IJEM Vol 4 Iss 3 Online

Volume 4 | Issue 3 | 2022
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ISSN: 2643-6779 (Print) Editor Steven Parker

Association of Energy Engineers | 3168 Mercer University Drive | Atlanta, Georgia 30341 PE, CEM
ISSN: 2643-6787 (Online)
International Journal of
Energy Management
Steven Parker, PE, CEM, Editor-in-Chief
Vol. 4, No. 3—2022
Contents
Editor’s Desk—Electric Vehicles and the Compromises We Make
5
Energy Savings through Control Strategies—Eric Oliver

8
26 Building Retro Commissioning: Making Your Building Sim-

pler, More Comfortable, and More Efficient—Duane Warren
41 Existing Building Commissioning: Securing Stakeholder

Buy-in is the Key to Success—Nathaniel W. Fanning
48 Cloud-based Energy Analytics—Benefits and Cost from New

York’s Real-time Energy Management Program—Thomas Yeh
and Lauren De La Fuente
77 Guiderlines for Submittal
JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ENERGY ENGINEERS®

ISSN: 2643-6779 (print)

ISSN: 2643-6787 (on-line)
2 International Journal of Energy Management
Steven Parker, PE, CEM

Editor-in-Chief
sparker@aeecenter.org

EDITORIAL BOARD
Steven Parker, PE, CEM, Editor-in-Chief; Surajit Amrit, PE, CEM, LEED-AP BD+C, VMA, Parsons
Corp.; Lindsay Audin, PE, CEM, Energy Wiz, Inc.; John Avina, CEM, CEA, CMVP, CxA, Abraxas
Energy Consulting, LLC; Jeremy Blanchard, CEM, GDS Associates; Wei Guo, Ph.D., PE, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory; Lori Moen, CEM, CSBA, Seattle City Light; Eric Oliver, PE, CEM, Earthwide,
LLC; Graham Parker, CEM, CEA, Graham Parker & Associates, LLC.; Stephen Roosa, PhD, CEM,
RPM Asset Holdings, Energy and Sustainable Solutions; Tarek El-Shennawy, PhD, CEM, Alexan-
dria National Refining and Petrochemicals Company; Hitesh Vora, PhD, Oklahoma State University;
Wayne Turner, PhD, PE, CEM, Editor Emeritus.
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Tim Janos, Treasurer; 2022 Regional Vice Presidents: Adam Jennings, Region I; Ray Segars, Region
II; Jerry Eaton, Region III; Steven Morgan, Region IV; Cynthia Martin, Region V.
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Volume 4, Number 3 5
Editor’s Desk
Electric Vehicles and the

Compromises We Make
Many years ago, I was in a large meeting sponsored by a federal cli-

ent. The meeting was attended by staff from several national laboratories.
During the meeting, the director of the federal agency asked if anyone
owned an SUV. I did and acknowledged such (as did a few others). She
chastised us for owning a gas-guzzling vehicle instead of a high-mileage
small commuter car. “As foremost authorities in energy efficiency, why
would you own such a vehicle?” Note: this was before the hybrid Toyota
Prius was on the market and electric vehicles (EVs) were futuristic.
My response (because sure I had to respond) was simple. I only own
one vehicle. That vehicle had to meet all my driving requirements over
the life of that vehicle. (Note: I have never owned a vehicle for less than
10 years.) I lived in the Pacific Northwest—not Washington, DC, like she
did. During the weekdays, all I did was drive to work and back, plus the
occasional trip to the grocery store. But I also needed a vehicle to haul ski
gear to the mountains in the winter, haul bikes during the summer, trips
to the hardware store, and an assortment of other travel and hauling
requirements. A small 4-door SUV met all those requirements and had
replaced my old 2-door sports car.
I understood her thought but people in the East do not understand
driving in the West and, similarly, people in the West may not understand
driving in the East. You could say the same about urban versus rural
environments. The driving environment is just very different.
I present this story because I am still caught in this conundrum.
While I am now married and retired, I am back to owning only 1 vehicle.
We only need one vehicle. I would like to own an electric vehicle, but my
driving requirements make it virtually impossible—unless I double my
expense and own two cars. I live a little over 300 miles from grandchil-
dren. (For you East Coasters, that is about 4½ hours of driving. For you
West Coasters, 4½ hours of driving might only get you 100 to 150 miles
in the Northeast.) My point is that there are very few electric vehicles
that can get over 300 miles on a charge and then must be charged for the
return trip. The logistics and practicality are challenging. So, for now, I
am back to owning a small 4-door SUV.
For the record, we did not own a vehicle for the 6 years we lived in
Ecuador. We either used our bikes or relied on public transportation.
On a few occasions, we hired a driver for longer distance trips. We have
kept that spirit since we have returned to the U.S. Lucky for us, we live
in a very bicycle-friendly city. Maybe not as bike friendly as Amsterdam
(refer to the Editor’s Desk IJEM Vol. 2, Nos. 2 and 3 for more on that),
but where we live now there are bike lanes on almost all major roads in
town.
In one of my e-newsletters, I read a story on redesigning streets to
better accommodate the increasing popularity of cycling and making
the roads safer for cyclists and commuters. I wish more cities across the
country would do more than paint bike lanes where trash collects on
the side of the roads. Amsterdam has this, as do many other European
cities. Cyclists should have their own lanes with physical dividers (curbs)
separating cyclists from larger vehicular traffic. Giving cyclists their own
lane also keeps them off the sidewalks and away from pedestrians. When
cycling becomes safer, more people will consider cycling as an alternative
to driving cars. Imagine the energy savings that can result. This can be
accomplished in both urban and suburban areas.
Myra has decided to work since our return. She bikes to work most
days (only high winds, rain, or deep snow will deter her from biking). It’s
about 3½ miles each way. Given the routing, biking is only slightly slower
than driving. She enjoys the exercise and the quiet time.
Another thing making biking an acceptable alternative to driving is
the e-bike. Battery-driven electric bikes are becoming very popular. My
neighbors (they are in their mid-70s) have talked about getting e-bikes. I
did my research and showed one to Myra that I thought fit her style. By the
end of the week, she had ordered it. She has been riding it for a week now
and is thoroughly in love with it. Her new e-bike is what they call Class 2.
Class 1 means the bike is pedal assist, you must pedal the bike to go, and
the motor assists the pedaling. Stop pedaling and the motor stops assisting
the drive. Class 2 means that in addition to pedal assist, the motor can also
operate without pedaling. There is a throttle on the handlebar, much like
a motorcycle. Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are limited to 20 mph; you can
pedal faster, but the motor stops assisting above 20 mph.
While Myra’s new e-bike is still being decorated, I have included a

photo of it. The bike company describes this bike, along with some of
the options installed, as the minivan of e-bikes. We don’t even need to
drive the car to the grocery store anymore. The bike will do it.
Before you think “how cute,” riding a bike is not going to offset car
traffic; you might want to check out URB-E (www.urb-e.com). URB-E
is introducing a line of e-bikes with enclosed trailers capable of hauling
800 pounds of cargo. URB-E is a venture start-up company located in
Los Angeles and currently being deployed in New York City and other
urban locations. URB-E’s goal is to start displacing delivery vans, such as
those used by Amazon, UPS, and others, involved in “last-mile” deliver-
ies. Think of the potential impact on transportation energy, traffic con-
gestion, and delivery efficiency.
I hope you enjoy this issue of the journal. I need to go order my own
e-bike now.

Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Energy Management
A journal of the Association of Energy Engineers
saparker@aeecenter.org
Energy Savings through Control Strategies

Eric Oliver, PE, CEM
ABSTRACT
It is well understood that at least 35% of the energy we consume in

this country is just wasted. Wasted energy takes many forms: lights left
on in rooms that are unoccupied, motors and fans running at night, and
temperatures set too cold or too hot. Much of this energy waste can be
eliminated with proper building controls. A common question is “ how
much energy will be saved by installing a building automation system”,
and the answer is none. The hardware and software components of a
control system don’t do anything on their own; it’s how the system is
used that drives energy savings. In this article, we’re going to talk about
how we can use building automation control systems to maximize energy
savings within buildings.
PNNL STUDY
A comprehensive study was performed by the Pacific Northwest

National Laboratory (PNNL) in 2017 analyzing the impact of commer-
cial building controls on energy savings [1]. PNNL reviewed a variety of
different energy savings strategies to see exactly what impact they had on
building energy consumption. They found that implementing some or all
of these could reduce building energy consumption by between 4% and
42%.
By implementing these strategies, you can make the cost of building
automation systems pay for themselves. The study showed that the pay-
back on these systems could be as low as 2 or 3 years. Figure 1 shows the
rankings of the top strategies for building controls by their impact, from
significant to moderate impact on energy savings. [1]
The most significant savings come from widening thermostat dead-
bands and incorporating night setbacks. You can see that just that strat-
egy alone can deliver up to 8% energy savings in buildings. Changing

Volume 4, Number 3
Figure 1. Results of PNNL Control Savings Study

9
the variable-air volume (VAV) terminal box minimum flow setpoints can
deliver up to 6% savings. Other strategies include:
• Shortening heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) sched-
ules
• Optimal start
• Demand control
• Ventilation
• Supply air temperature reset
• Static pressure reset
• Advanced rooftop unit control.
Basic Zone Temperature Control

The primary goal of a building automation system is to control zone
temperatures. In VAV systems each zone is controlled by a VAV box. The
building automation system sends a signal to the VAV box to increase or
decrease flow, or add hot water through a heating coil, to maintain the
temperature within that zone.
Typically, if you have a setpoint of say 71°F, then temperature con-
trol operates within a space called a differential or deadband around
that setpoint. When the heating comes on to bring the temperature in
that zone to the 71°F setpoint, it typically stays on until that temperature
reaches 72°F. Then the heat shuts off until the temperature drops to
70°F, where it kicks back on again, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Space Temperature Control Deadband

This deadband around the setpoint prevents the constant cycling of

heating switching on and off, because temperature is going to continu-
ously vary in a space. Within the 2°F range of 70°F to 72°F, that’s called
the deadband, or differential, around a specific setpoint. If you can
increase the deadband around the setpoint, say from 2°F to 4°F, you can
reduce the amount of time that heating operates, and save energy.
Night Setback
At a certain time of night, when you know that occupants are no
longer in the building, you can use the building automation system to
automatically reset those setpoints anywhere from 6 to 10°F, warmer in
the summer and cooler in the winter. This ensures that the heating and
cooling systems are not running when nobody’s there except to mitigate
extreme temperatures.
For example, in the summer, you may have a cooling setpoint during
the day of 74°F, and then want the systems to shut down when everyone
leaves. However, you don’t want the temperature inside the space to go
above 80°F at night. This is because if it goes above 80°F, it may be dif-
ficult to get back to the cooling setpoint in the morning.
With an 80°F night setback, if the summer night temperature goes
above 80°F, the system will kick back on, providing a little bit of cooling
so that it’s not too high. By programming a night setback, making sure
that the systems aren’t cooling or heating when nobody’s in the building,
you can gain significant energy savings.
Optimize Temperature Control

