Here are what I, working through my company EnergyMan LLC, deem as the 10 best energy efficiency measures to lower utility costs for commercial, industrial and non-profit facilities. Actual pictures from energy audits are used to show actual examples of the measures.

1. Top
10
Ways
to
Lower
Energy
Costs
for
Commercial,
Industrial
,
Government,
Schools
and
other
Non-­‐Profit
FaciliFes

2. These
ac(on
items
are
not
in
order
because
every
facility
is
unique
and
not
all
ac(on
items
apply
to
every
organiza(on.
Suppor(ng
pictures
and
illustra(ons
are
from
actual
energy
audits
and
research
performed
by
EnergyMan
LLC

3. 1. Reduce
the
opera/ng
schedule
• Lunch
breaks
• Mo/on
sensor
occupancy
controls
• Seasonal
opera/ons
(schools,
resorts,
factories,
etc.)
• Use
a
seasonal
shutdown
checklist
• Examples:
water
heaters,
kitchen
pilot
lights,
combine
walk-­‐
in
coolers/freezers,
boilers
• Use
smart
scheduling
for
cleaning,
maintenance
etc.
• Minimize
impact
on
HVAC
• Space
op/miza/on
• Ex.
Older
closed
door
office
structure
should
be
inves/gated
to
see
if
a
newer
open
floor
plan
could
work.
This
could
reduce
the
square
footage
per
employee
more
than
50%

4. Why
does
equipment
not
get
turned
off?
•
Lack
of
control
of
building
during
off
hours,
especially
in
buildings
with
mul/ple
users
•
System
was
set
up
that
way
from
the
beginning
•
It
has
always
been
that
way
so
no
one
no/ces.
•
We
tried
that
once
but….
•
You
can’t
turn
that
off.
It
may
not
turn
back
on
(my
personal
favorite).
This is not limited
to smaller
facilities. Here are
some sizable loads
at a large facility.
Chiller and associated
equipment
Chiller
Primary
and
Secondary
pumps
Cooling
Tower
Pumps
Cooling
Towers

5. Annual
Electric
Costs
for
Electric
Motors
Cost per Year
Motor Size
8 cents / kWh 11 cents / kWh
1 kW
$611
$964
10 kW
$7,008
$9,636
25 kW
$17,520
$24,090
50 kW
$35,040
$48,180
1 Hp
$680
$934
10 Hp
$6,796
$9,344
25 Hp
$16,989
$23,360
50 Hp
$33,978
$46,720
Ini/al
motor
cost
is
only
about
5%
of
the
total
lifecycle
cost,
so
always
buy
an
efficient
motor!

6. In
buildings
without
an
Energy
Management
System
(EMS),
at
a
minimum
install
a
programmable
thermostat:
these
manual
thermostats
operate
24/7.
Wireless
technology
now
makes
an
EMS
viable
for
smaller
facili/es.

7. Seasonal
Shutdown
Possibili/es
These
examples
are
in
a
public
school
kitchen
in
the
summer
Kitchen
ice
makers
should
be
shutdown
during
the
summer
months.
When
it
reaches
the
end
of
life,
a
unit
with
a
separate
condenser
should
be
considered.
This
would
allow
the
heat
to
be
ejected
outside,
instead
of
into
the
kitchen,
where
it
has
to
be
removed
by
the
HVAC
system
Assume
1,250
BTUs
for
commercial
pilot.
This
is
a
two-­‐fold
savings:
natural
gas
or
propane
to
fuel
the
pilot
and
the
electricity
saved
by
not
having
to
remove
the
heat
with
the
HVAC
system.
A
4
burner
stove
(they
are
usually
larger)
would
require
10
tons
of
cooling
to
remove
the
heat
from
the
pilots!

8. Special
Note
for
scheduling:
Minimize
heat
pump
auxiliary
heat
(strip
heat)
opera/on
by
u/lizing
the
right
scheduling
strategy
(ramping
recovery)
Controls
or
thermostats
must
use
proper
ramp.
If
not
designed
for
heat
pump
operaAons,
an
improper
thermostat
can
cause
energy
use
to
be
higher
than
if
the
heat
pump
was
never
turned
off.
• Much
less
energy
is
used
to
run
in
heat
pump
mode,
even
if
the
unit
must
be
started
up
much
earlier
to
meet
set
point
in
/me,
than
u/lizing
the
electric
strip
heat.
• Electric
strip
heat
can
use
3
or
more
/mes
the
energy
that
the
heat
pump
does
for
the
same
Btu
output
• Can
have
significant
impact
on
demand
charges
if
all
units
are
star/ng
up
close
to
the
same
/me
in
the
morning.
• Just
a
2F
delta
T
between
set
point
and
actual
can
cause
some
units
to
turn
on
the
auxiliary
heat

