Key Performance Indicators for Smart Energy Systems in Sustainable Universities

Abstract

Sustainable campus management includes energy-saving measures and waste reduction and has become important to many universities, being part of the institution’s societal responsibility. Smart energy systems (SESs), as part of campus energy management, can bring many benefits, including increased efficiency, reduced energy consumption, reduced emissions, increased reliability, and real-time control, and facilitate the integration of the renewable energy systems (RES). Despite the growing interest in energy efficiency and for the initiatives and projects to implement SESs, there are no universally accepted standards for assessing the performance of SESs, with most techniques being dedicated to subsystems. A KPI (key performance indicator) framework for evaluating the SESs’ performance from university campuses is proposed, starting from the current findings and priorities from the scientific literature, energy standards, legislation, and university rankings. The framework can support the implementation, operation, and evaluation of the SESs from university campuses, based on SES requirements and the stakeholders’ goals. Unlike previously developed solutions, the framework is focused not only on the technical side of SESs but also on the role that education, research, and innovation should have in sustainable development, making universities key contributors to achieving these goals.