Energy savings can also be achieved by optimizing temperature set-
points during occupied periods. You may decide that 74°F is an appro-
priate setpoint for the summer or that 68°F is appropriate for the winter
for all occupied hours. However, different zones may have different tem-
perature requirements.
A good example is a conference room in a hotel, for example where
meetings are booked only from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. In this scenario
there’s no reason to cool the space to 74°F before noon if that zone will
be unoccupied. You can save energy by manually or automatically alter-
ing occupied time schedules for specific zones based on when you really
need cooling and heating.
Off-peak Reduction
Another strategy is to change schedules and behavior to reduce other
consumption at night. Let’s take the example of a restaurant where real-
time data monitoring was performed by gathering electric data every 5
minutes at the circuit level. Figure 3 shows the lighting consumption for
all the lighting circuits.
Figure 3 shows 24 hours of data starting at about 4:00 PM. Lighting
was on at about 50% of total power during the day. During the dinner
dining period, it went up to about 75% and then the peak lighting con-
sumption, at 100% on, occurred between the hours of 11:00 PM and
5:00 AM.
The reason was because that’s when the cleaning crews arrived, and
as soon as they came in, they turned all the lights on and cleaned all the
spaces. They then left all the lights on until the cooking crew arrived in
the morning. When the cooking crew arrives, they turn most lights off.
Using the building automation system, they were able to control certain
zones. The cleaning crew was told to only turn lights on in areas specifi-
cally being cleaned, and then turn those lights off when finished.
Demand Controlled Ventilation

Another common building automation strategy is called demand
controlled ventilation. Typically, when you design a building and deter-
mine how much outside air flow is required for certain zones, that value
is calculated based on peak occupancy. Whatever the peak occupancy
you’re expecting for a certain space, you design the outside air to meet
that. That can be anywhere from 15 to 25% of the total air flow of that
air handling unit.
However, the building doesn’t always operate at peak occupancy. If
you have only half of the people in a space (compared to the peak), then
you don’t need as much outside air. And because it takes more energy for
most of the year to condition outside air than it does to condition return
air, this can waste energy.
Demand controlled ventilation is a strategy for automatically reduc-
ing the outside air as a percentage of total air when spaces have fewer
people. Consider a typical building with 4 floors, each having its own air
handling unit. Let’s say one floor is 90% occupied and will need more
outside air, but another floor is only 10% occupied and needs much less

Volume 4, Number 3
Figure 3. 24-hour Restaurant Lighting Consumption

13
outside air. So how does the air handling unit know that a floor is less
occupied? It does so by measuring carbon dioxide levels. When people
breathe out carbon dioxide, it gets drawn into the return air to the air
handling unit.
By measuring the amount of carbon dioxide in the return air, the
controls system can determine how occupied a floor is. If occupancy is
low, indicated by low levels of carbon dioxide, the quantity of outside air
can be reduced accordingly.
It is called demand-controlled ventilation because it reduces the ven-
tilation based on the demand that is needed for outside air. A building
automation system allows you to do this automatically. Figure 4 shows
what it might look like on a schematic diagram.
You monitor the zones, and measure CO2 in outside and return
air. The difference between CO2 levels in the outside and return air
determine the strategy. All spaces will need outside air, but as the CO2
measurement of the return air drops down closer to the outside air mea-
surements of CO2, the outside air damper gradually closes, reducing the
amount of outside air brought in, thereby saving energy.
Optimal Start
Optimal start is another great strategy for helping to save energy.
Let’s say you have a building with 14 air handling units. The building
starts becoming occupied at 8:00 AM. You want the space to be at the
occupied setpoint temperature when everybody gets in. Therefore, you
need to start your air handling units early, especially if you have an unoc-
cupied setpoint that’s 6 or 10°F warmer or cooler than your occupied
setpoint.
In Figure 5, the black line represents when the air handling units
come on and the power consumed. The dark line represents the tem-
perature within the space. This particular air handling unit comes on at
3:15. By 5:30, the space is at setpoint.
What that tells you is that you only need about 2 hours to get to tem-
perature. With an optimal start strategy, the building automation system
starts to learn over time how long it takes to get from the unoccupied
setpoint to the occupied setpoint for each air handling unit. The control
system calculates on a daily basis the optimal start time as a function of
the temperature, thereby cutting energy waste.

Volume 4, Number 3
Figure 4. Typical Demand Controlled Ventilation Schematic

15
Figure 5. Daily AHU Temperature Trending

Optimal Stop
An optimal stop strategy works in a very similar way. The control
system learns over time how early it can shut off air handling units before
the end of the day, and still hold setpoint temperature within the zone.
Any amount of time it can shut down early saves energy without sacrific-
ing comfort.
Wider Deadbands and Night Purge

The PNNL study identified wider deadbands and night purge as the
largest energy savings opportunity. As we discussed earlier, a temperature
setpoint has a deadband around it, usually 2 degrees, to prevent con-
stant cycling of heating or cooling. If you increase that deadband, you
increase the amount of time that the system is off. This could apply to a
reheat coil in a variable air volume box or a specific split system with an
outside condenser.
We recommend a 4°F deadband for energy savings, however through
trial and error, you can increase setpoint deadbands to make sure that
you’re still maintaining comfort within the space, but that you’re not
cycling the system more than it needs to be.
The next strategy is called a night purge, which involves flooding
the building with cool nighttime air during the cooling season before
opening. The controls system can learn that the building is going to be in
cooling mode the next day by gathering weather data from the web. In
real time, the controls system can recognize when the outside air is cool
on a night before a warm day. For example, some days could see 60°F
outside at night and then 78°F later in the day. The system will recognize
that opportunity, and will “flush” the building, meaning turning all the
air handling units on at 100% outside air with just the fans.
That strategy “flushes” out the building with cold air thereby
pre-cooling the building. Once the building becomes occupied, it’s
already been cooled down and the cooling systems doesn’t need to work
as hard, reducing cooling loads and saving energy.
Reset VAV Box Minimum Damper Position

A variable air volume (VAV) box receives air from a central air han-
dling unit. The boxes have a damper and some of them have a heating or
reheat coil. The damper position fluctuates to increase or decrease flow
to the zone it is supplying based on what temperature the thermostat is
calling for. If it’s calling for more air, the damper opens up. If it’s getting
closer to setpoint or at setpoint, the damper box closes down. But it nev-
er closes down all the way, because if the space is occupied, it still needs
outside air for ventilation requirements.
A minimum damper position is therefore programmed to allow at
least the minimum amount of outside air to get into the space. VAV box
minimum damper position can be as high as 30% to 40%.
However in most situations, the minimum damper position can be
reset to as low as between 10% and 20% to reduce fan, cooling, and heat-
ing energy without sacrificing occupant comfort. The actual minimum
damper position for each zone should be recalculated based on current
occupancy conditions. By recalculating the minimum VAV box damper
position based on occupancy or air flow needs for each individual zone,
you can save a significant amount of energy.
Chiller Optimization
If your building has multiple chillers, then chiller optimization is a
strategy for reducing total chiller plant energy consumption. This strat-
egy takes advantage of the fact that chillers typically have varying oper-
ating energy efficiencies, with the best efficiency near 50% load. Say for
example, a building uses two large chillers with a full load efficiency of
0.75 kW/ton to generate chilled water. The way they typically operate is
one chiller comes on as a building needs cooling, and then it runs con-
tinuously all the way up to 100% capacity. If at that point the building
needs additional cooling, the second chiller kicks on. It ramps up with
the first chiller still at 100% until the building is at peak cooling load. By
using this strategy, as shown in Table 1, you are operating at an overall
average chiller efficiency of about 0.7125 kW/ton.
Table 1. Typical Chiller Control Strategy

Chillers in general operate best at around 50% load; that’s when they
are at their lowest kW/ton. So, with a chiller optimization strategy, you
try to operate both chillers near that peak efficiency as much as possible.
Instead of having one chiller come on when the building is at 25% load,
both chillers should come on at about 25% load, as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Optimized Chiller Control Strategy
This ensures that when the building is at 50% load, you have both
chillers operating at 50% load. For these particular chillers, let’s say the
kW/ton at 50% is 0.55 kW/ton. Whereas in Table 1, the one operating
at 100% load is operating at 0.75 kW/ton. So for the exact same building
load, you can reduce your load by 0.2 kW/ton, which if you have large
chillers can be a pretty significant decrease in energy consumption.
For two 500-ton chillers, that equates to 100 kW of power reduction
(savings). By operating both chillers at equal loads, the overall system
efficiency drops from 0.71 kW/ton to 0.66 kW/ton.
Boiler Optimization
A similar control strategy can be accomplished with boiler optimi-
zation. For a typical old boiler with 70% to 72% peak load efficiency,
the efficiency drops off significantly as you get down below 50% load. As
shown in Figure 6, combustion efficiency can drop to as low as 50% at
10% load.
New condensing boilers improve efficiency by capturing heat from
the exhaust gas flow and returning it back to the boiler system. They
recover a lot of the waste heat and therefore actually operate at higher
efficiencies as you get to lower loads, represented by the upper area in
Figure 6. Let’s say a building automation system knows these curves and
the heating system includes four separate condensing boilers designed to
Figure 6. Standard and Condensing Boiler Part Load Efficiencies
meet the load of the building. The control system can recognize the part
load of the building, and operate anywhere from one to four boilers at
part load to maximize overall system efficiency.
Floating Condenser Water Control

With a control strategy called floating condenser water control, you
can cut chiller consumption by between 40% and 60% during part load
conditions. Typically, building designers operate chillers and cooling
towers with 80 or 85°F condenser water return temperatures. They vary
the speed of the cooling tower fans and may vary the pump flow, but
what they’re trying to do is maintain 80 or 85°F condenser water to the
chiller.
The truth is that almost all modern chillers operate much more
efficiently at lower condensing temperatures. For example, if you can
run the cooling tower fans at a higher speed to get that condenser water
temperature down to say 65°F, you may use a little more energy on the
cooling tower fans, but as Figure 7 shows, your chiller kW/ton can drop
by as much as 50%. Figure 7 shows how chiller efficiency curves drop

as condenser water temperature is lowered. You’re saving significantly
more energy at the chiller than you’re adding at the cooling tower fans
by operating them at full speed.
Figure 7. Chiller Efficiency as a Function of Condenser Water Temperature
Chilled and Hot Water Temperature Reset

