Ian Jeffries, Managing Director, EEVS

Headline
M&V is not just a technical process—it’s a strategic governance tool that manages risk, builds trust, validates savings, and makes decarbonisation investments credible. 

Key Messages

1. Why M&V matters - “If you’re not measuring it, you can’t manage it.” M&V provides evidence-based savings data essential for sound investment decisions. 

2. The problem M&V solves - Energy savings cannot be measured directly—there’s “nothing to measure.” M&V solves this through mathematical modelling

3. Strategic value – M&V provides the governance needed to manage risk, deliver confident, credible reporting, and an evidence-based, investable market for energy and carbon saving projects. 

4. Market challenges – Low awareness among senior leaders; perceived as purely technical; credibility gap with suppliers seen to be ‘marking their own homework’. 

5. Call to action to drive M&V adoption – Reframe M&V as a strategic enabler, allocate budget early, use independent verification, educate decision-makers, and celebrate proven results. 

Hilary Wood, Director, EEVS

Headline

Professionalising M&V through recognised standards, qualifications, and training is key to building trust, consistency, and capability across the sector.

Key Points

1.      Why professionalisation matters - Without robust standards and training, savings remain “just estimates,” undermining credibility and uptake.

2.      Frameworks and standards - IPMVP provides transparent, consistent methods for evaluating savings, requiring pre-project M&V plans and independent verification for financial integrity. 

3.      Qualifications - PMVA (foundation) and PMVE (advanced) courses build practitioner capability; EVO’s updated certifications aim to raise the bar. 

4.      Technical essentials - Measurement boundaries and IPMVP options (A, B, C, D) ensure methods match project complexity

5.      Future direction - Integrating digital tools and shared data frameworks will make M&V faster, scalable, and more transparent—but standards and skills must evolve first. 

A Panel Session with :

Des Keighan, Swansea Bay University Health Board

Davie Gow, Vital Energi

Hilary Wood, EEVS

Headline

This large-scale NHS energy performance contract delivered guaranteed savings, carbon reductions, and resilience through RE:FIT, with M&V providing transparency, credibility, and strategic insight—even under pandemic challenges. 

Key Points

1.      Project scope and scale - Two phases across nine hospital sites, including LED lighting upgrades (14,000 units), HVAC optimisation, insulation, BMS upgrades, and a 4 MW solar farm—the first dedicated hospital solar farm in Wales. 

2.      Impact - Annual savings: 6.7 GWh gas, 8.9 GWh electricity, £1M+ cost reduction, and 3,705 tonnes CO₂ avoided; over £5m saved since completion. 

3.      Role of M&V - Embedded from day one; annual independent reports plus monthly monitoring ensured transparency and trust. Critical for board approval and auditor confidence, especially with guaranteed savings clauses. 

4.      Challenges and solutions - COVID caused major operational changes (24/7 ventilation, repurposed spaces), requiring adjustments.  Granular BMS data and continuous communication enabled accurate verification despite shifting conditions

5.      Lessons learn: a) Data: More granular utility data (e.g., half-hourly) improves modelling and adjustments.   b) Communication: Regular engagement prevents surprises and builds trust.  c) Strategic value: M&V not only proves savings but informs future service development and funding bids.   d) Funding model: Welsh Government repayable grant via RE:FIT; guaranteed savings exceeded expectations due to rising energy prices. 

Christian Smaditch, Salix Finance

Victoria Clarke, Salix Finance

Jordan Noffke - Salix Finance

Headline

Salix is evolving its approach to Measurement & Verification (M&V) in public sector decarbonisation funding - establishing a new set of basic M&V requirements and, over time, working towards best in class M&V to ensure delivery of transparent and credible carbon savings within the public sector.

Key Points

1.      Context and scale - Salix administers £3 billion in public funding for carbon reduction projects under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), requiring savings reporting for three years post-completion. 

2.      Current state (“Good”) - Previously relied on single annual energy figures with minimal guidance; now introduced baseline regression, monthly data requests, and non-routine adjustment reporting. 

3.      Future ambitions (“Better” and “Best”) – Move toward IPMVP-aligned practices, including:  Sub-metering and higher-resolution data (half-hourly). Independent verification by qualified M&V professionals (PMVA/PMVE) with regular stakeholder engagement and governance improvements.  Allocating up to 3–5% of project capitalfor M&V (currently <1%) and potentially linking grant disbursement to verified savings reports. 

