I'm new to institutional accounts and got handed a mess at a state university in Ohio. They have their own steam plant but also buy electricity and some gas from AEP Ohio. The billing is incredibly complex with multiple meters across campus and I can't figure out if they're on the right rates. Anyone have experience with university energy billing?
University Steam Plant Billing - Help Needed
Michelle, university accounts are notorious for this. First thing - get a campus map showing all the meters and what buildings they serve. Often they have research buildings on different rate schedules than dorms or classrooms. Also check if they qualify for any educational institution discounts that might not be applied.
Ken's advice is solid. Also look at the demand allocation between buildings - we found a case where the engineering lab's massive 3-phase loads were pushing up demand charges for the entire east campus. University saved $180K over two years by getting separate metering installed.
Great points. I'm seeing some weird seasonal patterns too - huge spikes in summer but not winter, which seems backwards for a northern campus. Going to dig into the cooling plant operations and see if something's off with their chiller efficiency or controls.