Additional energy savings strategies include “chilled and hot water
reset”. Typical chilled water systems are designed for a 43°F to 45°F sup-
ply temperature to the building. With that temperature, and design flow
rates, all spaces can be cooled at peak outside air temperatures. However,
if the outside air temperature is not as hot as it is during peak conditions,
you might not need 43°F. You might be able to get away with higher
chilled water supply temperatures, maybe 45, 46 or even 48°F. Raising
the chilled water supply temperature means the chiller is operating at
lower load and energy consumption.
The same strategy applies with hot water supply temperature. The
system may be designed for 180°F water going to your hot water coils.
That’s what may be needed to get spaces heated to where they need to be
when it’s very cold out. Well, if the outside temperature starts to warm
up, you might not need 180°F. You can get away with 150 or 140°F hot
water supply temperature and still heat the zones. The building auto-
mation system can program a linear formula where the setpoint may be
lower when it’s 85 or 90°F outside, then increases as the outside air tem-
perature goes down. Tables 3 and 4 show a typical pattern for changing
supply temperatures in a hot water reset strategy and chilled water reset
strategy, respectively.
Table 3. Potential Hot Water Reset Strategy
Table 4. Potential Chilled Water Reset Strategy
Static Pressure Reset

Static pressure reset is used during part load conditions to reduce
the air flow and static pressure inside the duct, while maintaining tem-
perature and comfort within the spaces. Variable air volume air handling
systems have a central air handling unit that provides air to VAV boxes
that control temperature in the spaces. The VAV boxes include dampers,
and the damper either opens or closes based on what that zone needs.
During mild weather, as these VAV box dampers close because set-
points are being met, what happens is the pressure inside the main duct
increases. The supply fan at the central air handling unit is typically con-
trolled with a variable speed drive to maintain a constant static pressure
in the duct, say 1.5 inches of pressure gauge. That’s the level of static
pressure to make sure that adequate air flow is getting to all the VAV
boxes.
But when a lot of VAV boxes are closed, the system may not need a
static pressure as high as 1.5 inches. With a static pressure reset strategy,
the controls system polls all VAV boxes, and if many are closed it will
automatically reduce the static pressure setpoint, to 1.2 or even 1.0. The
variable speed drive slows down the fan to meet the new setpoint, saving
energy. As load increases, and all VAV boxes become open, the system
resets the setpoint back to 1.5 inches.
Discharge Air Reset

Let’s say an air handling unit is in cooling mode and have your sup-
ply air temperature set at 55°F. As the outside air starts to cool off, you
don’t need 55°F, you can increase the discharge air to 60°F or higher and
still meet the cooling loads of your spaces. Energy is saved by reducing
the amount of chilled water that you need.
This reduces energy at the chiller. Figure 8 shows an example of
discharge air reset temperatures as a function of outside air temperature
that can be programmed into the control system to save energy.
Air-side Economizers
Adding air-side economizers is another significant energy saving
strategy. Air handling units are designed to treat a mixture of outside
and return air, typically in the range of 20% outside air and 80% return
air. Buildings need outside air for occupants, but excessive outside air can
take a lot of energy to cool or heat. But say the weather outside is mild,
and the building is in cooling mode because of internal heat gains.
In certain situations, the return air may be coming back at 74°F,
but the outside air may be as cool as 65°F. The building’s still in cooling
mode because of the internal heat gains, but the system could actually
reduce cooling energy by bringing in more cool outside air, actually cool-
ing down the return air and reducing the load on the cooling coils.
Figure 8. Discharge Air Temperature Reset Strategy
To activate an air-side economizer, you need a motorized actuator

on the outside air damper., The control system will recognize when the
building is in cooling mode and the outside air temperature is lower than
the return air temperature, then the system will open up the outside air
damper to 100%, lowering the mixed air temperature, which saves cool-
ing energy.
CONCLUSION
The energy efficiency of a building is not only a function of the effi-

ciency of the equipment, but how HVAC equipment is controlled. Incor-
porating energy efficient control strategies such as night setback, demand
controlled ventilation, and chilled and hot water reset can reduce energy
consumption by as much as 30%. If there is an existing building automa-
tion system in place, these strategies can be added to the existing system
with little additional cost.
References
[1] Fernandez, Xie, Katipamula, Zhao, Wang, and Corbin. Impact of Commercial Building Con-
trols on Energy Savings and Peak Load Reduction. PNNL-25985. Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory. May 2017.
≥
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Mr. Eric Oliver, PE, CEM is the founder of Earthwide, LLC., locat-
ed in McLean, Virginia. He is a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in
Virginia and Maryland, a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), and Lead-
ership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Profes-
sional with over 32 years of energy and utility management experience
specializing in demand-side energy management, energy audits, sustain-
able design, facility assessments, and energy simulation modeling with
experience in the private, utility, and government sectors. He has been
responsible for managing domestic and international projects by con-
ducting and overseeing a number of analyses, including facility energy
and utility assessments and conservation and energy purchasing options.
He is the current President-Elect of AEE, a former chapter president
of the AEE-NCC chapter, board chairman of the Virginia Sustainable
Buildings Network, and founding board member of the USGBC Nation-
al Capital Region Chapter. He has conducted energy training seminars,
developed energy awareness and education campaigns, and has been a
presenter and moderator at several energy conferences. In 2019, Eric
was inducted into the AEE Energy Managers Hall of Fame. Eric can be
contacted at earthwidellc@gmail.com.
Building Retro Commissioning:

Making Your Building Simpler,
More Comfortable, and More Efficient*
Duane Warren, CEM, CMVP, LEED-GA
ABSTRACT
This article looks at the market forces that helped to create commis-
sioning and retro commissioning. It provides a description of the differ-
ences between the two activities, and what types of projects they are used
on. The article then focuses on an iterative process called the OODA
loop, which is used to sharpen the focus of the possible activities as they
relate to the owner’s project requirements. It is also used to update the
owner’s project requirements as they relate to current market conditions
and future needs. An example of the outcome of the process is discussed.
MAKING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS
What’s Out There, and How Did It Get That Way?

There is approximately 97 billion ft² of commercial building space
in the USA, spread out amongst approximately 5.5 million buildings.
Additionally, there are approximately 350,000 industrial buildings, and
approximately 6,100 hospitals. The average age of these buildings is
approximately 53 years old. This average has increased slightly over the
past few years. This, and other data, indicates that renovation of existing
building stock has been on the increase for the past decade.
During the 1960s, building construction was very different than it
is today. At the time, there were relatively few highly skilled architects,
builders, and engineers to meet the demand. In most cases, the primary
consultants and a general contractor would work together as a team
*Article is based on a presentation at the AEE East Energy Conference and Expo held in Boston, MA.
June 7-8, 2022.
on several projects at a time. The general contractor would employ the

same subcontractors on almost all their projects, and team up with the
same architects and engineers. There was a significant focus on quality,
safety, and workmanship. At the time many codes and standards were
in the process of being developed. Various trades were developing new
methods of construction and assembly. This meant that a lot of care and
attention had to be put in to constructing a building. The knowledge base
was developing, and most of it was anecdotal. Lessons learned during
the construction cycle were internalized by desire, not as a requirement.
It also meant that things didn’t always work out—there wasn’t a code or
practice to follow so the industry tended to learn by experience. Training
was not as evolved for everyone.
As time progressed, codes and standards developed. This reduced
risk for everyone involved. In turn, it became easier for more compa-
nies and people to get involved as the risk was reduced. This increased
competition, which put cost pressures on the industry. The amount of
work increased. Builder team relationships fractured, and price/bidding
contractor and consultant selection became the rule. This puts a lot of
pressure on product quality because of the changing team members.
Increased system complexity in buildings increased costs, which in turn
increased pressure to finish projects quicker to improve investor cash
flow. Increased complexity required increased training, which also tend-
ed to increase costs.
These price increases put pressure on to reduce the amount of time
to construct a building to reduce financing costs. The owner can’t get
revenue until the building is open, so there was (and still is) increased
pressure to reduce construction times. On a square footage basis, current
construction in all sectors occurs approximately 40% faster now than
it did 50 years ago. And the speed is still increasing. An average family
home can now go from flat ground to completion in less than 45 days,
when in the past it used to take several months. Including a basement!
This reduction in construction time also puts a lot of pressure on product
quality.
This reduced construction time, increased complexity, and increased
error rates all contributed to the increased popularity of commissioning.
At its basic level in the early 1980s it was a way to make sure that the
lights and fans worked. Just like today, in most cases buildings were not
commissioned at all.
Also, in the early 1980s building management systems (BMS) started

to become more affordable and more widely used. Initially this seemed
to be a solution for dealing with increased building complexity. As time
passed, the same delivery, training, and quality pressures all induced
similar error rates into the BMS installation process as more competitors
entered the field. As well, the BMS industry did not then and has not
now gone through a similar development period relating to codes and
best practices. For BMS, it’s still the Wild West out there.
Finally, most buildings now can have multiple potential uses that
were not originally contemplated. It’s not unusual to see space in a
building used as a data center, or a day care center, or a restaurant, or a
medical office. That flexibility is not often built in properly, as the specific
requirements for all possible future tenants cannot be accounted for. So,
half measures are a lot more common. Too much cooling, too much
heating, or a mismatch of services are contemplated and installed to
some degree.
HOW DOES COMMISSIONING FIT IN?
Commissioning tended to become more focused as time passed.

Now, the Commissioning consultant spends most of their effort helping
to ensure that the contract documents (drawings, specifications, adden-
da, change orders, adds, deducts, scope changes, submittals, etc.) are
executed correctly and perform as required. They really focus on making
sure that the building and its systems operate as specified. While they
do not actually fix issues or generally suggest corrective action, they are
responsible for inspecting equipment and identifying operational defects
and reporting these to the construction team. The team then addresses
the reported issues. This work is not done in a vacuum—commissioning
consultants have the same time pressures as any other part of the con-
struction process. And they are very much at the mercy of the consul-
tant/construction team performance. If there are a lot of things going
wrong, they may not be able to get to them all adequately on a fixed
budget. Similarly, if the reported defects are not corrected, there’s not
much a commissioning consultant can do.
In some projects the commissioning consultant reviews the owner
project requirements and the basis of design, comparing them with the
construction documents to see if these themes were carried through into

the project.
There is little time to look at energy use—that’s generally the respon-
sibility of the design consultants. This is also true for carbon equivalents,
electrification, and net zero concerns. There usually isn’t time in the
construction schedule or money in the budget for this.
It’s a step in the right direction in terms of reducing defects, but com-
missioning consultants can’t deal with the issues outside of their defined
scope. It can be argued that it’s hard enough to deal with the issues that
fall within their limited responsibility, because they are not part of the
work engine that is fixing the observed defects. They also have to deal
with a fixed commissioning budget and have to execute it by construction
completion. Delays and schedule compression at the end of the project
tend to put a lot of pressure on commissioning activities and their scope
delivery.
And remember, most buildings do not use a commissioning consul-
tant. They go straight from construction into occupancy.
The result of this is about what you would expect. There are a few
buildings that work reasonably well, a few buildings that work terribly,
and the vast majority are somewhere between these end parts of the bell
curve of quality for a variety of reasons.
HOW IS RETRO COMMISSIONING DIFFERENT?
Retro commissioning is a very different process. The retro commis-

sioning consultant comes into a building that may or may not have been
commissioned and is likely not operating efficiently or as planned. It may
be operating in a manner that works against the desires of the building
owner. For example, a building constructed as a warehouse with some
general exhaust performs poorly for an owner that is using it for manu-
facturing, where very specific exhaust and ventilation needs exist.
Often, the retro commissioning consultant is asked to provide guid-
ance on one or more of the following issues:
1) Utility use and expenditure reduction

