Week 12 Overview of equipment and building envelope as part of the energy audit

Overview: equipment and envelope Electrical systems and motors Building envelope—commercial buildings and industrial facilities Overview of controls systems Overview of lighting systems The importance of facilities maintenance to sustainability Building commissioning and sustainability

Electrical Systems and Motors If cut sheets and product O&M manuals are available, gather the most important data from these documents At times these documents are not correctly matched with the actual equipment or are not available Nameplate data is mostly reliable until degradation starts Finally, use EMS and portable instruments to verify or correct manufacturers information and nameplates Check Power Factor PEAK DEMAND MATTERS – check time of day usage and compare to the peak demand time of day

Envelope Normally structural change payback is long Windows, doors, insulation, calking and weather-striping should be evaluated Roofing system service life (as well as windows and doors) may require replacement and this is the time to upgrade to more efficient systems

Controls and Lighting Digital controls are more responsive and can trend log data points The energy auditor should be well versed in energy management systems – the energy management system is the place to retrieve reams of highly valuable data Lighting is normally the biggest opportunity for savings, especially if old lighting systems are still being used. High quality lighting should also be considered for health reasons – full spectrum temperature color rendering is sun light bad it should be used as much as possible Occupancy sensors, daylight trackers, lighting sweeps and using occupancy to control HVAC and lighting are sure ways to quantify energy savings

There is nothing greener than a well run building When all systems are in proper working order they are very efficient in their energy use When preventative and predictive maintenance are performed on equipment at the proper run times and calendar times, their service life is longer and reduce the need for new systems (more energy and materials)

Commissioning and Sustainability The energy auditor is one of the most important people in the area of sustainability because they identify ways to reduce energy use in existing buildings Commissioning agents are also important because they make sure new buildings and old buildings are performing as designed and that the O&M staffs are included in the process Commissioning comes in three flavors: new construction, retro-commissioning and continuous commissioning