HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnergy Benchmarking Practice - Procedures for Municipal Buildings••.Energy Benchmarking
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Prepared by:
BSE ENGINEERING
Terra Nova Planning & Research, Inca
42635 Melanie Place, Suite 101 10680 Treena Street, Suite 100
Palm Desert, CA 92211 San Diego, CA 92131
Designing Your Sustainable Future
Under:
CVAG
September 2015
Table of Contents
1.1 Benchmarking Practice and Procedures: Purpose, Goals and Objectives....................................1
1.1.1 Purpose....................................................................................................................................1
1.1.2 Practice Objectives.................................................................................................................2
1.1.3 Eligible and Ineligible Facilities..............................................................................................3
1.1.4 Benchmarking Tool Approved for Program.........................................................................3
1.1.5 Timelines.................................................................................................................................3
1.1.6 Frequency and Triggers for Ongoing Updates......................................................................3
1.1.7 Reporting Requirements........................................................................................................3
1.1.8 Process for Disclosure of Results..........................................................................................4
1.1.9 Required Actions.....................................................................................................................4
1.1.10 Practice Enforcement............................................................................................................5
1.2 Benchmarking Procedures.................................................................................................................5
1.2.1 Purpose....................................................................................................................................5
1.2.2 Program Initiation.................................................................................................................6
1.2.3 Data Collection.......................................................................................................................7
1.2.4 Entering Utility Meter Data..................................................................................................11
1.2.5 Proof of Compliance............................................................................................................12
1.2.6 Analysis.................................................................................................................................13
1.2.7 Actions..................................................................................................................................14
1.3 Practice Definitions........................................................................................................................15
Coachella Valley Association of Governments i January 2015
1.1 Benchmarking Practice and Procedures: Purpose,
Goals and Objectives
1.1.1 Purpose
The purpose that Benchmarking serves is to provide City officials with a tool to assess
the relative energy needs for City buildings. This Practice will also provide guidance to
City staff monitor energy use and report, assess and recommend changes and
improvements in daily practices and longterm equipment repair and replacement. The
Benchmarking tool is a way to measure their success as they implement energy
efficiency measures and practices.
Benchmarking and use of Energy Star Portfolio Manager or other software provide an
easy -to -use and cost-effective means for the City to establish a baseline. With a set of
building energy ratings, city officials can cost-effectively enact energy efficiency
measures where they are needed most.
While benchmarking and the use of Portfolio Manager are not new, they are new to
the Coachella Valley. The innovative aspect of this proposal is the opportunity for Palm
Desert to evaluate and test the effectiveness of energy benchmarking and then market
use of these tools to other government agencies, and businesses in the commercial
and industrial sectors. Palm Desert will collaborate to develop the most effective and
successful benchmarking policies and procedures. Through the Desert Cities Energy
Partnership and the Green For Life Program, Palm Desert will truly lead by example.
Meeting the Requirements of California Law: AB 1103 — Nonresidential Building
Benchmarking Law.
This law requires electric and gas utilities, on and after January 1, 2009, to maintain
records of the energy consumption data of all nonresidential buildings to which they
provide service, in a format compatible for uploading to the United States
Environmental Protection Agencys Energy Star Portfolio Manager (Energy Star
Portfolio Manager), for at least the most recent 12 months. An electric or gas utility is
required, upon request, to upload all of the energy consumption data for a building to
the Energy Star Portfolio Manager.
The law also requires, on and after January 1, 2012, that nonresidential building
owners or operators disclose historical energy usage for their buildings using Energy
Star Portfolio Manager benchmarking data and ratings, for the most recent 12-month
period, to a prospective buyer, lessee, or lender. The information is considered
adequate to inform the prospective buyer, lessee of the entire building, or lender that
would finance the entire building, of the benchmarking data and ratings for the
building.
City of Palm Desert 1 September 15, 2015
Benchmarking energy performance helps to identify best practices that can be
replicated, either within a building or across a portfolio of buildings. Benchmarks can
be reference points for measuring and rewarding good performance. They allow an
organization to identify top -performing facilities for recognition and to prioritize
poorly performing facilities for immediate improvement.