2) Indoor air quality (IAQ) improvements
3) Occupant health protection (COVID 19 issues)
4) Process improvements
5) Equipment failures
6) System failures
7) Changed building use
8) Changed codes
9) Future use flexibility
10) Equipment and system efficiencies
11) Equipment repairs and replacements
12) System upgrades or replacements
The retro commissioning scope of work usually touches on a few of

the above items. As you can see, the scope of work for retro commission-
ing is likely to be very different from a commissioning scope.
Once the retro commissioning consultant starts work on the project,
they begin to see where the building falls in the bell curve of building
performance. There could be issues in any of the mechanical, electrical.
Plumbing, BMS, fire alarm systems, or any of the other various building
components. These could be construction, design, or operationally relat-
ed. They could range from minor to serious. And they could be known,
suspected, or a complete surprise. To everyone.
There’s a lot going on when a retro commissioning consultant starts
work. And there is likely to be a few more surprises to come. The consul-
tant must weigh the impact of the issues with the client. Some of these
issue investigations may be added to the scope (or not).
These issues and related scopes are brought into focus, looking for
performance improvements while keeping the limitations of the existing
systems and the likely future uses of the building and its systems. New
and emerging technologies are examined, as are changes to the proce-
dures and uses of the building. Retro commissioning is a much more
fluid situation, requiring mental agility, analytics, and imagination.
WHAT IS THE OODA LOOP?
The OODA (observe → orient → decide → act O) loop was devel-

oped by Colonel John Boyd as a military strategy, initially for training
fighter pilots. At the time, it was purposed to help pilots analyze situa-
tions quickly, help them make better and faster decisions, and do so in a
A good analogy of this is what would happen with someone hav-

ing a problem with their running.
A commissioning consultant would point out the fact that their
stride length was too short, that one heel hit the ground wrong, that
their back was at the wrong angle, etc. In other words, they would
summarize and record the defects in detail given the time allowed.
All of them.
A retro commissioning consultant would look at the defects they
could find in the time allowed, and produce real solutions that
would have the most impact—you need an orthotic insert in one
of your shoes, your left knee needs medical attention and possibly
surgery (the one you’ve been putting off for two years), you need to
do some resistance training on your upper body, etc.
A commissioning consultant defines in detail how the outcomes
are not what was contractually asked for in the past. A retro com-
missioning consultant is more concerned if the current outcome
can be shaped to meet current needs, and to find the most econom-
ical way forward to span the gap.
manner that was faster than the opposition. In doing all this faster and
better, one expected outcome was that the opponent would become more
confused by the rapidly changing behavior of the OODA trained pilot.
It is a truly iterative process. It is designed to change outlooks, plans,
actions, and thought processes dynamically as relevant new information
becomes available, and do so in a quick and decisive manner.
Over time, OODA principles were used in business in various similar
ways. You can see pieces of it in the Toyota Production System and Lean
Manufacturing. Both systems also draw from a similar iterative design
processes like the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Adjust) cycle, the Shewhart
cycle, and the Deming cycle.
While retro commissioning is not a military action, it does have to
deal with a lot of obstacles to success such as pressures (budgetary, return
on investment, retro commissioning project costs, etc.) and surprises
(malfunctioning equipment, changed operations, poor systems opera-
tions, etc.), and other similar obstacles. As time passes during the retro
commissioning process, these obstacles can grow big or small and appear
and fade away. You must be mentally nimble to deal with this.
Observations
Observations are the raw information on which decisions and
actions are based. It’s what we see, hear, feel, measure, smell, count, read,
and intake in any way.
Observations start out with examining the utility bills (a 3-year histo-
ry) in a rigorous way. Things to look for are:
1) Note any months that appear to be out of range compared to other

months
2) Compare the kWh/ft² and kW/ft² to national averages for the build-
ing type and note the differences.
3) Calculate the electrical load factor for each month and compare
month-to-month numbers.
4) Chart the energy (kWh) consumption and the demand (kW) against
the monthly degree-day values to see if the electrical consumption is
correlated to ambient conditions.
5) Chart the gas use against the monthly degree-day values to see if the
gas consumption is correlated to ambient conditions.
6) Chart the water use against the monthly degree-day values to see if
the water consumption is correlated to ambient conditions.
7) Look at the electrical demand and electrical consumption charges
to determine how much the total electrical spend is affected by both
contributors.
8) Look at the building power factor
9) Determine if the electrical, gas, and water meters are reading cor-
rectly.
Figure 1 is an example of a site where the electrical demand is most

of the electrical spend for the site. This is an example where the electrical
demand is not in control.
Once onsite, look at the outcomes of various systems and equipment
to see if they are performing as expected. For example:
1) Is the building pressure control working?

2) Are the economizer cycles working correctly?
3) Are the chilled water (CHW) and hot water (HW) differential tem-
perature (ΔT) correct?
4) Are the space temperatures correct?

Volume 4, Number 3
Figure 1. Percentage Spent on Consumption (kWh) vs. Demand (kW)

33
5) Are the schedules correct?

6) Is the power factor acceptable?
7) Look at the lighting type, scheduling, and motion sensing. Are they
correct?
8) Does the changed use of the building match up with the current
operation?
9) Does the water meter ever stop running?
10) Does the gas meter ever stop running?
Orientation
Orientation is the information filtering based on the repository of
our heritage, training, culture, tradition, and experiences. It is the most
important part of the OODA loop because it can shape the way we
observe, decide, and act. Understanding that these internal factors can
filter our observations, influence our decisions, and shape our actions
is a major step in improving the process. For example, a chiller that is
not meeting the building load may be viewed by an engineer as not
operating correctly, and by a technician as being too small. They would
both be wrong if this was a low chilled water ΔT issue. This part of the
process can become even more complex if a team is involved, as each
team member has their own paradigm. It’s important to question if your
paradigm is causing you to filter the information incorrectly. The process
of orienting can make you go back to the observation step a few times.
A major component of this is something called Confirmation Bias.
This is a tendency to interpret new evidence as a confirmation of one’s
existing beliefs or theories. We all do this to some degree.
Our brains are divided into conscious and sub conscious parts.
Learned behaviors like typing, walking, talking, etc. all had to be pro-
cessed by the conscious part of our brains. Eventually, these become sec-
ond nature and move into our subconscious—we don’t think about them
anymore too much, we just do them. The subconscious is a short cut in
our brains that processes stuff, allowing our conscious mind to have some
increased processing capacity for other tasks. Under stress, our minds
default towards things we know and are familiar with.
An example of this is an eyewitness account. Authorities will tell you
that this can be a widely variable input. Since 1989, 358 people in the
U.S. have been convicted, sentenced to death, and exonerated through
DNA evidence. Of these cases, 71% had been convicted through eye-
witness misidentification. This is most often not done maliciously. Our

memories are NOT video cameras. They are malleable, and the forces
that shape them affect all of us.
For example, stress can affect or inhibit memory formation. As can
unusual experiences, or familiar experiences. Memories also continue
to be constructed after the original event on the basis of information
learned (and filtered) afterward.
So, taking notes and pictures are a very important part of retro com-
missioning. They provide a way for us to “shake loose” from our internal
preconceptions of what is happening, and hone in more closely to reality.
An example closer to home is the state of BMS systems. On aver-
age, these systems are completed to approximately 70% or so at time
of construction turn over. There may or may not be further activities to
complete their initial work scope, and there may or may not be further
activities related to ensuring their level of accuracy stays the same or
improves. In practice, they may not be connected to equipment or sys-
tems, even though the GUI (graphical user interface) shows that they are.
This is a known fact. It happens so often it’s like reciting the alphabet.
And yet, a surprising number of people look at the GUI and take the
information it presents as fact. Even though it’s likely to be only 70% accu-
rate. I’ve seen the aftermath more than a few times of a chiller that had
surged out and failed, even though the BMS showed no alarms, alerts, or
any hint of bad operating conditions. And similar boiler failures.
Decisions
Decisions involve paying attention to the relevant information and
the objectives at hand. They have to describe actions that are attainable,
and potential contingencies in the event the results are different from
what was planned. Who is going to do something, when is it going to
happen, how is it going to happen, and what are the expected outcomes?
This is a way of developing an action plan. That plan could be for fur-
ther measurement during the Retro Commissioning phase, or for an
implementation plan after the Retro Commissioning phase is complete.
Actions
Actions are the execution of the decision process. There is some
room to maneuver here because we are observing new facts while we
are implementing. But this is generally not a time to get mired down in
mental wool gathering. The intent of the action phase is to produce a

desirable outcome while having faith in the work put into the other parts
of the process.
When the process is being applied correctly, the observations, deci-
sions, and actions will produce information for more refined observa-
tions. And the process will continue.
The OODA loop approach favors agility over other strengths in most
human endeavors. It is a very valuable tool when dealing with new envi-
ronments that have unknown problems, while at the same time trying to
accomplish goals within a limited budget. And deal with competitors and
clients at the same time.
This may sound like a lot of work. It’s easy to see the outcome is
desirable, so why not skip all this and just use a batch of rules to get the
end process? If I see symptom A, then I should always do action B, or
actions to that effect. The problem with this approach is that the pres-
sures, surprises, conditions, needs, goals, and people are never the same
from one project to the next. The rote application of actions in this man-
ner will likely lead to less than desirable results.
A better way to look at this is to understand that to do this quickly,
you first must do it smoothly. It must become second nature. The only
way for this process to become second nature is for you to do it correctly.
So, pay attention to doing this process correctly, and it will become sec-
ond nature and smoothly implemented. It will become fast along the way
through the learning process.
TIPS AND INSIGHTS
Technology is a friend
Thermography cameras (also known as infrared (IR) cameras) are
relatively inexpensive. You can use them to get some insights, like the
one shown in Figure 2. This picture shows an outside wall that has a
thermostat installed on a column. There really wasn’t any other place to
put it during construction. The problem is that on a day that is cool in
the morning and 75°F in the afternoon, the column is still cold, and so
is the thermostat. Note that it’s colder than anything else in the picture,
and certainly colder than the desk in front of it. So, the exterior HVAC
responds to this colder signal from the thermostat by heating the area.
The interior zone HVAC unit has to respond to this by operating in full
cooling mode. So, at a time of the year when the ambient conditions are
moderate, the exterior zones are in high heat and the interior zones are
in high cooling. This is a very common problem.
Similarly, the IR camera can be used to determine if cooling or
heating coils are fouled and can even show the degree of fouling.
Approximately half of the coils in existing buildings are fouled enough
to warrant cleaning, and such cleaning will likely have a great return on
investment (ROI).
Figure 2. IR camera image (shows an outside wall that has a thermostat

installed on a column)
Data Loggers—Extra Eyes

Data loggers are a trusted source of information that can provide
some powerful insights. Recent developments in data logger technology
have added Bluetooth™ functionality (you can access the data from a
distance without handling the logger) and even networking (you don’t
have to be onsite to see the data). Power loggers can provide you with sig-
nificant insights into how the building uses power, and how power factor
is affecting the utility bill. You can monitor a wide variety of traits other
than temperature and humidity, such as IAQ , CO₂, biohazards, light
levels, power, air flow, sound, etc.
The People Factor