9. The
goal
is
simple;
Minimize
opera/on
of
the
auxiliary
heaters
as
much
as
possible
by
using
OA
lockout
and
recovery
ramp
control

10. 2.
U/lize
Variable
Frequency
Drives
wherever
Possible
If
flow
is
mechanically
restricted
on
a
centrifugal
pump
or
blower
(valves,
dampers,
etc.),
usually
that
is
a
good
indica/on
that
a
VFD
installa/on
could
be
very
cost
effec/ve.

11. HVAC
systems
are
generally
built
for
the
10
hoIest
and
10
coolest
days
of
the
year.
There
is
generally
overcapacity
for
all
other
condiAons.
VFD’s
offer
the
ability
to
match
the
system
to
the
load,
offering
tremendous
energy
savings
and
extending
equipment
life.
A 50% reduction in flow actually reduces
horsepower requirements by 87.5%

12. 3.
Use
ASHRAE
temperature
band
(standard
55)
•
•
•
68F
-­‐74F
in
winter
73F
–
78F
in
summer
Humidity
<
or
=
60%
Typical
numbers
for
a
facility
would
be
70F
winter
and
75F
summer.

13. This
kitchen
thermostat
is
set
to
70F
in
cool
mode.
This
is
well
outside
of
ASHRAE
band,
and
is
especially
cold
for
a
kitchen,
where
heat
is
always
being
produced.

14. 4.
Minimize
Outside
Air
(OA)
•
•
Make
sure
OA
dampers
exist
and
that
they
close
when
HVAC
units
are
shutdown
or
building
is
unoccupied
Use
CO2
sensors
on
larger
units
to
ensure
no
more
OA
is
brought
in
than
is
needed
(Demand
Controlled
Ven/la/on
(DCV))
•
•
Ensure
exhaust
fans
are
on
a
schedule
and/or
sensors
so
they
operate
no
more
than
needed
•
•
Most
effec/ve
in
areas
with
high
popula/on
swings
such
as
auditoriums
and
churches
Exhaust
fans
can
pull
a
nega/ve
pressure
on
the
building
if
len
on
while
the
HVAC
system
is
shut
down.
Inves/gate
waste
heat
recovery
(using
the
exhaust
to
preheat
or
precool
the
incoming
OA)
for
those
areas
that
require
a
consistently
high
amount
of
OA
(locker
rooms,
hospitals,
heavily
populated
office
buildings
etc..)

15. Demand
Controlled
Ven/la/on
Outside Air
Dampers
AHUs were initially set at 10% - 15% OA damper open at all times. Especially in
hot humid summers, this can unnecessarily load the system. CO2 sensors will
open the OA dampers if CO2 levels rise to levels > 1000 ppm.

16. 5.
Op/mize
ligh/ng
• Reduce
hallway
ligh/ng
• Typically
have
the
same
fixtures
as
offices/classrooms
but
hallways
need
only
a
frac/on
of
the
ligh/ng
that
a
office/classroom
does
• Eliminate
T12
and
incandescent
ligh/ng
(including
exit
signs)
•
Replace
with
high
efficiency
fluorescent,
CFL
or
LED
• Reduce
schedule
on
opera/on
of
hallway
and
cafeteria
lights
(schools)
• Upgrade
HID
ligh/ng
with
high
efficiency
fluorescent
or
LED
(as
prices
improve)
• Added
value
of
reduced
opera/ng
/me
because
the
lights
do
not
have
to
be
len
on
all
day
because
of
the
slow
start-­‐up
/me
• Use
mo/on
sensors
and/or
schedules
where
they
make
the
most
sense
•
“Vacancy
Sensors”
are
preferred
since
they
require
manual
turn
on
and
limit
excessive
on/off
cycles
Note:
UAlity
rebates
can
be
very
lucraAve
for
lighAng,
especially
with
LED.

17. Hallways
are
onen
over-­‐illuminated
(these
were
over
50
fc).
Rarely
should
a
4
bulb
fixture
be
used
in
a
hallway.
The
Illumina/ng
Engineering
Society
of
North
America
(IESNA)
maintains
that
10-­‐20
fc
is
adequate
for
hallways
and
aisles.