To comply with California Law AB 1103, Energy Star Portfolio Manager can generate
the following required documents:
• Statement of Energy Performance: Includes the building's Energy Use Index,
characteristics, contact information, and if available, the building's Energy
Performance Rating
• California Energy Performance Report: Customized report established by the
California Energy Commission within U.S EPA Portfolio Manager containing all data
necessary to generate a Statement of Energy Performance
This Practice will fulfill the following goals:
1. Leverage existing resources, including review and assessment of similar
Benchmarking policies and programs of other jurisdictions in the Valley;
2. Evaluate whether current municipal policies and procedures support efficient
energy performance; and
3. Allow the City to work with other non -participating local governments and
other agencies (other utilities, water districts) to encourage use of
benchmarking.
1.1.2 Practice Objectives
The City is committed to long-term cultural change with respect to its use of, and
attitudes about, energy. This --r m will provide long-term actions +.
Vy I5 f, vE) let ni p vv vile Lciiii aCLl L reduce1cncrSY
use, limit greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable energy practices, and make
a positive impact in the Coachella Valley. The goal of the Green For Life Program is to
integrate energy efficiency and climate action planning activities into the daily
operations of local governments.
Benchmarking enables energy managers to determine the key metrics for assessing a
building's performance, to establish baselines, and to set goals for energy
performance. It also helps to identify building upgrade opportunities that can increase
profitability by lowering energy and operating costs, and it facilitates continuous
improvement by providing diagnostic measures to evaluate performance over time.
City of Palm Desert 2 September 15, 2015
1.1.3 Eligible and Ineligible Facilities
Eligible Facilities: Buildings that are eligible and required for benchmarking are
those that are owned or leased by the City of Palm Desert and for which Palm Desert
directly pays the energy bills. This Practice will apply to:
o Buildings with areas greater than 5,000 ft2
o Buildings with occupancy greater than 50%
If Palm Desert sub -leases space to third parties, Palm Desert should be responsible for
collecting utility bill information from the lessee (if billed separately) and comply
with the relevant portions of this Practice, if the building meets this/these parameters:
o Buildings with areas greater than 5,000 ft2
Ineligible Facilities: This Practice will not apply to buildings that have the
following characteristics:
o Buildings with less than 11 consecutive months of energy consumption
data available
1.1.4 Benchmarking Tool Approved for Program
EPA's Energy Star Portfolio Manager will be utilized as the benchmarking tool and can
be accessed at the following web site:
www.energVstar.gov/bench m a rk
By utilizing Portfolio Manager, the City will be in compliance with California Law AB
1103. Portfolio manager is supported by South California Edison (SCE) and can utilize
SCE's Automated Benchmarking Services (ABS).
1.1.5 Timelines
The City of Palm Desert will establish an account in Portfolio Manager, establish a
portfolio of all the eligible buildings, and conduct the initial benchmark for all the
eligible buildings by January 1, 2015.
1.1.6 Frequency and Triggers for Ongoing Updates
Energy Star Portfolio Manager should be updated on a regular basis:
o Automatically on a monthly basis using the utility's automated
benchmarking system (ABS)
1.1.7 Reporting Requirements
Once data have been collected, the specific benchmarks are to be computed for the
City of Palm Desert 3 September 15, 2015
building. Goals may be established at the building or organizational level; the exact
goal will depend on the objectives of the benchmarking project that were identified at
the outset. The actual benchmarking data will transform these broader objectives into
quantifiable goals.
Energy Star Portfolio Manager will rank the building and will generate an Energy Star
rating of 0-100. Reports to be generated from the Portfolio Manager should include:
a. Statement of Energy Performance that will provide an absolute Score and the
building Energy Utilization Index (EUI) in the units of kBTU/sq.ft./yr
b. Comparison Report on similar types of buildings within in Palm Desert
C. Comparison Report of all the Buildings within Jurisdiction that presents a
ranking sorted by the Portfolio Manager score and the EUI
d. Comparison Report of similar type buildings in USA to present how the
buildings compare to similar types of buildings within the US.
e. Building Trending Report that compare previous year's results for the same
building (Trending).
Reporting of benchmarking scores should occur:
o Quarterly
o Prior to the start of major energy efficiency measure (EEM) implementation
1.1.8 Process for Disclosure of Results
The City of Palm Desert will submit the results of the benchmarking process in the
following methods:
o Report to the City Manager or Mayor
o Report to the Facility's Manager, Sustainability Manger, Energy Manager
o Post results for easy access by building occupants (building lobby, cafeteria,
break room, etc.)
o Post results for easy access by the community (building lobby, city web site,
etc.)