Building operations personnel can tell you a lot about how the equip-
ment and systems respond, which may be different from what the origi-
nal plan was. This gap is extremely valuable and can provide key insights
into hidden defects. These hidden defects can have significant impact on
operating costs.
BMS—Trust, But Verify

Building management systems (BMS) are, on average, about 70%
complete when the building is turned over to the owner. They are in
much better shape if the building is commissioned, but as indicated ear-
lier, this is a very small number of buildings.
There are a lot of reasons for this. Usually what happens is that the
construction schedule slips, equipment may not be working quite prop-
erly, the electrical systems don’t start up properly, and there are delivery
problems across several of the contractors and vendors. These compo-
nents may be worse or better individually from one project to the next,
and the workload and skill of the BMS personnel may vary. From the
outside, the whole process can look like someone is trying to assemble a
bicycle while they are riding it - without all the parts, and possibly miss-
ing instructions. And not paying attention to where they are going.
So, if you look at the BMS, pay attention to the idea that it might be
giving you bad information. The power monitor might not be reading
correctly. The air-handling unit (AHU) sensor might be connected to a
different unit or be out of calibration. Parts of the software might have
been copied from another building. Some of what you are looking at
might not be connected in any way to a real input or output.
This might make you want to run out of the building. Hold fast!
Improvements to the BMS to make it operate correctly are some of
the most economical and efficient changes to make. For example, in my
experience I see the following:
1) Approximately 75% of the building pressure control systems don’t
work properly.
2) Approximately 50% of the economizer systems don’t work properly.
3) Approximately 50% of the terminal unit control systems don’t work
properly.
4) Approximately 75% of the pump control systems don’t work properly.

5) Approximately 75% of the demand limit control systems don’t work
properly.
6) Approximately 50% of the scheduling systems don’t work properly.
7) Approximately 75% of the fan static pressure control systems don’t
work properly.
So, a little observation, care, and attention to detail on the BMS will
have a great impact to the project.
Keeping it Real
It would be great if everyone had enough time and money to do all
of the ideas we might be able to think of on a retro commissioning proj-
ect. But we live in the real world. It’s not likely to happen. So, we have to
craft what we recommend to suit their needs, and then recommend an
implementation plan that also fits in with their fiscal needs. If this sounds
like a goal that we need to keep in mind throughout the project, I’d like
to refer you back to the OODA loop. It’s in there!
CONCLUSIONS
Retro commissioning is a very different set of tasks than commission-

ing. There are a lot of moving parts in a retro commissioning project,
and a lot of competing pressures on the owner, the building, and the
operators. The retro commissioning consultant has to take a look at the
facts and interpret them using the project goals and the discussions they
have with the stake holders. They have to develop a plan that meets these
goals, and work to provide an implementation plan for the owner that is
practical and fiscally sound.
While many of the buildings the retro commissioning consultant
might run across may have a significant number of deficiencies, many
of these can be handled using a framework for decision making that has
been used in various industries facing similar challenges. The OODA
loop provides a way to stay grounded within a storm of somewhat con-
fusing noise, helping you to objectively sort out relevant data and work
towards a successful project conclusion.
≥
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Duane D. Warren, CEM, CMVP, LEED-GA, is a senior energy
engineer/auditor with energy and sustainability services (ESS) at Jones
Land LaSalle (JLL). Duane supports the national energy audit program
and provides energy engineering support and evaluates energy efficiency
opportunities. He has a background in mechanical and electrical design
build work and has provided all levels of energy engineering technical
assistance to various commercial, institutional, research, data center, and
industrial clients to identify and evaluate energy efficiency and renew-
able energy opportunities. Duane has worked with engineering firms,
performance contractors, and various governmental agencies in Canada,
the United States, the Caribbean, and Asia to develop energy efficien-
cy projects and programs. He has conducted hundreds of surveys and
audits and evaluated many types of energy saving opportunities using
excel calculations, as well as hourly modeling tools. Duane has a patent
in Chilled Water System Optimization, and has extensive experience in
working with chillers, boilers, generators, and related equipment. Duane
Warren may be contacted via email at duane.warren@am.jll.com.
Existing Building Commissioning:

Securing Stakeholder Buy-in is the
Key to Success*
Nathaniel W. Fanning, C.E.M.
ABSTRACT
Existing building commissioning (EBCx) and energy saving projects,

especially in laboratories and healthcare, are challenging due the com-
plexity of the environment and the numerous stakeholders involved.
In this article we will discuss their most common challenges and tips to
overcome them. Ensuring safety, constant communication, and under-
standing the perspective of the stakeholders is paramount for the success
of all EBCx and energy savings projects. Equally important is obtaining
buy-in from all stakeholders including the client’s maintenance groups,
environmental health and safety (EHS) groups, and even key occupants
of the spaces effected. Maintenance groups will need to maintain and
troubleshoot any new or modified systems and safety personnel will need
to know of any changes in the working environment such as ventilation
rates and control strategies. Also critically important to the project are
the key occupants of the spaces effected. These individuals are typically
the ones most affected by the project and, depending on the client, they
may have the largest influence in whether a project succeeds or fails.
Without buy-in from these stakeholders, potential and achieved energy
savings can be diminished or even negated.
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Every project has multiple stakeholders. Identifying which stakehold-

ers are critical for a project’s success is step one. See Figure 1 for typical
key stakeholders.
*Article is based on a presentation at the AEE East Energy Conference and Expo held in Boston,
MA. June 7-8, 2022.
Figure 1. Key Stakeholders
Environmental Health and Safety

In a healthcare and laboratory environment, a major stakeholder is
usually going to be the environmental health and safety (EHS) group.
This can sometimes be a member of the space occupant department, a
separate EHS department, or sometimes there is both. These stakehold-
ers are going to be focused on maintaining safe working environments
both during and after a project. This is critical because it will be rare for
a client to shut down business operations for an existing building com-
missioning (EBCx) project, which forces the project to operate in and
around space occupants.
Facilities
Regardless of the working environment, coordination and commu-
nication with the client’s Facilities group is very important. This group
usually has years of experience with the building and systems that an
EBCx project will be focused on. They will normally know what the
problems are and can typically provide work orders or records of main-
tenance performed, which can significantly help the project team focus
their efforts. Their main goal is to have known issues addressed and to
have the ability to properly maintain existing systems and have new sys-
tems installed. Planning for how issues will be addressed during a project
is also crucial.
Occupants
Depending on the working environment, occupants can play a major
role is a project’s success. In an office, their level of concern will likely be
limited to their ability to maintain operations. But in a healthcare or lab-
oratory environment, occupants can make or break a project. They need
to know exactly what, when, and how something is going to happen, in
detail. Research projects can last years and involve equipment worth
millions of dollars. Disruptions to research and equipment are utterly
unacceptable. Work with the occupants to develop detailed standard
operating procedures (SOP) and detailed schedules. Most importantly,
the project needs to ensure that the occupants are safe and feel safe
during a project. In most cases, the client’s business operations are more
important that energy savings. If an occupant doesn’t feel safe during or
after a project, any achieved savings can be diminished or even complete-
ly negated.
PROJECT EXECUTION
Achieving stakeholder buy-in does not happen right away. It must be

earned over time and maintained throughout the life of the project. To
do this, you must be aware of the action items to take and their associat-
ed benefits and obstacles.
This can be divided into three phases:
1. Study and Analysis Phase
2. Implementation Phase
3. Measurement and Verification Phase
Study and Analysis Phase

The study and analysis phase is the foundation of the project. If not
done correctly, the rest of the project can be unnecessarily difficult. See
Figure 2 for this phase’s action items. By following these action items, the
project team can improve the client’s building knowledge by understand-
ing the current condition and operations of the building systems and
build trust by making sure they feel heard. EHS, facilities, and occupants
are excellent resources to help you understand what the pain points of a
building are and what improvements are most achievable. Not engaging
these stakeholders could very likely is cause multiple unintended issues if
the project progresses.
Figure 2. Study and Analysis Phase Action Items
Implementation Phase
This phase is where all the planning in the study and analysis phase
comes into action. The project knows what it must do, but first you must
identify how to do it. See Figure 3 for this phase’s action items. The
most critical step in this phase is the development of SOPs and roles
and responsibilities. All stakeholders must know how they are expected
to act and what steps must be taken, including contractors. All too often,
assumptions are made on how a contractor will execute work without

fully understanding all working conditions and safety concerns. In some
situations, even one accident or miscommunication can cause significant
problems, delays, and sour relationships. Unplanned business operation
downtime is rarely acceptable.
Figure 3. Implementation Phase Action Items
Measurement and Verification Phase

In this phase, most of the scope of work should be complete and
initial corrective actions have been executed. See Figure 4 for this
phase’s action items. At this point, the client should start experiencing
the benefits of the project, but without monitoring the project results to
determine the effectiveness of the corrective actions there are multiple
unknowns. Is the projected energy savings being achieved? Were the
building improvements effective? Are the stakeholders satisfied? With
complicated systems and depending on the diligence of the study and
analysis phase, some additional changes to systems may be required. By

monitoring the project’s effectiveness and ensuring that all stakeholders
are satisfied, you are improving your changes of creating long term client
relationships.
Figure 4. Measurement and Verification Phase Action Items
CONCLUSION
EBCx projects can build lasting relationships between clients and

consultants but can also involve multiple obstacles that could ruin cli-
ent relationships. This is mainly due to the involvement of multiple
stakeholders in active buildings. These projects require more than just
funding. They require cooperation between multiple participants, all
working in the same direction to accomplish the same goals. Most stake-
holders want to save energy, but if they do not feel heard or if they do
not understand the “how,” achieving their buy-in will be near impossible
and securing stakeholder buy-in is the key to success.
≥
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Nathaniel Fanning, CEM, is the energy and infrastructure leader
at Fitzemeyer and Tocci Associates, Inc. Nate brings over 15 years of
experience in construction, building systems, and the energy field to the
team. His mission is to identify, cultivate, and implement project and
programs to improve our clients’ building infrastructure while reducing
and controlling energy consumption and costs. Included in this mission
is the management of new construction commissioning, existing building
commissioning, and energy related services. Nate is adept at identifying
and prioritizing the needs of clients, while managing the entire project
cycle to bring projects to successful completion. His goal is to successful-
ly leave the owner and building managers with an efficiently operating
building that meets all required design criteria and provides a high-level
of energy efficiency and physical comfort to all its occupants and staff.
Nathaniel Fanning may be contacted at NFanning@F-T.com.
Cloud-based Energy Analytics—