18. These
lights
should
be
reduced
to
2
bulbs
in
the
storage
areas.
Room
purpose
probably
changed
long
ago.
These
HID
high
bay
lights
should
be
replaced
with
fluorescent
or
LED
T12
Ligh/ng
should
be
replaced
with
high
efficiency
T8
or
LED.
Reduce
bulb
count
where
possible
These
1000waq
HPS
fixtures
could
be
replaced
with
T5
fluorescent
or
LED

19. These
lights,
which
are
mostly
incandescent,
were
len
on
when
the
classrooms
were
empty.

20. Cafeteria
Lights
should
only
be
on
when
occupied.
The
solu/on
is
to
not
turn
the
lights
on
un/l
just
before
the
meal
and
turn
them
off
just
aner
the
meal
(aner
cleanup).
A
vacancy
sensor
could
work
here.
These
lights
should
not
be
on
all
day.
These
are
T12
lights
and
should
be
upgraded
to
T8.

21. Existing..Fixtures
Quantity
T1234
T1232
T834
400.watt.
MH
Wattage
Total.kWh
Operating.Cost
190
5
42
192
96
113
85,363
1,123
11,070
$10,244
$135
$1,218
16
464
13,363
$1,791
110,920
Total
$13,387
Proposed.new.fixtures
Quantity
T832
T832
T832
T836
T832
T836
Wattage
190
5
42
16
56
56
56
221
kWh
66,358
7,004
Dollars
$7,631
$939
Savings
Total
73,362
$8,070
Combined.Payback.(in.years)
Total.kWh
Rebate.per.fixture Net.Cost.Each
25,040
655
5,504
6,359
$33.92
$10.00
$14.16
$60.80
Initial.
Investment
Payback.(years)
0.25
2.80
$1,916
$2,627
$4,544
0.56
This
spreadsheet
is
a
very
handy
tool
in
obtaining
buy-­‐
in
for
ligh/ng
projects.
Be
sure
to
research
any
available
rebates:
they
can
be
very
lucra/ve.
$4.08
$28.00
$23.84
$164.20

22. 6.
Domes/c
hot
water
• Consider
best
fuel
source;
Natural
Gas
(NG)
is
almost
always
the
most
cost
effec/ve,
followed
by
Propane.
Heat
pump
water
heaters
should
also
be
inves/gated,
as
their
price
is
con/nuing
to
fall.
• Schedule
opera/on
of
water
heaters
and
circula/on
pumps.
• Running
hot
water
(HW)
circula/on
pumps
24/7significantly
increases
losses
from
“radiator
effect”
• Consider
NG
(or
Propane)
tankless
where
it
makes
sense
• Opera/ng
a
tradi/onal
tank
system
168
hours
a
week
(24/7)
for
a
restroom
that
only
operates
40.
• Can
now
be
used
for
higher
temperature
applica/ons
• 140F
for
sani/zing
sinks
and
feed
water
for
dishwasher
• 180F
for
the
final
rinse
of
the
dishwasher

23. Electrical
Resistance
Water
Heaters
should
be
scheduled
during
normal
opera/ons
(nights,
weekends,
etc.)
and
shut
down
during
off
seasons.

24. Domes/c
hot
water
recircula/on
pumps
should
be
scheduled
or
controlled
also.
Running
unnecessarily
increases
the
losses
from
“radiator
effect”
(the
piping
acts
as
a
large
radiator,
con/nually
removing
heat
from
the
system.
The
energy
loss
from
this
can
be
far
larger
than
the
power
consumed
by
the
pump.

25. In
addi/on
to
using
tankless
water
heaters
(NG
or
Propane)
for
typical
domes/c
hot
water
loads,
now
they
are
able
to
meet
the
140F
and
180F
requirements
of
sani/zing
sinks
and
dishwashers
(this
is
easily
one
of
the
largest
loads
a
commercial
kitchen).