1.1.9 Required Actions
This section presents a methodology for actions to be taken based on the Energy Star
rating that result from the benchmarking process. The actions are triggered based on
the scoring thresholds of the following:
o Top 25% of buildings
o Top 51% — 26% of buildings
o Lower 50% of buildings
Score: Energy Star Rating greater than 75 or top quartile rating based on EUI
City of Palm Desert 4 September 15, 2015
o Apply for the EPA Energy Star Label
• A Licensed Professional (meaning a Professional Engineer or
Registered Architect) verify that all energy use is accounted for accurately,
that the building characteristics have been properly reported
(including the square footage of the building), that the building is fully
functional in accordance with industry standards, and that each of the
indoor environment criteria has been met.
o Promote the accomplishment:
• Best Practices
• Case Study
• City Web Site
Score: Energy Star Rating between 51 and 74 or second quartile rating based on EUI
o Retro-com mission the building according to Cx/RCx Practice and implement
measures that have a simple payback of 2 years or less:
• Document actions taken
• Estimate new benchmark based on projected energy savings from new
energy efficiency measures. Track benchmark every 6 months for the next
2 years to track progress and verify savings
Score: Energy Star Rating less than 50 or bottom half (third and fourth quartile)
rating based on EUI
o Retro-commission the building according to Cx/RCx Practice and implement
measures that have a simple payback of 3 years or less
o Implement cost-effective measures with a total cost not to exceed 15% of the
annual electric bill
o Enter into an energy performance contract with a third party
• Document actions taken
• Estimate new benchmark based on projected energy savings
• Benchmark every 3 months for the next 2 years to track progress and
verify savings
1.1.10 Practice Enforcement
The City of Palm Desert will assign the Public Works Director as a Benchmark
Administrator who should review monthly data to verify that utility data was
updated and that the recommended Practice has been followed.
1.2 Benchmarking Procedures
1.2.1 Purpose
City of Palm Desert 5 September 15, 2015
This section of the Practice provides the guidelines to the procedures for
benchmarking buildings as required in the benchmarking Practice.
1.2.2 Program Initiation
1.2.2.1 Assign a Benchmark Administrator
The City of Palm Desert should assign the Public Works Director as the benchmark
administrator for conducting and/or overseeing the benchmarking process for Palm
Desert.
1.2.2.2 Benchmark Training
The Benchmark Administrator should be trained on using the EPA Portfolio Manager
through one or more of the following:
o CVAG Green for Life Workshops
o SCE Benchmarking Workshops
o EPA Portfolio Manager Web Site:
(http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/benchmarking training/benchmarkin
g_html )
1.2.2.3 Identify Buildings to be Benchmarked
The Benchmark Administrator or his/her designee should develop an inventory of all
the buildings owned and leased by Palm Desert. The inventory data should include the
following information for each building:
o Address
o Building Name or Description
o Building Area (ft)
o Electric Meter(s)
• Electric Service Provider
• Electric Account Number (all accounts)
• Electric Meter Number (all meters)
o Gas Meter(s)
• Natural Gas Service Provider
• Natural Gas Account Number (all accounts)
• Natural Gas Meter Number (all meters)
o Facility Point of Contact
The facilities should be sorted by building area. The buildings to be benchmarked
should be selected based on the schedule provided in Section 1.5.4, Timelines.
1.2.2.4 Establish an Account in Portfolio Manager
The Benchmarking Administrator or his/her designee should log onto the Portfolio
Manager web site, register an account and complete the registration including a
username, password, contact information, business description, and job title. When
City of Palm Desert 6 September 15, 2015
complete, the profile should be saved.
1.2.2.5 Authorize Benchmark Administrator to Collect Energy Data
The benchmarking process requires the collection of historical energy billing
information. The Benchmark Administrator or his/her designee will need access to the
utility bills in the form of the actual hard copies of the bills or the utility's online
access. If the Utility's Automated Benchmarking System is to be used for initial data
population and/or monthly updates, the appropriate person within Palm Desert will
need to sign the authorization form.
1.2.2.6 Authorize Benchmark Administrator to Collect Building -specific Data
The benchmarking process requires an understanding of building characteristics that
will be input into the benchmarking tool. The Benchmark Administrator or his/her
designee will need to have access to building information such as floor plans,
mechanical plans, and occupancy schedules. For some space types, the Benchmark
Administrator will need to have access to the facility to collect information on
equipment in that building.