4.      Challenges faced:  Data gaps, inconsistent terminology, resource constraints, and varied carbon literacy among recipients. Mid-cycle implementation caused confusion; diverse project types complicated standardisation. 

5.      Successes and lessons - 80% return rate for Phase 3 reporting forms—a major improvement. Positive engagement and growing awareness of M&V’s value.  Enhanced data quality enables better analysis and future benchmarking. 

6.      Strategic importance - Robust M&V underpins credible decarbonisation, informs future policy, and builds a transparent market for energy efficiency investments. 

Panellists:

Jamie Goth (Chair), Goth Energy

Yijun Song, Ameresco

Molly Webb, Energy Unlocked

Headline Message
M&V is evolving from a compliance tool into a strategic driver for performance, investment, and innovation—enabling proactive decisions, operational excellence, and broader social value in public sector decarbonisation. 

Key Points

1.      Why it matters - M&V ensures projects deliver promised outcomes, secures timely payments for suppliers, and builds confidence for future investment. 

2.      Case Study 1 – London Stadium Solar PV:  Installed 6,500 m² ultra-thin solar film generating 0.85 GWh/year. Real-time monitoring via SolarEdge and AssetPlanner integrates inverter data, weather normalization, and alerts for proactive maintenance. M&V enables anomaly detection, KPI tracking, and future planning (e.g., degradation rates, cleaning schedules). 

3.      Case Study 2 – Carbon Flexibility in Social Housing - Innovation project controlling electric heating/hot water based on carbon intensity forecasts.  Achieved 15% carbon savings over two weeks without reducing comfort levels. Highlights potential for demand-side flexibility, tenant engagement, and linking avoided carbon to social benefits (e.g., hardship funds). 

4.      Case Study 3 – Bristol City Leap:  20-year city-wide partnership integrating renewables, retrofits, and heat networks. M&V framework tracks energy, carbon, capital investment, social value, and KPIs across multiple platforms. Moves M&V from retrospective reporting to predictive planning, informing investment decisions and risk management. 

5.      Broader insights:  M&V can extend beyond energy to measure comfort, social value, local economic impact, and even product-level carbon competitiveness.  Digital tools and integrated data platforms are key to scaling M&V for city-wide and community-level projects. 

Lee Jones, Vodafone

Headline Message
Vodafone’s energy optimisation programme demonstrates how robust M&V underpins performance-based contracts, delivering millions in savings across a constantly evolving, highly complex estate. 

Key Points

1.      Estate complexity:  20,000+ radio base stations, 25 telephone exchanges, major data centres, fibre network, and offices—soon doubling with merger into 3600 sites. 97% of energy use is network-related; radio sites account for c62%. 

2.      Challenges:  Dynamic environment with frequent equipment changes, 5G rollout (+35% energy), mergers, and legacy removal. Baseline volatility requires rigorous documentation and adjustment. 

3.      Targets and strategy:  31% energy reduction by 2033; net zero by 2027 (Vodafone scope). Measures include site consolidation, cooling optimisation, lighting upgrades, sub-metering, renewable integration, and EV fleet transition. 

4.      Role of M&V:  Embedded in an Energy Performance Contract (EPC) with Mitie; based on IPMVP Option C using fiscal meter data and weather-adjusted baselines. Independent verification ensures credibility for gain-share payments and removes disputes.  Continuous governance: baseline validation, savings audits, operational calls, and documentation of optimisation actions. 

5.      Impact:100 GWh savings in first 3 years (~£10M at 2020 rates), 25,000 tonnes CO₂ avoided. Ongoing annual savings of £3.5–4M, primarily from no-cost optimisation. 

o    Innovation:  M&V evolved from compliance to a strategic tool, enabling proactive decisions, anomaly detection, and forecasting via big data analytics (Google Cloud, Python). Supports Vodafone’s green credentials, unlocking £70M in new business and cheaper financing through green bonds. 

Benedetto Grillone, ENTO

Headline

AI is transforming Measurement & Verification (M&V) from a manual, meter-heavy process into a data-driven, predictive discipline—but credibility, transparency, and human oversight remain essential for trust and adoption. 

