Utilities May Offer Incentive For Retrocommissioning
May 9, 2013
Today's tip from
Building Operating Management comes from David P. Callan and Kyle Hendricks of Environmental Systems Design: Utilities may offer incentives for retrocommissioning.
While the commissioning process is crucial for all buildings, its price tag will vary, depending on the size and age of the HVAC system components. In an effort to make these studies more accessible to the average building owner, local utility companies across the country now offer rebate programs that incentivize energy optimization in commercial buildings, both old and new.
Incentive programs, like the ComEd Smart Ideas retrocommissioning program in Chicago, have made a sizeable impact throughout their area in commercial office buildings, both those with prior sustainable certification and those without.
One example is the Hyatt Center in Chicago. Built in 2005, the 49-story Hyatt Center is one of Chicago's newest landmarks. Energy Star labeled since 2008, the building received LEED-EBOM Platinum certification in 2010. As a new building, the Hyatt has new equipment throughout, including a robust, fully digital DDC control system. Rewriting programming logic in the system and making technical adjustments to the building's set points based on outdoor temperature feedback and sensors, as well as altering new building load requirements resulted in an identified, measured, and verified 1,613,526 kWh of annual electricity savings.
The combined implementation cost of all measures was about $26,000, which included a controls contractor and in-house labor costs and resulted in a simple project payback of just four months. Retrocommissioning services were paid for in full by the ComEd program.
Here's another example. Built in 1987, McDonald's 750,000-square-foot central office building had its mechanical systems retrocommissioned by the ComEd program in conjunction with a LEED-EB Platinum certification in 2008. This process led to adjusted operating schedules, repairs to a chilled water bypass valve and recalibration of return air temperature sensors that were reading 7°F high, resulting in inefficient economizer operation. Capital improvements included the addition of a lighting control system and a BAS upgrade that included energy saving functions. Optimization strategies included reducing building pressure problems related to the kitchen environment. Overall, the project resulted in an 18 percent reduction in natural gas consumption and a 6 percent reduction in electricity use.
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