26. 7.
Building
Envelope
Climate
zone
has
much
to
do
with
the
approach
to
building
envelope.
Paybacks
for
insula/on
will
be
much
higher
in
colder
areas,
since
the
delta
T
between
the
building
and
OA
can
exceed
70F.
In
warmer
climates,
the
delta
T
can
be
much
less
but
humidity
can
be
a
larger
issue.
Air
infiltra/on
offers
a
much
quicker
payback
than
insula/on,
especially
in
the
south.
Below
is
an
example
of
a
large
exhaust
duct
that
was
always
open
to
the
outside.
Backdran
dampers
are
important
for
all
exhaust
fans
that
are
not
on
24/7.
Open
Exhaust
Duct
Backdran
Damper
Installa/ons

27. Air infiltration repair (Overhead doors)
Before
Before
(sunlight
leaking
in)
Aner
Curtain
for
frequently
used
door
Brush
seal
Brush
Seal

28. Building Envelope and Leaky ductwork examples
Faulty
Duct
Insulation
Open Roof Access
No floor insulation in crawl space
Missing
Insulation
OA damper stuck open
Ductwork insulation in bad shape

29. Negative Pressure from Bathroom Exhaust Fans
Bathroom
Exhaust
fans
were
on
24/7.
When
HVAC
equipment
was
shut
down,
these
fans
exhausted
2000
cfm
and
pulled
air
in
from
outside
causing
humidity
to
rise
at
night.
Fan
switches
were
hidden
and
always
len
on
Sensors
were
installed
to
automate
the
bathroom
exhaust
fans
so
they
would
run
for
15
minutes
when
the
bathroom
became
unoccupied
and
then
shut
off.

30. 8.
Op/mize
the
Control
System
A
control
system
should
be
used
for
much
more
than
a
digital
Ame
clock!
These
strategies
are
far
easier
to
implement
with
an
Energy
Management
System
(EMS)
which
also
adds
the
benefit
of
remote
monitoring/control.
Rarely
should
any
set
point
or
parameter
be
held
constant,
since
set
points
are
generally
very
conservaAve
to
accommodate
worst
case
scenarios.
Ex.
180F
boiler
water
may
not
be
needed
unless
it
is
extremely
cold
outside.
Examples
•
•
•
•
Hot
Water
(HW),
Chilled
Water
(CHW)
and
Condenser
Water
(CW)
temperature
reset
Supply
Air
(SA)
(some/mes
called
Discharge
Air
(DA)
temperature
reset
Duct
Sta/c
Pressure
reset
CHW,
HW
and
CW
pump
and
Blower
Fan
variable
flow
Addi/onal
control
strategies
that
can
boost
efficiency
and
save
money
• Op/mum
Start/Stop
• Economizing

31. The
goal
here
is
only
to
expend
only
that
amount
of
energy
that
is
necessary
to
meet
the
building
load.
These
strategies
help
eliminate
or
minimize
energy
hogs
of
the
past
such
as:
Reheat
(simultaneous
hea/ng
and
cooling)
3
way
valves
mixing
valves
Constant
volume
water
and/or
air
flow
Hard
schedules
(start
the
building
up
at
the
same
/me
no
maqer
what
the
condi/ons
are)
• Opera/ng
hea/ng
equipment
with
high
OA
temperatures
• Opera/ng
cooling
equipment
with
low
OA
temperature
•
•
•
•
•

32.
U/lize
op/mum
Start/Stop
Op/mum
start
/
stop
helps
minimize
the
waste
from
star/ng
the
system
too
early
or
late
by
“learning”
the
building
characteris/cs
and
performing
calcula/ons
that
look
at
room
temperature
(and
can
also
look
at
OA)
• Allows
for
more
aggressive
non-­‐occupied
set
points
• Typically
buildings
start
up
much
earlier
than
necessary
to
avoid
complaints.
The
start
up
/mes
are
set
for
a
“worst
case
scenario”
to
cover
for
the
most
extreme
weather
of
the
year.
• Op/mum
Stop
uses
the
thermal
iner/a
of
the
system
to
allow
the
system
to
shutdown
before
the
occupied
run
/me
is
over
• Leaving
the
fan
on
helps
make
op/mum
stop
a
success
because
some
assume
the
system
is
broken
if
the
normal
fan
noise
subsides

33. Op/mum
Start/Stop
Areas
in
the
yellow
circled
areas
above
represent
savings
opportuni/es
by
tuning
the
HVAC
system
off
during
these
/mes.

34. Make
OA
your
friend!
Economize
(frequently
called
free
cooling)
for
your
winter
heat
loads.
Able
to
shut
down
all
but
the
air
moving
parts
of
the
HVAC
systems
(chillers,
pumps,
compressors
etc…).
Dual
enthalpy
control
is
most
efficient
method.
Works
best
when
space
has
a
consistent
heat
load
(kitchens,
data
centers,
filled
auditoriums
etc.)
Economizer
possible
for
2309
to
3961
hours
in
the
Charleston
SC
area.
High
bays
maybe
an
addi/onal
1000
hours.

