Retro-commissioning is a low-cost way to reduce energy costs by 10% to 20%, freeing public funds
December 10, 2015
“Even the best-designed, -built, and -maintained buildings waste energy. In fact, virtually all heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, lighting, and building automation systems (BAS) compromise efficiency. Regardless of age, buildings over 50,000 square feet can benefit from a process called retro-commissioning (RCx),” writes Sam Cooke of SCS Engineers in Public Works Magazine.
Built in 2010 as a LEED Gold building; the 56,400-sq.-ft. library in Fitchburg, WI has the lowest EUI even though it’s the largest of the three buildings the City retro-commissioned thanks to a geothermal heating and cooling system. Even this low EUI building, are: 1) Reprograming the radiant floor heating system controls to remain off during the summer (i.e., the kid’s reading area floor was hot while the air conditioning was also running) and 2) Adjust interior light levels and daylight controls for perimeter lighting.
Read the article: Public Works Magazine December 2015, print issue and online.