Benefits and Cost from New York’s
Real-time Energy Management Program*
Thomas Yeh, CEM, CMVP, CBCP, CDSM, DCP, IGSHPA AI
Lauren De La Fuente
ABSTRACT
New York State’s real-time energy management (RTEM) program

and its sister offerings incentivized over 1,100 cloud-based energy analytics
deployments in commercial and multifamily buildings with systems from
over 45 providers. This article analyzes the costs and benefits of energy
analytic platforms spanning various construction vintages, mechanical
systems, building end-uses, and technology providers. The installed costs
range from fractions of a dollar per square foot to over ten dollars per
square foot. Regardless, benefits almost always justify total costs while
improving the health and comfort of the building environments.
The RTEM incentive program lowers adoption risks, supplementing
the benefits of predictive maintenance, continuous commissioning, fault
detection and diagnostics, and performance optimization of the capital
assets owned by both landlords and tenants. Advanced analytics such as
artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming table stakes
and can be readily incorporated to take advantage of the wealth of data
created from building operations.
INTRODUCTION
Real-time energy management (RTEM) was coined by the New York

State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in 2016.
Nonetheless, there were and still are many industry acronyms for similar
platforms. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the
*Article is based on a presentation at the AEE East Energy Conference and Expo held in Boston,
MA. June 7-8, 2022.
national laboratories use energy management and information system

(EMIS) to refer to RTEM.
NYSERDA uses the term RTEM system to describe the combination
of hardware, software, and cloud computing to continuously stream
building data securely into a persistent repository in the cloud. Advanced
analytics then process and extract actionable insights from the building
data. All parts of the data extraction are included in the definition and,
therefore, eligible to receive NYSERDA incentives.
In Figure 1, which was modified from a Lawrence Berkley National
Laboratory (LBNL) report*, the data repository and the various analytics
are hosted in the “Cloud,” which is a shorthand for a remote enterprise-
class data center.
Figure 1. Real-time Energy Management System
*EMIS Applications Showcase Report, Building Technology and Urban System Division, LBNL,
October 2020.
Other popular references to RTEM system capabilities include

“intelligent building systems,” “continuous commissioning systems,” “fault
detection and diagnostic (FDD) systems,” “advanced system optimization
(ASO)” software, and so on. However, in the scope of this article, they all
refer to the capabilities of RTEM systems.
The table stake capabilities delivered by collecting building data and
applying analytics are:
• Persistent data repository in the cloud
• Visualization of building performances
• Forecasting of loads and consumptions
• Fault detection and diagnostics (FDD)
• Automated system optimization (ASO).
The business values delivered to the property owners and managers

justify the cost of enabling the analytics are:
• Improve net operating income (NOI)
• Enhance tenant comfort and wellness
• Gain real-time visibility of siloed equipment
• Improve maintenance and uptime of assets
• Improve staff productivity.
RTEM USE CASES
RTEM use cases, which principally rely on cyber secured data and
cloud-based analytics, span energy and non-energy applications.
The use cases that mainly result in energy and monetary savings are:
• Optimize the start-up and run-hours of heating and cooling plants
• Compare demand/consumption profile to prediction to identify
anomalies
• Identify equipment operating outside of occupied hours/schedule
• Stage equipment with large demand to reduce demand peaks
• Pre-cooling and heating based on weather forecast

• Avoid excessive introduction and conditioning of outside air for
occupancy level
• Monitor interior zones in real-time to ensure compliance with lease-
obligations
• Avoid manual overrides.
The use cases that mainly improve property management and

compliance are:
• Continuous comparison of properties in a portfolio to promote energy
efficiency as a management metric
• Determine baseline and monitor key performance metrics to
demonstrate compliance to local laws
• Engage tenants in workspace management and carbon footprint
reduction programs.
It is important to note that all RTEM use cases integrate well with well-
accepted building operations. RTEM is not forcing building engineers and
managers to do something unfamiliar. The most significant advancement
is that data and analytics form the basis of scheduling, sequencing, and
optimizing control setpoints of various building equipment and plants.
Building’s performance is continuously monitored, so if anything is less
than optimum, the analytics will flag it to the operators in the form of
energy conservation measures (ECMs).
RTEM INCENTIVES AT-A-GLANCE
NYSERDA’s RTEM program was launched in 2016 and lasted until

early 2021, when all funds were encumbered. NYSERDA did adjust the
program several times during the program’s 5 years. Most projects received
a 30% cost share of installing a turnkey system that extracts building data
into a cloud repository and configures bespoke analytics for each building.
Most projects satisfied the minimum program requirements, which was
to gather real-time data from central plants and mechanical equipment
located in a building’s core, like air handling units.

NYSERDA also administered a pilot program within RTEM, which
is nominally referred to as premium RTEM. Premium projects received
incentives up to 50% of the turnkey project cost if the project included
mechanical equipment and integrated other energy-consuming systems.
These other systems can be lighting, elevators, escalators, or data centers
and may include occupancy counting to monitor the building occupancy
in real-time.
RTEM PROGAM BY THE NUMBERS
Figure 2 is a screenshot of a dashboard showing key statistics of the

RTEM and its sister programs. NYSERDA funded analytic systems in over
1,100 buildings throughout New York State. Cumulatively the programs
impacted over 300 million ft2 of building spaces. In addition, NYSERDA
encumbered over $75 million in incentives and generated over $236
million direct private investments.
Figure 2. RTEM Program by the Numbers

A majority of the program’s square footage is in New York City. It is

the biggest city in the country by population and has the highest density of
buildings.
PACE OF RTEM PARTICIPATION
Figure 3 shows the pace of RTEM program participation across New

York State.
As reflected in Figure 3, participation in the RTEM program
started modestly due to recruiting solution providers that could meet
the program’s high standards. However, participation escalated in 2018,
when the program’s solution providers reached a critical mass. The rapid
pace continued even during the COVID-19 shutdown, as many projects
took advantage of emptied buildings to complete installations. Steady
participation continued until all the funding was encumbered and the
program closed in 2021.
Figure 3. Number of RTEM Sites Installed 2017 through 2021

ADOPTION BY REAL ESTATE OWNERS
At the time of the program launch in June 2016, many stakeholders

questioned why an RTEM system was needed. Consequently, NYSERDA
had to familiarize many building owners with the benefits of storing
building data in the cloud and incorporating energy analytics into
operating decisions. Moreover, owners had to be persuaded that their
existing building systems lack a persistent data store and analytical
capacity even with spending on building automation systems (BAS),
building management systems (BMS), and energy management systems
(EMS).
Figure 4 presents the square footage and site counts of commercial
buildings that have adopted RTEM systems. Many notable commercial
real estate ownerships are on the chart, with several having installed
cloud-based analytics in a considerable portion of their real estate
portfolio. The ownerships with the most extensive square footage in
the program are Brookfield Properties, Empire State Realty Trust, and
properties managed by JLL in New York. These owners and operators
typically started with pilot projects until persuaded of the efficacies of
energy analytics. These owners have since expanded into many of their
properties. Conversely, Vornado Realty, Hines, and SL Green have fewer
sites and square footage because they were still in the pilot stage when
NYSERDA ended the program.
Figure 5 ranks ownership participation by site counts. The retail
and foodservice hospitality operators have the highest number of sites
adopting cloud-based analytics. The top three are Planet Fitness, Five
Below, and Chipotle. Also, these are the smallest sites by square footage in
the program. The systems here also included control capabilities because
retail, foodservice, and hospitality locations do not have dedicated facility
engineers or operators. Retail staff and store management are not the
same as professional building staff that can understand and take action
on energy conservation opportunities. Instead, these sites are centrally
administered and monitored and are automated with limited local
controls.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate that cloud-based analytics are applicable
and beneficial for buildings ranging from large commercial buildings to
very small sites.

Volume 4, Number 3
Figure 4. Commercial Real Estate using RTEM (Total Building Area and Number of
Facilities)
55
Figure 5. Retail and

Hospitality Real
Estate Using RTEM
(Total Building Area
and Number of
Facilities)
RTEM’S ANALYTICS SOLUTION PROVIDERS
Another way NYSERDA has assessed the impact of the RTEM

program is by the quantity and diversity of the providers of various analytic
platforms actively participating. Over 5 years, NYSERDA has recruited
45 active solution providers. These spanned from multinational giants to
mid-level companies. In addition, the program has attracted start-ups with
innovative approaches.
Figure 6 ranked analytic platform market share by square feet in the
program. The program enjoyed the support of well-known global entities,

Volume 4, Number 3
Figure 6. RTEM Solution Providers (by Total Building Area)

57
best known as controls companies, such as Siemens, Trane, and Schneider

Electric. Also, there are technical service providers and consultancies
with homegrown platforms, such as Utilivisor. Also, there are start-ups
mentioned earlier ranked high in market share, including Cortex and
Enertiv. The platform with the highest market share by square footage is
SkySpark, developed by SkyFoundry and marketed through value-added
resellers, value-added developers, and original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs). Although SkyFoundry is not directly in the RTEM program, more
than half a dozen of their VARs, VADs, and OEMs were the program’s
solution providers.
Figures 7 and Figure 8 ranked the market share of the program’s
solution providers by square footage and site count.
The top three solution providers ranked by square footage are Siemens,
Cortex and Utilivisor. Siemens is a giant and well known throughout New
York. So perhaps Siemens earning the largest market share by square
footage is not a big surprise. However, very close to Siemens’ market share
is Cortex, which is a start-up. The third in market share of square footage
is Utilivisor, a mid-range New York City-based company. Utilivisor is well-
known to building owners and offers a homegrown analytics platform.
Almost every significant energy analytics software in the market is involved
with the program, whether installed at just one site or analyzing data from
millions of square feet of building space.
Figure 8 ranks solution providers by the number of sites in the
program, where a small site is counted the same as a tall building. The top
three providers are GridPoint, Dual Fuel and Trane. GridPoint is a sizable
company that specializes in small retail and food services. Dual Fuel’s sites
are primarily small apartment buildings in New York City. Trane is third in
site count, consisting of a mix of K-12 schools, commercial buildings, and
buildings operated by non-profits such as religious institutions.
RTEM PROJECT COSTS
Because the RTEM program applies to a broad swath of commercial

and multifamily properties, the data gathered from the program can shed
light on project attributes that determine the cost of installing an RTEM
system. The first inquiry is looking for a correlation between the age of the
building and the project cost. Most of the buildings that participated in the

Volume 4, Number 3
Figure 7. RTEM Solution Providers Ranked by Total Building Area

59
60
Figure 8. RTEM Solution Providers Ranked by Number of Facilities

RTEM program are over 50 years old (see Figure 9).

