The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Meter Data Management System is helping Energy Managers keep tabs on resources and reduce waste as 74 gateways are being installed this year at Army installations.
The MDMS is an enterprise energy information system for the collection, analysis and display of energy data at the installation, regional and headquarters levels.
MDMS collects meter data about the consumption and production of electricity, gas, steam and water and allows that data to be analyzed and viewed, giving experts an opportunity to spot savings and fix problems much faster, said John Trudell, MDMS program manager at Huntsville Center.
The MDMS gateways being shipped to Army installations this year are essentially a bridge between the installation’s energy data reporting system and the top level enterprise-wide system the Army envisions, Trudell said.
"This system gives the energy manager a comprehensive display of their energy footprint using a web portal," Trudell said.
The MDMS gateways, once installed, transmit the raw meter data to a system that runs sophisticated analytics. The software allows for the energy manager to compile and view easy-to-understand graphs and charts.
The systems are secure, accredited for enterprise networks, and designed to enable a centralized reporting system, something the Army has wanted for quite a while, Trudell said.
"They can use it to develop savings, energy plans, conduct rate reviews, validate savings, prepare reports and compile accurate billing for tenants," he said.
Along with helping installation energy managers develop plans to save, a problem, such as a leaking water valve or electrical equipment that’s not performing optimally, can be identified quickly, Trudell said.
When unexpected spikes occur, the data can often provide an explanation or help the installation find and fix a problem with their systems.
Trudell said the system has already helped customers track down the source of power outages at two facilities and identified the cause of a spike in water use at another.
"MDMS will provide the integrated view," said Paul Robinson, chief of the Center’s Energy Division. "This system is capable of bringing multiple Army enterprise systems together, providing a holistic view of energy data in a way that will empower energy and facility managers across our installations," Robinson said.