IECC 2021 + ASHRAE 90.1 Metering Requirements

Practical Monitoring Solutions for Energy Code Compliance

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Code Compliance

Many buildings today must meet IECC 2021 energy monitoring requirements or ASHRAE 90.1 electrical metering standards for new construction, major renovations, or local code adoption.

These Codes Increasingly Require:

Electrical Submetering
System-level Energy Monitoring
HVAC & Lighting Measurement
Ongoing Energy Data Logging
Operational Visibility Into Building Energy Usage

For existing buildings, implementing these monitoring requirements can be challenging—especially when electrical infrastructure was never designed for modern metering systems. Packet Power provides compact wireless monitoring solutions that help organizations implement practical electrical monitoring architectures aligned with IECC and ASHRAE requirements.

What is Required for Electrical Monitoring?

The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2021) includes expanded requirements for electrical energy monitoring in commercial buildings. ASHRAE 90.1 includes similar energy monitoring provisions designed to improve operational efficiency and building performance.

IECC 2021 Metering Requirements

The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2021) includes expanded requirements for electrical energy monitoring in commercial buildings.

IECC monitoring requirements typically include:

- Whole-Building Electrical Energy Measurement
- Submetering of Major Energy End Uses
- Measurement of HVAC Electrical Consumption
- Lighting Energy Monitoring
- Data Collection with Accessible Reporting

ASHRAE 90.1 Electrical Monitoring Requirements

ASHRAE 90.1 includes energy monitoring provisions designed to improve operational efficiency and building performance.

ASHRAE monitoring expectations commonly include:

- Measurement of Total Building Electrical Usage
- Segmentation of Major System Loads
- Trend Logging of Energy Data
- Reporting Access for Facility Management
- Support for Commissioning Verification

Monitoring Requirement	IECC 2021	ASHRAE 90.1	Packet Power Solution
Whole-Building Electrical Measurement	Most Commercial Buildings	Required	Wireless Main Service Monitoring Nodes with centralized gateway communications
Major End-Use Segmentation (HVAC, lighting, etc)	Major Loads Over Defined Thresholds	Required	Embedded Wireless Monitors installed at HVAC distribution panels or feeder circuits
Tenant or Usage-Area Submetering	Many Commercial Tenant Configurations	Required or Recommended	Compact Wireless Monitors for installation inside tenant electrical panels
Lighting Energy Monitoring	Lighting Loads Over Defined Thresholds	Required in Large Systems	Distributed Wireless Monitoring Nodes for lighting distribution panels
Data Logging & Trending	Ongoing Operational Visibility	Required	EMX Monitoring Software with historical data logging & exportable datasets
Operator-Accessible Reporting	Required	Required	Centralized Web-based Monitoring Platform (EMX) for system-wide visibility
Commissioning Verification Support	Often for Compliance Validation	Required	Historical Data Logging & Exportable Reporting for engineering analysis & compliance documentation
Retrofit Feasibility Considerations	Not Specified, but Critical in Practice	Not Specified, but Critical in Practice	Ultra-Compact Wireless Monitors designed for retrofit installation inside existing panels

The intent of these monitoring provisions is to ensure building operators have ongoing visibility into energy consumption—not simply a one-time measurement.

This means your monitoring system must be practical to install, scalable, and usable long-term.
*Something we know more than a little bit about...

Wireless Electrical Monitoring Designed for Code Compliance

Packet Power monitoring systems are frequently deployed in buildings where traditional metering installations would be difficult or disruptive.

Packet Power Architecture Uses:
Compact High-Density Power Monitors
Wireless or Wired Options
Distributed Monitoring Nodes
Centralized Data Aggregation Software
Seamless Integration With 3rd Party Systems

This Allows Monitoring Deployment:
Inside Existing Electrical Panels
Across Multiple Distribution Levels
Fast, Easy, Secure, & Scalable
Without Extensive Conduit Infrastructure
Installed With Minimal Electrical Downtime

Why Energy Code Monitoring Is Difficult in Existing Buildings

Many organizations discover that meeting IECC 2021 or ASHRAE 90.1 metering requirements is not primarily a technical problem—it's an installation problem.

Common Retrofit Constraints Include:

Electrical Panels That Cannot Be Shut Down
Limited Space Inside Switchgear
High Cost of Conduit Installation
Inaccessible Distribution Equipment
Occupied Tenant Environments

Traditional wired metering architectures often assume new-construction conditions, which do not exist in most compliance projects.

Supporting Common IECC & ASHRAE Compliance Use Cases

Packet Power's extensive suite of energy and environmental monitoring solutions are designed to make monitoring easy, regardless of whether it is retrofitting an existing building or for new, modern builds.

Packet Power Solutions Are Commonly Used to Support:

Tenant Electrical Submetering
HVAC Energy Monitoring
Lighting Panel Monitoring
Whole-Building Energy Measurement
Commissioning Documentation Support

Form Factor Matters for Modern Electrical Infrastructure

Modern buildings, especially data centers and high-density facilities, increasingly require monitoring to be installed inside crowded electrical equipment.

Packet Power monitoring devices are designed with extremely compact form factors to fit inside crowded electrical equipment.

This becomes especially important as:

Electrical Density Increases
Panel Space Becomes Limited
Monitoring Requirements Expand
AI-Driven Infrastructure Increases Power Concentration

Packet Power's unmatched compact monitoring devices help enable compliance monitoring where traditional systems physically cannot fit.