The document provides an overview of a retro-commissioning (rcx) program aimed at improving energy efficiency in buildings through optimized performance of mechanical and electrical systems. It discusses the benefits of energy efficiency such as reduced operational costs, extended equipment lifetimes, and increased asset value, along with common misunderstandings about rcx. The program includes various phases from planning to verification, with specific measures to achieve energy savings and ensure adequate functioning of building systems.

1. Retro-commissioning
Program Overview

2. Agenda
 Energy Efficiency Portfolio
 Business Case for Energy Efficiency
 RCx Program Overview
 Measurement & Verification
 Questions

3. ComEd Smart Ideas for Your Business
Energy Efficiency Portfolio
1. Prescriptive Program
2. Custom Program
3. New Construction Program
4. Technical Assistance Service
5. ComEd RCx program – service is the incentive
6. Compressed Air Program
7. Residential Program
8. Load Response Program
9. Others
 Measures implemented in RCx do not qualify for or overlap with additional
incentives through other ComEd programs

4. A Business Case for Energy Efficiency:
The Triple Bottom Line
 People (human capital):
• Industry leadership among peers
• Employee satisfaction
• Attract forward thinking tenants/customers
• Competitive edge among similar facilities
 Planet (natural capital):
• Reducing CO2 emissions produced by electricity & gas reduces
the greenhouse effect
 Profit (economic value):
• Real estate benefit, higher building value, tenant rates
• Lower operational costs, extends equipment life
• Reduced electric & gas bill

5. A business case for energy efficiency
• 8-9% operating costs*
• 7.5% building value
Perceived increases*
Business • 6.6% return on investment
Benefits improves*
• 3.5% occupancy ratio
to Green increases*
• 3% rent ratio increases**
Source:
*McGraw-Hill Construction, Key Trends in the European and U.S. Construction Marketplace
SmartMarket Report, 2008
**McGraw-Hill Construction, Greening of Corporate America SmartMarket Report, 2007
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6. Building system deficiencies
Envelope
For projects where deficiencies EMS
were characterized, 63 percent
0.1%
Lighting 3.1% Plug loads
of problems were related to the 3.6% 0%
overall HVAC system in some HVAC 0.1%
fashion. 4.2%
Air Handling
37.1%
Terminal units
4.4%
Heating plant
6.3%
Cooling plant
11%
Other
Source: E SOURCE; data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 30.1%
Portland Energy Conservation Inc., and Energy Systems Laboratory, Texas
A&M University
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7. Retro-commissioning, what is it?
• Retro-commissioning (RCx)
– The process of bringing a building’s mechanical and electrical
systems, including building controls, to peak performance.
– Investigation of existing system performance, the adjustment of the
operating parameters and the repair of equipment.
• Goal: identify low-cost operational improvements that deliver high
energy savings
• Perform building tune-up and adjust existing systems, typically without
capital costs
• Collaboration between Building Operator & RCx Service Provider
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8. Common Misunderstandings RCx:
• RCx is not an energy audit.
• RCx is not a facility evaluation.
• RCx is not a feasibility study.
• RCx is not a study to determine technical feasibility of capital-
investment type energy efficiency projects (co-generation unit)
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9. Benefits to RCx, energy and non-energy
• Reduce building operating costs (energy, maintenance, premature
equipment replacement).
• Extend equipment service lifetime.
• Improve building performance and system integration.
• Increase asset value of the property.
• Reduce comfort complaints.
• Identify potential indoor environmental quality issues.
• Ensure building operations meet owner’s requirements.
• Can increase occupant productivity and safety.
• Provide building operator training.
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10. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study
• Median RCx costs (332 projects) were $0.30/ft2
• Median cost savings were $0.29/ft2 -per year
• Median electrical demand savings from baseline consumption is 5%
• Median electrical annual energy savings from baseline is 9%
• Median total annual energy savings from baseline is 16%
The source of this information is Building Commissioning: A Golden Opportunity for
Reducing Energy Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Evan Mills, Ph.D., Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, July 21, 2009, http://cx.lbl.gov/documents/2009-
assessment/LBNL-Cx-Cost-Benefit.pdf
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11. Natural Gas
 Joint Electric & Natural Gas Energy Efficiency program
• Nicor
• Peoples Gas
• North Shore Gas
 Retro-commissioning:
• Electric and Natural Gas combined into program
• Pilot program last year
• Year 2 starting on June 1, 2011

12. RCx Program Overview

13. Program Overview
 Application Phase: Screening, set goals
 Planning Phase: Identify measures, operational adjustments
 Investigation Phase: Baseline data
 Implementation Phase: Customer installations
 Verification Phase: Report final data to ComEd

14. Customer Commitments
 Program Agreement signed after the RCx Plan is presented
 Commit $10,000 minimum with Simple Payback < 1.5
 Meet deadline specified in Program Agreement
 Support the RSP team in their investigation
 Select and manage the implementation team
 Building Operator Certification, CC