However, the building’s age as a factor has little effect on the project’s
cost. Instead, the main determinant of the project cost is whether a building’s
automation and control systems have been routinely upgraded. Obsolete
BAS and control systems of older buildings are the foremost contributors
to increasing the cost of implementing cloud-hosted analytics. Although
control may still be operational, pneumatic systems lack monitoring
and need to be replaced with direct digital control (DDC) to provide the
building data necessary for the analytics. Some buildings with controls that
have been deferred need investments as high as $5 to $8/ft2 to modernize
it to stream data in real-time to the analytics’ cloud repository.
As Figure 10 illustrates, regardless of building age, if the automation
and control systems were routinely maintained and upgraded, the project
cost is often less than $0.50/ft2.
The cost of an RTEM project depends on several factors. What
may be unexpected is that a building’s square footage and the project
cost are not strongly correlated in the program’s dataset. One might
expect that because a larger building has more points, it would have
a higher project cost. That is undoubtedly true for real-world building
automation projects. Nonetheless, the solution providers that price
Figure 9. RTEM Program Involvement by Building Age

Figure 10. RTEM Project Costs by Building Age
projects by number of points have few installations. Instead, providers

offering RTEM systems with a flat charge have many more installations.
That makes sense because RTEM systems tend to leverage the building’s
existing BAS system because data sources where integration using
BACnet IP connection would gather all the desired points. Additional
data sources, such as internet of things (IoT) devices or meters, are priced
by integration difficulties and not by the number of points.
Figure 11 shows that almost 80% of the installations at commercial
office buildings have project costs of $0.80/ft2 or less. Over 40% have
project costs of $0.30/ft2 or less. At these costs, RTEM is very cost-
effective.
Referring to Figure 12, retail/hospitality sites are small properties
and therefore tend to have higher costs on a per ft2 basis. Also, RTEM
projects in retail/hospitality sites are control projects, meaning they also
provide automatic control of heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting.
Multifamily projects span properties with a handful of units to
high-rise, high-density apartment complexes with hundreds or more
than 1,000 units. As shown in Figure 13, over 50% of the projects at
multifamily properties cost $1/ft2 or less.
Figure 11. Distribution of RTEM Project Cost ($/ft2) for Commercial Buildings
Figure 12. Distribution of RTEM Project Cost ($/ft2) for Retail and Hospitality
Figure 13. Distribution of RTEM Project Cost ($/ft2) for Multifamily Buildings
SYSTEMS INCLUDED IN THE ANALYTICS
Mechanical systems are the most common building systems monitored

by analytics. Rooftop units, air handling units and Dx (direct expansion)
units have the most units under the monitoring of analytics in the program
(see Figure 14).
Dx and rooftop units are commonly part of higher-cost projects on
a per ft2 basis because they tend to be in smaller properties and often are
installed in retail, food service, or hospitality sites.
On the other hand, analytics for air handling units, variable-air volume
(VAV), and pumps tend to be lower costs projects on a per ft2 basis because
they tend to be part of central plants installed in large office buildings. This
article already presented that bigger buildings have lower costs per ft2 if
the building’s BAS and control system are relatively modern.
ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES (ECMs)
As shown in Figure 15, 83% of all the measures fall under fault
detection and diagnostics (FDD) and automated system optimization
Figure 14. Number of Mechanical Systems Monitored
Figure 15. Distribution of Energy Conservation Measures
(ASO) categories. The remaining 17% falls under “other,” where ECMs
recommend adding more data sources like IoT (internet of things) sensors,
meters, and capital measures.
Also, comparatively, the savings observed from FDD and ASO
measures are similar to the findings published by LBNL in their “providing
business cases for building analytics report,” which is studied using a
completely different set of buildings and without any cross-over in data.
Finding, prioritizing, and validating ECMs are the reason why most
owners adapt cloud-hosted analytics. Also, because the analytic algorithms

most commonly monitor HVAC systems, not surprisingly, most ECMs
are related to HVAC systems. Referring to Figure 15, the majority are
cooling measures at 59%, heating measures at 22%, ventilation at 6%,
and the remaining is a mixed-bag collection. Figure 16 further classifies
all the ECMs into six types: changing set points, changing sequencing/
scheduling of HVAC equipment and plants.
Figure 16 further classifies all the ECMs into 6 types: changing
setpoints, changing sequencing/scheduling of HVAC equipment and
plants, repair/replace, test and balancing, capital projects, and adding
points/sensors/meters.
Also, finding parts and equipment that need to be repaired or
replaced is another type. Lastly, the test and balancing measures, capital
measures, and adding IoT sensors and meters measures complete the
remaining types.
TOP TEN LIST OF DEFICIENCIES
Out of thousands of individual measures, the program developed

a top-ten list by combining, classifying, and rephrasing the ECMs. The
top ten list of deficiencies is an excellent checklist for every project and
facility manager to ask themselves whether their facilities have these
deficiencies undiscovered. Many of these are not evident if resolving
tenant complaints were all there is time and resources to handle. Also,
several of these deficiencies often reoccur, so it is not just a one-time
fix. Property management must be diligent in preventing repeated
occurrences.
1. Equipment control in bypassed/override/manual mode

2. Faulty devices (e.g., leaky valves, sensors, controllers)
3. Extensive operations during unoccupied periods
4. Set points too high/low or inconsistent
5. Inefficient equipment/plant sequencing
6. Coincidental equipment operation generating high demand
7. Convert constant set points without conditionals
8. Free cooling/heating opportunities not used
9. Unintended heating, cooling and simultaneous conditioning
10. Manual operations that should be automated.
Figure 16. More Detailed Look at ECM Breakdown
ENERGY SAVINGS BREAKDOWN
The program combined all the RTEM projects into two sectors –
commercial and multifamily—to determine energy savings.
The program sampled the combined commercial and multifamily
projects to perform weather normalized International Performance
Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) Option C analysis.
The aggregated result for commercial projects is 8.2% annual
electricity savings and annual savings of 4.7% for non-electric utilities,
consisting of heating fuels including steam, natural gas, or oil. The
combined fuel savings is 6.9%.
The aggregated result for multifamily projects is 8.7% of electricity
savings and 13.8% of non-electric utility savings. The overall annual
savings from the program is 7.2% (see Table 1).
The aggregated savings of 7.2% means there were projects with
much higher savings and projects with no savings or even negative
savings, meaning the properties consumed more energy the first year
after installation of cloud-hosted analytics.
Table 2 shows the pre- and post-RTEM energy use intensity, or EUI,
by program’s subsectors. Notice that K-12 schools are an example of
negative savings. Digging deeper, the program identified two behavior
patterns for K-12 projects. In the first year, cloud-hosted analytics tend
to uncover many of the non-compliant issues at the schools. Measures
Table 1. Overall Savings from RTEM Program
68
Table 2. Impact on EUI by Building Sector from the RTEM Program

like stuck dampers below the designed ventilation of the building, fans
not producing the rated CFMs, or broken valves that left some spaces
unconditioned until after the analytics project. These are the obvious
priorities to get fixed, and the result is K-12 schools with higher
consumption. Another issue we noticed is that some of the school facility
staff tend not to follow recommendations from the analytics because they
feel they know better how to operate the school’s equipment. These staff
behaviors could take an entire year or more to work out. Consequently,
the program now knows not to expect savings from K-12 schools until
year 2 of the program, considering year 1 is used to fix non-conformance
and staff training.
Table 2 also shows the variability of savings for the different sectors.
Some subsectors have more than 7% savings, while others have less.
CASE STUDIES
Figure 17 shows the Empire State Building’s electric demand on an

August day. The gray profile represents the typical electric load profile for
this day. After implementing nine ECMs identified by the analytics, the
green shape is the resulting electric load profile.
It should be noted that the Empire State Building is already well run
prior to installing RTEM. Nonetheless, the analytics system still found
opportunities for energy reduction.
Therefore, the RTEM system demonstrated that cloud-based analytics
could incorporate more variables than even good human operators could
factor into complex decisions.
The Empire State Building is heated using steam. The steam is
provided by a district steam system that Con Edison of New York operates.
Figure 18 shows the Empire State Building’s electric demand on a
December day. The gray profile represents the typical steam load profile
for this day. The green shape is the steam consumption after implementing
three ECMs identified by the analytics. The analytics identified steam
opportunities even though the steam is not produced at the building.
Figure 19 shows the utility savings from implementing measures
identified by the analytics at the Empire State Building. The ECMs
generated an annual utility spending reduction of about 12% normalized.
That may not sound impressive. However, a 12% utility reduction equals
70
Figure 17. Empire State Building’s Electric Demand on an August Day

Volume 4, Number 3
Figure 18. Empire State Building’s Electric Demand on a December Day

71
more than $1.2 million for this building. For an already well-operated
building, a $1.2 million cost reduction is nonetheless desirable and paid
back the initial RTEM investment in weeks to less than a handful of
months.
Together, the energy and non-energy benefits of analytics were
sufficient to convince the Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) to adopt
analytics across their entire real estate portfolio.
Figure 19. Utility Savings from Implementing Measures Identified by the

Analytics at the Empire State Building
The RTEM program chooses to highlight the success story at the Empire
State Building because it is a well-known marque building. Nevertheless,
analytics benefits not just iconic buildings; instead, our program finds that
most facilities can justify adoption by energy and non-energy benefits.
Table 3 summarizes three more case studies. All three projects cost
~$200,000. The first two projects are commercial office buildings with
very similar vintage but with a 10x difference in square footage—250,000
ft2 compared to 2.5 million ft2.
Additionally, the first project included occupancy counting as a data
element, which allowed the analytics to identify optimization opportunities
taking into account the occupancy level of the building. As a result, the
program observed 30% annual weather normalized savings.
The second project did not include occupancy counting. Nonetheless,
Table 3. Results from 3 Additional RTEM Case Studies