1.2.2.7 Authority to Send Benchmark Data Request Form to Tenants
If Palm Desert is leasing building space to a tenant who is responsible for their own
energy bills (i.e. tenant has their own utility accounts that are metered separately), the
Benchmark Administrator or his/her designee will need authorization to request the
tenant's utility bill information.
1.2.3 Data Collection
1.2.3.1 General Facility Information
The general facility data required to be input into the tool are as follows:
o Type of Facility (select one of the following)
• A sin gle facility for which Illy o rgaa I l� ization owns or rnai gages 70'7/0or more of
the floor area
o Add this facility to a Campus (Yes/No)
o Country
o Facility Name
o Address
o City
o State
o ZIP Code
o Year Built
o Select Organization that owns this facility
• Add new Organization name and contact information to allow sharing of
information
o Is there an energy efficiency Service and Product Provider assisting with this
building?
• Add new Contact name and contact information to allow sharing of
City of Palm Desert 7 September 15, 2015
information. Indicate if this Contact is a Professional Engineer
1.2.3.2 Area by Space Use Type
In order to identify a building's group of peers, more than 50% of the building's gross
floor area (excluding parking lots and garages) must be defined by one of the following
space types:
o Bank/Financial Institution
o Courthouse
o Data Center
o Hotel
o Office
o Residence Hall/Dormitory
o Warehouse (refrigerated and non -refrigerated)
o Computer Data Center
o Multifamily Housing
o Other
o Parking
o Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
o Swimming Pool
The following space types within Portfolio Manager are subject to the following
restrictions:
Parking:
The combined floor area of all enclosed and not enclosed parking structures cannot
exceed the total gross floor area of the building (where the gross floor area of the
building excludes the parking floor area).
Other.
The combined floor area of any space classified as "Other' (e.g. library, restaurant,
cafeteria, etc.) cannot exceed 10% of the total gross floor area of the building (where
gross floor area of the building excludes the parking floor area).
Multifamily Housing:
The combined floor area of all Multifamily Housing spaces cannot exceed 10% of the
total gross floor area of the building (where the gross floor area of the building
excludes the parking floor area).
1.2.3.3 Benchmark Tool Specific Information
The following buildings are those in Portfolio Manager that may be included in the
types of buildings that are owned or leased by the City. This section provides a listing
of the data required for each type of building being benchmarked.
Courthouse applies to facility space used for federal, state, or local courts and
associated office space. The total gross floor area should include all supporting
functions such as temporary holding cells, kitchens used by staff, lobbies, atria,
conference rooms and auditoria, fitness areas for staff, storage areas, stairways,
City of Palm Desert 8 September 15, 2015
elevator shafts, etc. The following information is required for a Courthouse Space.
o Zip code
o Gross floor area
o Weekly operating hours
o Number of workers on main shift
o Number of personal computers
o Percent of gross floor area that is air conditioned
o Percent of gross floor area that is heated
Data Center applies to spaces specifically designed and equipped to meet the needs of
high density computing equipment such as server racks, used for data storage and
processing. Typically these facilities require dedicated uninterruptible power supplies
and cooling systems. Data center functions may include traditional enterprise services,
on- demand enterprise services, high performance computing, internet facilities,
and/or hosting facilities. Often Data Centers are free standing, mission critical
computing centers. When a data center is located within a larger building, it will
usually have its own power and cooling systems. The Data Center space is intended for
sophisticated computing and server functions; it should not be used to represent a
server closet or computer training area. The total gross floor area is measured
between the principal exterior surfaces of the enclosing fixed walls and includes all
supporting functions for the data center. This should include the entire data center,
which may have raised floor computing space, server rack aisles, storage silos, control
console areas, battery rooms, mechanical rooms for cooling equipment, administrative
office areas, elevator shafts, stairways, break rooms and restrooms. The following
information is required for a Data Center Space.
o Zip code
o Gross floor area
o IT Energy Configuration (Location of IT Energy Meter)
o Annual IT Energy
Office applies to facility spaces used for general office, professional, and
administrative purposes. The total gross floor area should include all supporting
functions such as kitchens used by staff, lobbies, atria, conference rooms and
auditoria, fitness areas for staff, storage areas, stairways, elevator shafts, etc. The
following information is required for an Office Space.
