Retro-Cx is one of the best investments in the Building Industry TODAY with paybacks of less than 1 year. WHY then isn't everyone doing it? This presentation explores WHY, HOW and WHAT we need to do to fix take advantage of this OPPORTUNITY.

1. Retro-Cx
Is like Mining for Gold
Murray Guy, Integrated Designs

2. $5000 Retro Investment avoids a $1.8M
Air Quality Improvement Project
Retro-Cx hits the Mother Load
6 Ounces Sierra County, California

3. Can Retro-C Save the Planet?
“What is that all about?”

4. BUILDINGS
1/3 of Canada’s Energy Use
50% of extracted materials
25% of our landfill waste
10% of our airborne particulates
40% of our greenhouse gases
Reference: A Business Case for Green Buildings in Canada

8. If the entire stock of existing non-residential
buildings in the U.S. were retro-commissioned,
as much as $30 billion of energy savings and
340 million tons of CO2 could be avoided
annually. (LBL Study)
What if we TUNED all non-Residential Buildings?

9. Should BOMA tell Justin about this?

10. Energy Saving (Less than 2 Yr Payback)
Environmental Quality (Productivity $500 psf)
Less Stress (# of Fires to Put Out)
Building Renewal Opportunities (POS)
Capital Cost Avoidance (Young Offenders)
Water Saving (Getting to be a Bigger Issue)
Lots of Different Nuggets

11. I especially like the Less Stress Nugget

12. Retro-Commissioning must be TOP SECRET
Where else can you do you get a low risk >50% return on Investment?
WHY isn’t everyone doing it?

13. • Business Case
• No Commitment
No Money
• No Time
What are the Barriers?

14. Great strides have been made in advancing the knowledge and awareness about commissioning by
such groups, as ASHRAE and the Building Commissioning Association, however there are still many
barriers to overcome before the commissioning industry gets recognition for being a
GREAT investment.
The REALITY is that “Commissioning is arguably the Single-Most-Cost Effective strategy for
reducing energy costs and green house case emissions in buildings today”
Retro-Commissioning

15. We just Made the Business Case
Its up to Stakeholders to make “the Claim”

16. No Commitment
Make the Pitch

17. No Money
Lease? or Finance?

18. No Time
Hire a Retro-Cx Provider

19. How to Mine the Claim Stage 1
• Benchmark the Facility (MJ/M2)
• Compare to other Facilities
• Cowboy Math Analysis (Go no Go)

20. • What is the current Energy Usage?
• How does it compare to industry
averages?
• Cowboy Math
• Savings (10% of $5.00 psf) = $.50
• Cost $0.50 psf
• Payback 1 Year
• Make the Pitch

21. Determine how big of a Gold Deposit
Try the IDI Energy Use Assessment Tool
www.i-

22. • Assemble a Team
• Define Project Requirements
• Plan, Budget and Funding
• Implement, Verify and Repeat
How to Mine the Claim Stage 2

23. Who should be on “the Team”
1.Facilities Manager
2.Cx Manager
3.Tenant or Occupant Rep
4.Building Operator(s)
5.Finance Guy
6.Specialized consultants
depending on measures to be
taken (Controls trades,
balancers, M&E Engineers, etc.)

24. Define the Project Requirements
• What are issues?
• What are the opportunities?
• Where is the VALUE?
• What are the priorities?

25. What Issues?
• Critical problems
• Occupant complaints
• Seasonal problems
• Peak loads problems
• Environmental quality problems
• Safety/Regulatory
• Energy Costs above expectation or
growing over time
• Frequent equipment failures

26. Collect the Easy Nuggets
First
• Filters/Belts
• Deferred Maintenance (leaks,
etc.)
• Known broken “stuff”
• Balancing
• Bad Habits (open windows in
winter, space heaters for over-
cooling, etc)
• Control Setpoint & Sequences

27. • Are sequences known and documente
• Are systems being overridden to resolv
• Schedules & Set points
• Demand control ventilation
• Daylighting Control
• Additional Metering
No More Half Dead Zombie Controls

28. Tune the Building then Dig Deeper
• Full Building Energy Audit?
• Systems Upgrade?
• Space Utilization?
• Building Renewal?

29. Lessons Learned
Getting Retro-Cx Done
• Understanding Owner Requirements
is key
• Studies and audits are OK, but action
needs to be taken and changes need
to be sustained

30. Innovation Place Case Study
Make me Money

31. High Performance Building Program

32. Re-Commissioning process helped reduce energy
use from 900 MJ/m2 to 600 MJ/m2 (30% Reduction)
Retro or Re-commissioning can reduce
GHG in buildings by 15% to 40%

34. Energy Performance
Innovation Place Energy Use
2,000
2,100
2,200
2,300
2,400
2,500
2,600
2,700
2002 2003 2004
EnergyUse(MJ/m2)
Energy Use (MJ/m2)
Energy Use Targets
Annual Energy Saving: $500,000/yr Savings to Date: $5,000,000

35. SRC ANALYTICAL LABORATORY
Renewal Project

36. What are the Priorities?
100/10/1
People Production Facilities
$500/sq.ft/yr $500/sq.ft $5/sq.ft/yr
Operating Cost

37. Enough Energy Savings to fund a $5M Building Renewal

38. City of Saskatoon
Electrical Operations
Center

39. Need more Evidence?

40. IDI Blog
• Retro-Cx Mining for Gold
• Do you need a Cx Agent to
Discover the Truth?

41. Thank YOU
&
?’s
mguy@i-designs.ca
www.i-designs.ca
Retro-Cx
Is like Mining for Gold