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Retrocommissioning Benefits Include IAQ, Longer Equipment Life

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RELATED CONTENT:

Building automation , energy efficiency , HVAC , controls , retrocommissioning , greenhouse gas reduction .

Today's topic is retrocommissioning.

Energy savings is a substantial and important byproduct of retrocommissioning, say experts, but it's not the only benefit. Indoor environmental quality is another big gainer. With controls functioning better, for example, occupants may have the benefit of more stable temperatures, which could cut hot and cold complaints. And the system is more likely to bring in the right amount of outside air.

Longer equipment life is another significant benefit. That's especially true of valves and dampers controlled by an actuator, which suffer excess wear and tear if they are being opened and closed more often than necessary.

Increasingly, another factor is likely to point to retrocommissioning: greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Lawrence Berkeley National Labs says that commissioning of all sorts, including retrocommissioning, can provide large reductions in carbon emissions. Commissioning, it says, is "arguably the single-most cost-effective strategy" for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions from buildings.