o Zip code
o Gross floor area
o Weekly operating hours
o Number of workers on main shift
o Number of personal computers
o Percent of gross floor area that is air conditioned
o Percent of gross floor area that is heated
Warehouse (refrigerated and non -refrigerated) Warehouse applies to unrefrigerated
City of Palm Desert 9 September 15, 2015
or refrigerated buildings that are used to store goods, manufactured products,
merchandise or raw materials. The total gross floor area of Refrigerated Warehouses
should include all temperature controlled areas designed to store perishable goods or
merchandise under refrigeration at temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The
total gross floor area of Unrefrigerated Warehouses should include space designed to
store non-perishable goods and merchandise. Unrefrigerated warehouses also include
distribution centers. The total gross floor area of refrigerated and unrefrigerated
warehouses should include all supporting functions such as offices, lobbies, stairways,
rest rooms, equipment storage areas, elevator shafts, etc. Existing atriums or areas
with high ceilings should only include the base floor area that they occupy. The total
gross floor area of refrigerated or unrefrigerated warehouse should not include
outside loading bays or docks. Self -storage facilities, or facilities that rent individual
storage units, are not eligible for a rating using the warehouse model. The following
information is required for Unrefrigerated Warehouse Spaces.
o Zip code
o Gross floor area
o Number of walk-in coolers and refrigerators
o Weekly operating hours
o Number of workers on main shift
o Percent of gross floor area that is air conditioned
o Percent of gross floor area that is heated
The following information is required for Refrigerated Warehouse Spaces.
o Zip code
o Gross floor area
o Weekly operating hours
o Number of workers on main shift
The following buildings that do not fall under the defined energy star space type can
be assigned as "OTHER" and can be benchmarked. Spaces that do not fit clearly within
any available categories should be designated as "other". Other may be used to
designate any space not listed in Portfolio Manager; this could include restaurants,
laboratories, penitentiaries, or manufacturing facilities. If an entire facility is classified
as Other, it is not eligible to receive a National energy performance rating; however, if
a portion of a facility is classified as Other, it may be able to receive a National energy
performance rating. To be eligible, the gross floor area of the facility must be
comprised of 50% or more of an eligible space type and 10% or less of the gross floor
area must be comprised of an Other space type.
The following information is required for Other Spaces
o Gross floor area
o Weekly operating hours
The space types listed as "Other" are listed below.
City of Palm Desert 10 September 15, 2015
o Education
• College/University (campus -level)
o Food Sales
• Convenience Store (with or without gas station)
• Food Service
• Restaurant/Cafeteria
• Fast Food
o Health Care
• Inpatient (Specialty Hospitals, excluding Children's)
• Clinic/Other Outpatient Health
o Public Assembly
• Entertainment/Culture
• Library
• Recreation
• Social/Meeting
o Lodging
o Mall (Strip Mall and Enclosed)
o Public Order and Safety
• Fire Station/Police Station
o Service
• Vehicle Repair/Service
• Postal Service
o Storage/Shipping
• Self -Storage
• Distribution/Shipping Center
o Retail
• Vehicle Dealerships
o Other
• Airplane hangers
• Laboratories
• Crematoriums
1.2.4 Entering Utility Meter Data
Utility meters are modeled in the benchmarking tool by entering the following meter
information:
o Meter Name
• SCE meter naming convention is open to the user to use any name
• SCG meter naming convention is to use the 10 digit account number
o Area of Facility Served by the Meter
o Meter Type
• Energy Type
• Units
o Is this meter currently active?
The utility meter data can be entered into Portfolio Manager either manually or
City of Palm Desert 11 September 15, 2015
through an automated benchmarking system (ABS).
Manual Meter Data Entry
When adding meters into the Portfolio Manager at the "Select Number of Meter
Entries to be added and Start Date for first entry" screen, populate the fields for Meter
Entries to Add (Months) and Start Date (MM/DD/YYYY), then select Continue. The
screen will refresh with a table where the monthly Energy Use and Cost can be
entered from the copies of the facility energy bills. When all the data is entered in the
table, select Save.
