Lesson 2.1

'Trust me' has a standard, and it's measurement

M&V answers the owner's only real question: did it save what you claimed? The IPMVP options (A-D) vary the boundary and method — from isolated retrofit measurement to whole-building analysis.
Baseline discipline: measured before-consumption, weather-normalized (a mild winter isn't savings — degree-day adjustment first), with non-routine adjustments for unrelated changes (occupancy, added loads).
Your role is trustworthy data: calibrated sensors (305), correct meter installs, clean trends (405). M&V stands or falls on the instrumentation you own.
Persistence: savings decay by operational drift — overrides, schedule creep, failed sensors (308's lesson, priced). MBCx is the counter: analytics catching drift the week it starts (307).
The funded report speaks 307's owner language: measured, dollars, next actions. And mind utility incentives — rebate paperwork discipline pays literal cash.

LAB — the savings case

From supplied interval data (12 months pre, 6 post) for a schedule-fix + static-reset project: build the weather-normalized baseline (degree-day regression provided as a worksheet).
Compute savings with one documented non-routine adjustment (a tenant expansion mid-period).
Find the persistence problem hiding in months 5-6 (a creeping override) from the BAS trends; quantify what it is costing.
Write the one-page owner report: measured savings, the drift catch, next actions.

Pass: normalization correct; adjustment documented; drift caught and priced; report funds itself.

LAB DEMO VIDEO

Instructor walkthrough — baseline normalization + the drift catch

[ ~12 min ]

The M&V story — timeline: baseline period (weather-normalized band) → measure installed → savings gap shading → months 5-6 drift eroding savings with override icon; owner-report inset translating to dollars