Key Points

1.      Context and purpose:  AI is here to stay. The challenge is not whether AI will replace humans, but how professionals adapt and define its role in M&V.  M&V’s core is agreement—creating credible consensus around an unmeasurable number (energy savings)

2.      Legacy vs AI-native energy management:  Legacy approach is heavy reliance on submetering, fragmented systems, manual data handling, Excel-based analysis, and slow verification cycles. AI-native approach:  Uses existing utility data (main meters) rather than costly submeters. Rapid onboarding of data via APIs and automated audits. Machine learning models detect inefficiencies, predict savings, and enable continuous verification. Example: UK food retailer—AI flagged abnormal base load, identified probable cause (chiller setpoint error), saving £170,000/year with no capex. 

3.      Breakout discussion themes:

a.      Credibility of AI results:  Requires transparency, repeatability, and comparison with traditional methods. Field validation and sector-specific use cases are critical. 

b.     Human roles:  Today: sense-checking, interpreting anomalies, defining objectives, and validating assumptions.Future: focus on communication, stakeholder engagement, and governance as technical tasks become automated. 

c.      Vendor model requirements: Cybersecurity, accountability, explainability (or at least interpretability), and clear guardrails. Debate: Is it better to have a highly accurate but opaque model or a simpler, less accurate but interpretable one? 

d.     AI doing 80% of M&V—what’s left for humans?   Relationship-building, bias removal, strategic decision-making, and ensuring alignment with contractual and regulatory frameworks. 

e.      Challenges and considerations: Black-box models (e.g., tree-based algorithms) lack simple formulas, raising auditability concerns. Need for standards on transparency and independent verification of AI outputs.  Cost-benefit trade-off: probabilistic insights from main meter data vs expensive submeters for granular certainty. 

4.      Key takeaway:  AI won’t replace M&V professionals—but those who fail to learn and integrate AI risk becoming obsolete. The profession must evolve from technical number-crunching to strategic facilitation and trust-building. 

Matt Caville, Energy Systems Catapult

Headline Message

Energy Systems Catapult is calling for collaboration to develop practical, interactive resources that help public sector organisations implement effective M&V as part of their net zero decarbonisation journey. 

Key Points

1.      Who they are: Energy Systems Catapult, an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by Innovate UK, supporting innovation in the energy sector. 

2.      Current resources: They provide free guidance, toolkits, and online tools for public sector organisations (schools, NHS trusts, universities, local authorities) to navigate decarbonisation, aligned with government-backed frameworks. 

3.      The challenge: Public sector organisations often understand M&V conceptually but lack clarity on implementation. Without legislative or contractual obligations, M&V uptake is low, risking momentum from previous schemes like PSDS. 

4.      New resources in development:  a) Interactive Decision Tree – guides organisations through M&V options based on project scope, budget, and data availability.  b) M&V Plan Template(s) – one detailed and one simplified version to help organisations start planning effectively. 

5.      Call for help:  Feedback is sought from stakeholders to refine these tools. Contributions will be credited, and resources will be published as free downloads after DESNZ approval. Timeline: Approximately 1–2 months to finalise resources before submission and publication. 

Robin Hale, AEPV (The Association for Energy Performance & Verification)

Headline
The Association for Energy Performance and Verification (AEPV) aims to unite the sector, strengthen best practice, and build a collaborative hub for standards, training, and policy influence in energy performance and M&V. 

Key Points 

1.      Why AEPV was created:  To preserve and build on decades of work in energy performance contracting and verification, following the legacy of MAVCON and ESTA initiatives.  Address the challenge of knowledge transfer across generations and create a central hub for collaboration and leadership. 

2.      Mission and role:  Promote proven approaches and reduce knowledge gaps.  Support next-generation professionals and influence future policy.  Serve as a professional network and information hub for organisations implementing energy performance contracts. 

3.      Current activities: Delivered PMVA training (11 candidates so far) and planning PMVE courses.  Hosted webinars and a roundtable highlighting priorities: finance, tools, data, and skills. Developing a guidebook (currently 32+ pages) and building a digital platform (Energy Cloud) to integrate resources. 

4.      Challenges and opportunities: Only 55 PMVA-certified professionals in the UK—urgent need to expand training and certification.  Collaboration is key to improving energy performance across UK estates. 

5.      Audience poll insights: Top priorities for collaboration: networking and roundtables, sharing best practice, and improving day-to-day support. Strong sentiment that UK government is not doing enough to support best practice M&V. Suggested government priorities: policy clarity, funding mechanisms, and skills development. 

6.      Call to action: Membership is free; paid options available for deeper engagement.  Get involved in webinars, roundtables, and shaping guidance. Help scale AEPV from a founder-led initiative to a community-driven movement.