Retrocommissioning: Tighten Up Your Energy Performance

This information was provided to BOMA/Suburban Chicago by Chelsea Group, Ltd. 

Buildings need tune-ups, just like cars — even more so. Buildings change over time. Occupants, use patterns, equipment requirements, alterations and improvements — all of these bring change to building systems and operations. Rarely is every system in the building updated to every new condition.

The most perfectly designed buildings can perform and operate poorly if they aren’t constantly monitored, maintained, and adjusted according to the ever-changing variables of building use. Additionally, no equipment works perfectly forever. Air conditioning and other mechanical equipment sensors can go bad over time, but there is no way to know unless you constantly fine-tune and inspect each piece of equipment to verify proper functionality.

As most facility managers and engineers know, one of the best ways to decrease operating costs is through energy usage and cost reductions. Energy savings has become a very significant topic of discussion with the present day facility manager. Not only can you significantly reduce operating costs, but there is also a social responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental impact of your facility’s operations.

The simplest way to run an energy efficient building would obviously be to start from scratch, and to build a facility with energy efficient equipment from the very beginning. It would also be nice to have the capability to replace all of your equipment with brand new efficient equipment whenever the technology was available. However, most of us don’t have that option.

Facility managers operate pre-existing facilities within a budget. Typically, facility managers will have to operate the facility as efficiently as possible with the equipment that is currently in place, and will have to plan accordingly to replace equipment based on cost and savings prioritization. So, how do you know whether you are getting the most you can out of your equipment, or if your equipment needs to be replaced? Retrocommissioning is the solution.

Retrocommissioning involves having an energy expert conduct a full-building tune-up, through measurement and verification, to optimize the building’s performance. Retrocommissioning essentially identifies deficiencies in equipment operations, and identifies opportunities to tighten up building performance. Through retrocommissioning, you will be able to identify low- and no-cost measures that can bring immediate savings to the property. Typically, the savings identified through the investigation have a three-year payback or less on the cost of the investigation. Equipment that is failing and requiring replacement is identified as well, for potential capital planning based on prioritization.

Retrocommissioning can help rebalance your systems, optimize equipment performance, improve indoor air quality, and identify and eliminate issues proactively — instead of after complaints begin. In addition, maintenance and repair costs can be reduced, and service life of equipment can be extended. Retrocommissioning is a smart solution for any property to tighten up their facility’s energy performance.