BUILDING AUDITS and RETRO-COMMISSIONING

Building Audits and Retro-Commissioning Buildings are responsible for 60% of the annual electricity and 40% of the total energy consumed in the United Stated. As expected, much of the green debate has focused on creating technologies and raising the current minimum standards for improving the energy performance of new buildings. However, the greatest potential available to us right now lies on measures which can mitigate the energy consumption of existing building stock. With the majority of buildings operating with outdated systems, unbalanced controls, and poor envelope performance, much can be done to cut current consumption at these buildings. Building auditing is the systematic process in which a building is inspected and trends of energy consumption are analyzed for potential remediation. Measures to reduce current usage are found and compared against each other in terms of payback and/or greatest potential life cycle cost benefit. Retro-Commissioning (RCx) is a process that attempts to improve building performance by resolving operating problems, improving comfort, optimizing energy use, and identifying appropriate retrofits. Another important, and often overlooked, aspect of the RCx Process is in the persistence of maintaining building performance through development of systems operating manuals, staff training, and other documentation. Typical RCx measures include modifying setpoints, scheduling equipment, installing occupancy controls, and incorporating advanced control strategies into existing systems. The RCx process can vary significantly between projects, especially if there are specific requirements from local government or utility programs, but in general the RCx Process is a quality driven process for identifying, investigating, and analyzing “low cost” retrofit measures to improve building performance. Retro-commissioning often happens in conjunction with whole building energy audits. The panel presented at this COTE meeting will be broken into two sections. The first, will be a walk thru of examples carried out by the energy group of Arup Los Angeles with explanations of typical findings, common tools used, and achieved savings. The second half will be given by the Arup group also currently involved in helping Wilshire Center Business Improvement District (WCBID) commence its building auditing initiative. The second half will explore options for financing audits and energy conservation measures, the pros and cons of employing ESCOS (Energy Service Companies), and the challenges and opportunities ahead of us. Moderated by Karen E. Mozes, LEED AP Speakers include: Jeff Landreth, Arup Energy Consulting Jacob Naeb, Arup Energy Consulting PLEASE RSVP to [email protected] Discover Green, 1145 N. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038