15. Application Phase
 Screening process for selecting successful projects
 To help ensure program cost-effectiveness, an energy savings
target is set, average PY3 is 600,000 kWh / year

16. Planning Phase
 Evaluate function, sequencing and scheduling of major systems
 Interview with facility operation staff
 Set up Building Automation System (BAS) trends
 Spot check equipment on BAS
 Plan critical items for investigation and verification phases
 Identify sufficient measures to achieve target
 Planning Phase milestone decision:
1. Proceed to Implementation Phase
2. Modify RCx scope if energy savings too low
3. End RCx project at Planning Phase

17. View daily, weekly,
or monthly usage
trends
Click on a specific
day to narrow down
your costs.

18. Planning Phase deliverables
 Retro-commissioning Plan
 Preliminary D&C Plans
 Customer Selection Form
 Building Equipment List*
 Site Assessment Form*
*Alternative forms OK with pre-approval

19. Customer Selection Form

20. Investigation Phase
 Detailed investigations by RSP
 Functional testing
 Collect trend logs or data logs
 Revise energy saving estimates
 Define scope of work for candidate measures
 Bi-Weekly Meetings
 Diagnostic & Calculation Plans present findings

21. Investigation Phase deliverables
 Investigation Report
 D&C Plans
 Customer Selection Form
 Standard RCx Procedure Forms
 Building Equipment List

22. Implementation Phase
 Bi-Weekly Meetings
 Customer responsible to implement measures
 Deadline set at 120 days from Program Agreement , or April 1
 RSP provides technical support to implementation team

23. Verification Phase
 Inspect RCMs for installed equipment and controls modifications
 Execute measurement & verification (M&V) Plan from Diagnostic
and Calculation Plan
 Set up trends depending on measure (one to four weeks)
 Conduct functional test depending on measure
 Perform spot measurements
 Revise calculations as necessary

24. Verification Phase deliverables
 Customer Selection Form for completion of RCMs
 Verification Report
 D&C Plans

25. Common RCx Measures
• Fixing ventilation dampers that are open when they should be closed (or vice versa).
• Adjusting chiller operation to better match building load conditions.
• Aligning zone temperature set-points to match the building's actual occupancy
• Reducing ventilation in over-ventilated areas.
• Eliminating simultaneous heating and cooling.
• Reducing supply air static pressure set points.
• Focus on cost-effective operation and maintenance improvements (education to staff
on continuous building performance, digital controls with schedules, etc.)
• Properly tune equipment for maximum efficiency.
• Sustainability in optimum performance schedules (eliminate manual controls where
human interference is more accessible)
• Optimize building systems as a whole, functioning together
• Free energy – use outside air and lighting when available
• Demand savings – operate equipment as needed or when occupied
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26. Measurement & Verification
Overview

27. Calculation and M&V Guidelines
• Adherence eases QC process for RSP and Nexant
• Adherence improves evaluation results

28. Measure tiers
Measure Impacts Percent of Total Site Measure Category
(kWh/yr) RCx Savings
>75,000 Any Tier 1 (Large)
75,000 > 25% Tier 1 (Large)
75,000 25% Tier 2 (Small)
Measures tiers are defined at a strategy level

29. Why measure tiers?
• Focus RSP efforts on larger impacts!
• PY2 Results:
– 125 Measures in commercial buildings
– Small Measures (<75,000 kWh)
• Were only 26% of total impacts
• But covered 78% of the # measures we looked at
• Ways to decrease efforts on small measures:
– Provide calculators
– Reduce M&V requirements for small measures

30. Tier 1 requirements
• Savings calculations based on engineering principles
– “Rules of Thumb” not acceptable
• MS Excel based custom calculations
– Whole-building models not acceptable
– Modeling of buildings/systems with packaged software only with prior
approval
• International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol
(IPMVP) Option A or B
– Based on field-measured data of both pre-install and post-install
– 2-3 weeks of trending on important parameters
– Spot measurements supporting trend data

31. Tier 2 requirements
• Savings calculations based on engineering principles
– “Rules of Thumb” not acceptable
• MS Excel based calculations
– Program provided calculators for 10 common measures
– Custom calculators developed by RSP for other measures
– Custom calculators developed by RSP where template calculator not fitting
• M&V for critical items
– Screen shots of pre- and post- install setpoints
– Spot measurements for select data
– Trending where critical

32. Tier 2 calculators
• Template calculators
– Adjust economizer setpoints
– Demand control ventilation
– Schedule single AHU
– Duct static pressure reset/reduce
– Schedule CHW or HW pumps
– Condenser water reset
– Chilled water reset
– Supply air temp reset
– Pump differential pressure reset/reduce
– Reduce minimum VAV box position

33. RCX Process Summary
Before
RCx
Submit Kick-off
Screening
application Meeting
Site Interview
Collect Data RCx Plan
Assessment Operators
Sign Invest-
Sign CSF D&C
Agreement igations
Select Implement
Contractors Measures

34. Thank you…
Questions?