Raffles Consulting Services
Prepare the current-consumption, deployment and projected-gains evidence required for an EDGE resource implementation project.
EDGE resource implementation under Option B needs more than an equipment invoice. The current activity requires evidence of solution purchase or customisation and deployment, plus a report showing current resource consumption and actual projected gains from one year of implementation, or up to claim submission where one full year is not yet available. The project team should define the measurement boundary, source records and calculation method before installation.
Confirm that Option B fits
Option B is for procurement or customisation of hardware or software implemented to improve resource efficiency. It differs from Option A advisory and Option C, which combines the full advisory and implementation scope. Read the accepted Letter of Offer and activity selection before building the evidence plan. Do not assume that buying efficient equipment automatically proves the selected deliverables.
The resource management and optimisation page covers energy, carbon, waste, water and materials. Name the resource and operating process affected. Define the sites, lines, equipment and period included. Keep unrelated sustainability claims outside the project so the result remains testable.
Fix the current-consumption boundary
Record the meters, bills, production records, waste tickets or material ledgers that describe current use. Align units and dates. If the project affects part of a site, explain how shared consumption is allocated. Do not use a whole-site utility bill to claim a small process saving without a defensible allocation method.
Choose an activity driver such as tonnes produced, operating hours, transactions or occupied area where output changes may affect consumption. Record weather, product mix, shutdowns and other material conditions. The existing measured baseline guide explains the broader baseline design; this article focuses on implementation and claim evidence.
Write acceptance tests before deployment
Translate the approved scope into tests for installation, configuration, integration, capacity, safety and resource performance. State who will witness each test and what result counts as accepted. Include photographs, commissioning records, system exports and serial numbers where relevant. Supplier sign-off alone should not replace the applicant’s operational acceptance.
Keep defects and incomplete work open. If the solution is deployed in phases, label which parts are operational and which remain outstanding. Do not claim completion because an invoice was issued or equipment arrived. The supported result is an implemented solution with the approved deliverables, not a purchase sitting unused.
Measure actual operation
After deployment, collect the same variables used for current consumption. Use comparable operating conditions where possible and explain adjustments. Separate measured savings from engineering estimates. If one year of implementation data is unavailable by claim submission, state the shorter measured period and how the one-year projection was derived.
Check data completeness, meter calibration, time stamps and manual changes. Reconcile software dashboards to source records rather than accepting a vendor summary. Assign an internal data owner who can reproduce the calculation after the consultant leaves. Preserve raw evidence alongside the final report.
Calculate projected gains honestly
Show the baseline, post-implementation result, normalisation, annualisation and expected gain in the applicable unit. Include a range where production or weather uncertainty is material. Avoid counting a reduction caused by lower output as resource efficiency. Keep carbon conversion factors and versions with the calculation.
Link cost savings to the verified resource reduction and current tariff or unit cost. Separate operating savings from avoided future expenditure. Do not treat grant support as a resource gain. Management should be able to see the operational economics before and after the grant without mixing the two benefits.
Assemble the Option B claim file
Index the Letter of Offer, purchase and customisation records, deployment evidence, acceptance tests, baseline sources, operating data, calculations, invoices and full payment evidence. Recheck current eligibility and the claim due date under the EDGE FAQ. Resolve missing evidence before the authorised applicant submits.
Link the project to the energy project route comparison and the business support cornerstone. After claim, keep measuring against the same boundary so management can decide whether to maintain, tune or expand the solution on commercial grounds.
Work through a variable-output example
A factory replaces a process pump and electricity use falls, but output also drops during the first measured month. Comparing total kilowatt-hours would overstate the improvement. The project team can compare energy per tonne for comparable products and operating hours, then explain shutdowns and product mix. The chosen normalisation should be defined before the final result is known.
If twelve months of post-implementation data are unavailable, show the measured period and annualisation separately. State seasonal and maintenance assumptions and provide a reasonable range. Do not present the high end as the expected result. Where the solution vendor supplies the calculation, an internal owner should reproduce it from source meter and production records.
At claim review, connect the resource gain to the accepted equipment and configuration. If several changes occurred at the same time, explain attribution or narrow the conclusion. The final report should help management decide how the solution performs, not merely satisfy a document list. Continue the same measure after claim to detect drift, maintenance needs or unexpected rebound in consumption.
Assign responsibility for maintaining meters, software access, calibration records and calculation files after the project. If a vendor hosts the dashboard, arrange exports and administrator access before closeout. The company should not lose the only evidence of performance when a subscription ends. A durable measurement process also helps detect when operating changes, maintenance or production growth make the original one-year projection no longer representative.
Option B is credible when another reviewer can reproduce the consumption comparison and see that the approved solution was deployed, accepted and paid for. Build that evidence during implementation, not in a rush at claim time.