusted total building complex’s electric costs. Additionally, there was a reduction in peak demand of approximately 29.1% which would have resulted in Queens Fresh Meadows obtaining additional financial incentives by participating in the New York State Independent System Operator (ISO) Curtailment program.

Resultant Adjusted Reduction in Usage of 7,527,146 kWh or 35.3% and a Cost Avoidance from Electrical Submetering of $1,450,713 or 35.3%, as well as a Reduction in Billing Demand of 29.1%

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Contributed by Herbert E. Hirschfeld, P. E.

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