35. Supply
Air
Reset
This
is
a
simplified
graph
showing
the
SA
varying
from
55F
to
65F
depending
on
OA
temp.

36. Constant
Chilled
Water
Temperature
CHW
does
not
need
to
be
this
cold
to
meet
building
load

37. Chilled
Water
Reset
Savings
opportunity:
2%
power
reduc/on
for
every
degree
that
set
point
is
lowered

38. Hot
Water
Reset
Typical
HW
reset
is
a
1:1
meaning
that
for
every
1
degree
decrease
in
OA
temp.,
there
is
the
same
increase
in
the
HW
temp.
Building
that
are
well
insulated
can
have
a
2:1
ra/o.
A
4
degree
reduc/on
in
the
HW
set
point
generally
reduces
fuel
consump/on
1%
therefore
a
40F
change
(not
uncommon
from
morning
to
anernoon)
can
reduce
consump/on
10%.

39. 9.
Ensure
PC’s
and
Monitors
are
shutdown/
standby
when
not
needed
• At
a
minimum,
use
the
power
saving
seungs
• Sonware
is
available
that
can
have
a
payback
in
as
liqle
as
4
months
and
addresses
end
user
concerns
such
as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wai/ng
for
boot-­‐up
Inability
to
log
in
from
home
Too
long
to
awaken
from
sleep
mode
Constantly
going
to
standby
during
presenta/ons
Loss
of
data
during
power
down
Inhibi/ng
IT’s
ability
to
upload
sonware
and
“fixes”
and
communicate
with
the
PC

40. Computer
monitors
len
on

41. IT
has
to
get
on
board!
The
current
IT
PC
policy
is
not
helping
with
PC
power
consump/on,
as
can
be
observed
by
the
hundreds
of
PC’s
that
are
len
on
24/7.

42. 10.
Minimize/control
Plug
loads
•
Address
the
largest
loads
first
•
•
•
•
•
Space
heaters
Vending
machines
Turn
off
office
equipment
at
night
Use
Timer
or
Mo/on
Sensing
controlled
plug
strips
Use
a
wireless,
remote
monitoring
and
control
system
such
as
the
Bert

43. Vending
Misers
• Install
Vending
Miser
on
soda
machines:
hqp://www.usatech.com/energy_management/energy_vm.php
• Shuts
down
the
compressor
and
lights
when
people
are
not
in
the
area
• Can
have
a
payback
of
less
than
one
year
• Simple
to
install
requiring
liqle
technical
skills
• Some/mes
soda
vendor
will
supply
for
free
• Soda
s/ll
stays
cold

44. Many
opportuni/es
for
vending
and
cooler
misers

45. Refrigerated
Water
Fountains
Use
of
a
programmable
receptacle
can
reduce
water
fountain
power
use
by
30%

46. Portable
Electric
Space
Heaters
Space&heaters&are&located&throughout&the&faciliMes&
This&was&found&in&an&office&
•
They
are
a
fire
hazard
Space&heaters&should&never&be&allowed&for&the&following&reasons:&&
1. They&are&a&fire&hazard&
•
They
consume
very
large
amounts
of
energy
2. They&consume&large&amounts&of&energy&
• 3. They&affect&other&employees&comfort&by&causing&the&HVAC&system&to&work&harder&in&the&
They
affect
other
employees
comfort
by
causing
the
HVAC
system
to
summer&(making&it&colder&for&those&without&the&heaters)&and&less&in&the&winter&(having&a&
work
harder
in
the
summer
(making
it
colder
for
those
without
the
thermostat&meet&temperature&when&the&whole&room&may&not&be&warm).&
&heaters)
and
less
in
the
winter
(having
a
thermostat
meet
temperature
Personal&fans,&on&the&other&hand,&do&not&change&building&temperature,&just&airflow,&and&do&
when
the
whole
room
may
not
be
warm).
not&use&much&electricity.&
Personal
fans,
on
the
other
hand,
do
not
change
building
temperature,
just
airflow,
and
do
not
use
much
electricity.

47. Contact
Informa/on
Website:
www.energymanllc.com
Email:
lrussell@energymanllc.com
Mobile:
843-­‐469-­‐5111