High energy consumption prompted a high-end multifamily building in Washington, D.C. to take measures in response to the city’s BEPS requirements.
Baumann Consulting was contracted to provide its Facility Diagnostics service. Analysis of energy consumption data and BMS trends identified heating season natural gas consumption as the primary area of concern. An itemized action plan was assembled and executed utilizing primarily in-house resources.
The following recommendations were implemented by on-site engineers and a contracted BMS service provider:
- Eliminating interactive effects of common areas, fresh air, and terminal air systems
- Adjusting heating and cooling season CW setpoints specific to equipment served
- Implementing system-specific CW reset program
- Troubleshooting HHW system controls issues following a trend data analysis
- Optimizing CW filtration system based on operating and water treatment trend data
- Investigating and correcting the positive pressure return plenum condition
- Servicing DHW heat exchangers
- Synchronizing the base building SoO with on-site Aquatic facility SoO
- Implementing a green tenant initiative program
Weather normalized year-over-year savings:
- ENERGY STAR score: +7 points
- Natural gas: -33%
- Electricity: -2%
- Realized site EUI reduction: -11%
The implemented measures reduce the annual energy cost by ~$70,000 in addition to more than $2.5 million in avoided BEPS penalty. The combined measures have an ROI of less than 2 months considering saved utility costs alone.