Volume 4, Number 3
73
the analytics still identified numerous optimization opportunities of the

building’s central plant, which resulted in the project delivering a 20%
annual weather normalized savings. That level of saving is impressive,
especially if one were to consider the utility expenses of a 2.5 million ft2
building. Still, anecdotally, the value of adding occupancy counting into
the optimization algorithm leads to something on the order of another
10% savings.
The third project is in a 550,000 ft2 high-rise apartment building. Not
only is the building functionally different, but it is an older building, built
in the mid-1970s compared to the first two mid-1980s vintage. The project
cost is still $200,000. Because it is a multifamily building, the program only
supports the spaces that are the domain of the commercial house meter.
Consequently, the saving opportunities are also limited to the common
areas and equipment located outside the residential units. The project
nonetheless delivered 8.5% annual weather normalized savings.
There are many more success stories available on NYSERDA’s RTEM
website.
CONCLUSIONS
This article defined RTEM, which NYSERDA coined in 2016 to

describe an incentive program that supports cloud-based energy analytics.
Also, the article summarized the impacts of the RTEM program in
terms of the number of sites that installed cloud-based analytic systems,
along with square footages, type of buildings, and the solution providers
recruited into the program. The article also presented project costs, energy
conservation opportunities identified by the analytics, and resulting utility
savings. Lastly, the article described several case studies to demonstrate the
benefits and variability of cloud-based analytics projects.
Additionally, all the ECMs discovered by the analytics can be into
fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) and automated system optimization
(ASO) using the definitions defined by LBNL in their energy management
information system (EMIS) research.
Furthermore, the lowest cost of adopting analytics is by overlaying the
building’s existing building automation or energy management systems.
Buildings without BAS, EMS, or those lacking integration capability must
install purposeful sensors and meters to acquire the data for the analytics,
increasing the overall costs. The highest cost projects involved upgrading
the building’s automation or control systems while streaming data in real-
time to a cloud repository and provisioning analytics. However, the new
BAS and modernized control also elevate the savings potential of the
analytics project.
Still, typical project costs are much less than $1/ft2. For example, over
40% of office buildings have an overall project cost of less than $0.30/ft2.
When aggregated, the entire RTEM portfolio delivers a normalized
annual energy savings of 7.2%. The savings differs depending on whether
it is electricity or non-electric utilities and the function of the building.
Also, the 7.2% savings resulted from building owners implementing about
1/3 of the ECMs. There are still many opportunities to increase savings
when some of the remaining 2/3 of the measures get implemented, and
analytics find new ECMs.
Next, the most popular ECMs are optimizing setpoints, scheduling
and sequencing, and repairing and replacing control devices and sensors.
Lastly, perhaps most importantly, energy analytics win over building
owners because of its energy saving efficacy. Depending on how aggressive
these owners are with evaluating energy analytics, they tend to fund pilot
projects in a single or just a handful of buildings. During the pilot projects,
the owners identify many non-energy benefits, such as fewer tenant
complaints and the building operating much more dependably. In addition,
owners see that their facility staff are not chasing alarms anymore and are
more proactive and productive in their daily activities. These non-energy
benefits tend to be the factors that push the owner to adopt analytics not
just in a few buildings but across their entire portfolio.
≥
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
Thomas Yeh, CEM, CMVP, CBCP, CDSM, IGSHPA AI, is a
recognized expert in energy management, building systems, and utility
incentive programs. He is currently serving as the technical advisor and
consultant to the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA) Real-time Energy Management Program. In
addition to his experience overseeing utility programs, Thomas’s experience
also includes leading the development and pioneering in data analytics,
wireless lighting control, embedded gateway design, networking IoT
devices, and data center energy efficiency. With 20 U.S. and international
patents under his name, he also has several certifications from the
Association of Energy Engineers (including CEM, CMVP, CBCP, and
CDSM) and accreditation from the International Geothermal Heat Pump
Association. Thomas graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in
electrical engineering and a master’s degree in computer science. Thomas
may be contacted at Thomas.yeh@nyserda.ny.gov.
Lauren De La Fuente is a program coordinator at New York

State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), where
she helps administer the Real Time Energy Management (RTEM) and
RTEM + Tenants programs. The programs support the deployment and
utilization of energy management systems and services in New York State
building stock. Before joining NYSERDA in 2021, Lauren worked as a
coordinator at Carbon Lighthouse, where she supported energy efficiency
projects at commercial buildings across the US. She holds a BA degree in
physics from Columbia University. Lauren may be contacted at lauren.
delafuente@nyserda.ny.gov.
Guidelines for Submittal

The International Journal of Energy Management is a bimonthly publication of
the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
The journal invites original manuscripts involving topics related to energy
management, engineering, conservation or analytical approaches to energy
management. Because we accept manuscripts in any format, you might request
a review of your article prior to meeting our submission requirements. However,
once accepted, submissions will ultimately need to be modified to meet the
formatting and guidelines as outlined below.
Manuscript preparation: Submissions must contain a title, author name(s),

abstract, body, conclusions, acknowledgments when appropriate, references and a
brief biography for each author listed. Lists of keywords are unnecessary, because
today’s computer search engines will find articles using the topic and abstract
information.
Please note the following submission requirements:

• Articles must be submitted in electronic format via email to the Editor-in-
Chief.
• We prefer your copy be produced in Microsoft Word. If this software
is not available to you, the text should be saved in rich text format (*.rtf) or
ASCII format (w/line breaks).
• Include a PDF copy of your article in your submittal.
• Use New Times Roman and Symbols fonts in 12-point. Use of other fonts
(especially Cambria Math) can cause your submission to be rejected.
• Major subject headers should be in all caps; secondary headers in bold
caps and lower case; subsequent headers in medium italics. Do not number
sections and subsections.
• Indent at the beginning of each new paragraph. Please single space your
article.
• Please do not use an automatic reference or footnote format. When
you need to insert a footnote or reference number, just type it in brackets, i.e.,
[XX], or [X-XX] as applicable.
• Please do not use an automatic outlining or bullet format. TYPE
IN your numbers, bullets, and letters, and just tab after them. Automatic
formats “fall out” when the document is moved into a page-layout program
such as InDesign, so just don’t use them.
• Equations must be in perfect order and capable of high resolution when
converted to PDF formats. Do not use imported equations from menus in

Microsoft Word.
• When using an acronym such as VSD, spell out its first occurrence in your
text; e.g., “variable speed drive (VSD).” Capitalize only the acronym (unless
using a proper name).
• All graphics should be submitted using high resolution file formats. High
resolution (400 dpi or greater) makes for a better end product. Images inserted
into Word files typically lose resolution when saved. We recommend images
also be sent as separate high-resolution TIFF files.
• If file sizes are too large for your email, please follow up using a file
sharing service, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Hightail, or similar
cloud service.
Title: The title should express the main point of the article.
Authors: List the full names of all authors below the title. For each author, include
any important degrees, licenses or certifications, such as Ph.D., P.E., C.E.M. Do
not include job titles or company affiliations; these should be included in the
biography section at the end of the article.
Abstract: An abstract at the beginning should summarize the article and highlight
significant new information and conclusions.
Introduction: The introduction should outline the issue, its significance, and how
it is approached in the main body of the manuscript.
Main body of the manuscript: This section develops the thought of the article. A
good article normally presents the results with text, tables, and perhaps illustrations.
Conclusions: This section should summarize all conclusions, final comments, and
any necessary qualifications. The conclusions should highlight any information
or lessons learned from the article. If appropriate, the conclusions may also make
suggestions for further research on the topic.
References: A bibliography should list all references in order of appearance in

the text. References usually show author name, title of article/journal/book,
publishing company, and date of publication. Do not abbreviate journal names in
the references. Remove underscores, hyperlinks, and italics when web addresses
are used and note website access dates (e.g., http://www.somewebsite.com,
accessed 25 May 2018). Example of reference formatting:
[1] Mendis, N. and Perera, N. (2006). Energy audit: a case study. Information and
Automation, Vol. 4, No. 2, pages 45-50.
Appendix: Appendices are not encouraged, but if used, should present supporting
data not given in the body, or materials which are too detailed to include in the
body but still necessary to the article. For example, spreadsheet calculations
require too much space in the body of the manuscript. Alternatively, the author
might show one set of calculations in the body and present the spreadsheet in the
appendix.
Figures and tables: All artwork should be in tiff format and of at least 400 dpi
resolution, with captions and with numbering when needed. Avoid low-resolution
images, such as screen captures. A better strategy would be to make textual
reference to the information and let readers check the site. The author must provide
written permission from the publisher to reproduce previously published figures or images.
Author Biography: Provide a brief biographical section stating the author’s

affiliation and a background description. If there is one author, this section must
be less than 75 words. For more than one author, no more than 50 words per
author. State how a reader might contact the author (email is preferred).
The International Journal of Energy offers either editor review or peer review at
the author’s discretion. If neither is requested, the editor will assume that editor
review is desired. Editor review means the editor will review the article and make a
decision. This is the least time-consuming route to publication.
Peer review means the editor will send the article to two or three reviewers
after initial editing and request review and comments. Typically, reviewers ask for
changes or responses to questions prior to their approval for publication. Once
they give approval, the editor will publish the article and show peer reviewed above
the title. This process may add six months or more to the lead time for publication.
Peer reviewed author(s) will need to respond to multiple reviews and may need to
verify the typeset proof of the article prior to publication.
A statement should be included in your cover letter transferring copyrights for

the article to the Association of Energy Engineers. If you have need of a sample
article to aid in understanding our formatting requirements, please contact the
editor and one will be provided.
Any questions should be addressed to:

Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Energy Management
email: steven.99.parker@gmail.com
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publishes original articles and papers detailing the latest engineering or analytical
approaches to energy management and energy efficiency.
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ISSN: 2643-6779 (Print) Editor Steven Parker

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ISSN: 2643-6787 (Online)

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Volume 4 | Issue 3 | 2022

Volume 3 | Issue 1 | 2021

International Journal of Energy Management

Published by the Association of Energy Engineers

Over 18,000 professionals in 105 countries trust the Association of

ISSN: 2643-6779 (Print) Editor Steven Parker

Energy Savings through Control Strategies—Eric Oliver

26 Building Retro Commissioning: Making Your Building Sim-

41 Existing Building Commissioning: Securing Stakeholder

48 Cloud-based Energy Analytics—Benefits and Cost from New

77 Guiderlines for Submittal

JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ENERGY ENGINEERS®

ISSN: 2643-6779 (print)

Steven Parker, PE, CEM

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Electric Vehicles and the

Many years ago, I was in a large meeting sponsored by a federal cli-

While Myra’s new e-bike is still being decorated, I have included a

Steven Parker, PE, CEM

Energy Savings through Control Strategies

It is well understood that at least 35% of the energy we consume in

A comprehensive study was performed by the Pacific Northwest

Figure 1. Results of PNNL Control Savings Study

Basic Zone Temperature Control

Figure 2. Space Temperature Control Deadband

This deadband around the setpoint prevents the constant cycling of

Optimize Temperature Control

Demand Controlled Ventilation

Figure 3. 24-hour Restaurant Lighting Consumption

Figure 4. Typical Demand Controlled Ventilation Schematic

Figure 5. Daily AHU Temperature Trending

Wider Deadbands and Night Purge

Reset VAV Box Minimum Damper Position

Table 1. Typical Chiller Control Strategy

Table 2. Optimized Chiller Control Strategy

Figure 6. Standard and Condensing Boiler Part Load Efficiencies

Floating Condenser Water Control

by as much as 50%. Figure 7 shows how chiller efficiency curves drop

Figure 7. Chiller Efficiency as a Function of Condenser Water Temperature

Chilled and Hot Water Temperature Reset

Table 3. Potential Hot Water Reset Strategy

Table 4. Potential Chilled Water Reset Strategy

Static Pressure Reset

Discharge Air Reset

Figure 8. Discharge Air Temperature Reset Strategy

To activate an air-side economizer, you need a motorized actuator

The energy efficiency of a building is not only a function of the effi-

Building Retro Commissioning:

MAKING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

What’s Out There, and How Did It Get That Way?