Building Energy Evaluation News

Retrofit Success: The 42% Solution
May 1, 2008

In response to high energy costs — averaging $3.09/sq ft/yr — the State of Tennessee contracted with Architectural Energy Corporation (AEC) to provide baselining services and energy conservation measure analysis for its Andrew and Rachel Jackson state office buildings. AEC performed an investment-grade audit of both buildings, including the development of calibrated building energy simulation models and short-term diagnostic monitoring of the building systems, as well as commissioning and measurement and verification services.

From AHUs to new chilled water loop management to lighting and life safety, the upgrades to these two state office buildings were as numerous as they were effective. However, this story is especially notable for the analysis that led to the project decisions — including omitting a couple of innovative options for cost — and the verification that confirmed the payoff. Thus, this handsome Tennessee couple not only save money but also serve as role models. AEC's Tracy Phillips provides the details in his Engineered Systems Magazine cover story.

AEC to Begin Condition Assessment and Scoping Study at Alexander Dawson School
February 20, 2007

AEC will begin an HVAC and lighting equipment condition assessment and scoping study for the Alexander Dawson School (a K-12 private independent school) in Lafayette, Colorado. The study is intended to serve as a first step to help assess and improve the energy performance of the campus, as part of a strategic plan to improve their buildings and ameliorate the impact of increasing energy costs.

The condition assessment will involve the development of an inventory of the major HVAC equipment and lighting systems, and functional performance testing to assess the condition of each piece of equipment, to determine the equipment's remaining useful life relative to issues such as efficiency, control problems, and cost of replacement. The scoping energy study will evaluate the existing energy consumption of the facility, and will identify potential energy conservation measures and their anticipated level of energy savings. This project provides the first step in the school's overall mission to improve its energy performance. Future anticipated projects include a more detailed investigation, a new sophisticated LEED® certified Middle School classroom building, and potentially, LEED® certification for the entire facility.

AEC Improves Building Performance for the San Francisco Asian Art Museum
August 10, 2006

Museums are charged with preserving artistic and ethnic heritages for the long term - so what can an institution do when that public charge is threatened? Call in a specialist in energy Conservation!

The San Francisco Public Utility Commission has hired AEC to investigate sources of humidity control problems and the potential for improving energy efficiency at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. The current humidifying system seems to be using a large amount of energy and the staff has difficulty maintaining the desired conditions for the museum's collections. During a recent onsite visit, AEC set up system trends, installed data loggers, and tested the "as-built" functional performance of the mechanical and controls systems. AEC will use the information acquired from the data monitoring and the functional performance assessment to identify opportunities for tune-ups and/or changes that might improve the building's performance, reduce its energy costs, and to provide a recommendation regarding the specific opportunity to install variable frequency drives on the chillers.

AEC Begins Energy Study at Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers
May 6, 2006

Architectural Energy Corporation's Building Energy and Evaluation Services team recently began a detailed energy study in support of the retrofit energy conservation project at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers at Cityfront Center. The detailed energy study services involve short-term monitoring, system trending, diagnostics, energy modeling, and energy conservation measure analysis, and are designed to provide a comprehensive plan to improve the energy efficiency of the 1,200 room hotel.

AEC Begins Recommissioning Study at a University of Utah Laboratory
May 6, 2006

Architectural Energy Corporation's Building Energy and Evaluation Services team recently began the first phase of a recommissioning investigation at the University of Utah Building 570 laboratory. The study is being conducted as part of the Utah Power Recommissioning Program. The Recommissioning Program is designed to improve building performance, and in the process, capture the opportunity of energy and demand savings that exist within them. Recommissioning not only identifies problems due to design or construction flaws, but also identifies and solves problems that have developed during the building's existence. The project will involve system trending and diagnostics, functional performance testing, and energy conservation measure analysis.