PIAM&V (Project Impact Assessment with Measurement and Verification)

Written and checked by the Energy Merchants desk · Reviewed 3 October 2026

PIAM&V stands for Project Impact Assessment with Measurement and Verification. It is one of the calculation methods in the NSW Energy Savings Scheme (ESS). It is designed for projects where a table value does not fit and a simple meter comparison would be unreliable, such as a building-wide retrofit with several measures interacting.

The approach has two stages. First the project is modelled: engineers estimate the energy use of the site before and after, using an accepted methodology. Second the result is verified by measurement, so the claimed savings are checked against real data from the installed project.

In practice

A typical PIAM&V project begins with an assessor documenting the existing equipment and operating pattern, which becomes the baseline. The assessor then defines how savings will be measured, which meters or loggers are needed and for how long. After installation the measurement period runs, and the reported savings come from the data, within the method’s rules.

Because it is bespoke, it takes more work than other methods. Documentation and independent review requirements are heavier. The reward is that it can capture savings from projects that would otherwise not be eligible, and those savings are tied to real performance.

Compare the alternatives. Deemed savings suit common, standard products where a fixed saving is set in advance. The metered baseline method suits a clean before-and-after meter record. PIAM&V sits between them for complex jobs.

Common confusion

PIAM&V is easy to confuse with the older, simpler measurement and verification approaches in the ESS. Rules and names have changed between scheme versions, so confirm which method applies to the activity and date on the scheme’s official page.

It is also not a Victorian method. Victoria’s VEU uses its own activity framework, with specified and measurement-based options of its own.

Certificate sales follow once the provider registers the ESCs. See ESS definition, the certificate trading glossary, /pricing/ and the glossary.