Automated Benchmarking System (ABS)
The steps required to configure the Portfolio Manager for SCE's Automated
Benchmarking System is as follows:
o Create Portfolio Manager account, building spaces and meters
o Input Meter Name based on user's preference
o From the "My Portfolio" page select link to "Automated Benchmarking Services
Console"
o Electric Meters:
• Select SCE as your Energy Service Provider
• The following customer inputs are required:
— Customer Account Number
— Authentication Key
— Customer Email
— For AB1103 (yes or no)
— Electric meter Service Account Number
• For additional support:
www.sce.com/business/energy-solutions/portfoliomanager.htm
o Natural Gas Meters:
• Meter Name must be the 10 digit account number in the Meter
• From the "My Portfolio" page select link to "Automated Benchmarking
• Services Console"
• Select SoCal Gas as your
• The following customer inputs are required
— 10-digit Account Number
— 8-digit Meter Number associated with above -referenced Account Number
— Building's 5-digit zip code
• For additional support:
www.socalgas.com/business/benchmarking/
Once the ABS systems are configured, data will be uploaded into the portfolio in
approximately 24 hours.
1.2.5 Proof of Compliance
City of Palm Desert 12 September 15, 2015
Once the Benchmarking is complete, the Benchmarking Administrator or his/her
designee should generate the "Statement of Energy Performance" report. This report
should serve as evidence of the Benchmarking as well as provide backup information
to validate the accuracy of the input data. When generating the Statement of
Performance Report, the Administrator will select the following report options:
o Statement of Energy Performance (summarizes benchmarking results)
o Energy Star Data Checklist (summarizes property's physical and operating
characteristics, as well as total energy consumption)
o Facility Summary
The Benchmark Administrator or his/her designee should collect and archive the
Statement of Energy Performance Reports and associated backup data to support
inputs.
The data quality should be validated by sampling the Statement of Energy
Performance Reports and associated backup data to check that the values used in the
Benchmarking tool are true and accurate.
1.2.6 Analysis
The Portfolio Manager allows users to generate 8 different reports for any building in
the portfolio. These reports can be shared within the organization or other
stakeholders in various file formats (xls, pdf, csv, xml). The standard Reports are as
follows:
o Baseline Comparison
o Benchmark Performance
o Current Facility Status
o Emissions Performance
o Energy Performance
o Utility Cost Reports
o Water Performance Report
o Wastewater Energy Performance
Portfolio Manager Customized Reports
o Allows users to create Customized Report templates from the Portfolio
Manager metrics
o Enables users to share their customized report with other users via a URL
and customized instructional text
o Can be used for utility energy efficiency programs or other mandated
program for improved energy efficiency at the state or local level
o Users can edit templates shared with them and upload and share data
The Benchmark Administrator should generate reports that address the following:
City of Palm Desert 13 September 15, 2015
a. Absolute Scores (Score and EUI)
b. Compare Similar Types of Buildings in Jurisdiction
c. Compare and Rank All Buildings within Jurisdiction
d. Compare Similar Types of Buildings in USA
e. Compare Previous Years for the Same Building (Trending)
f. California Energy Performance Report
1.2.7 Actions
Information Sharing:
The Benchmarking Administrator or his/her designee will submit the results of the
benchmarking process in the following methods:
o Report to the City Manager or Mayor
o Report to the Facility's Manager, Sustainability Manger, Energy Manager
o Post results for easy access by building occupants (building lobby, cafeteria,
break room, etc.)
o Post results for easy access by the community (building lobby, city web site,
etc.)
Energy Management:
Based on the individual building benchmarking results, Palm Desert should create an
ENERGY STAR Energy Performance Plan for each building in its portfolio. The plan
describes an overview of the property, establishes a baseline of energy management
performance and achievements, and sets goals for the following year. Specifying
portfolio -wide and building -wide energy management goals has resulted in an
increased average energy performance and significant annual energy cost savings.
The benchmarking results should be used to support energy management activities as
follows:
o Establish Best Practices
o Achieve Energy Star Certification
o Establish Energy Baselines
o Develop Energy Savings Targets
o Drive Energy Conservation through energy efficiency projects and building
commissioning and retro-commissioning
City of Palm Desert 14 September 15, 2015
1.3 Practice Definitions
As used in this Practice, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
American Society of Heating Ventilation Refrigeration (ASHRAE): An international
technical engineering society for all individuals and organizations interested in heating,
ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R)
ASHRAE Level 1 Energy Audit: This level of audit consists of a walk-through of the
facility by the auditor who will interview facility mangers and occupants, inspect major
energy consuming systems (HVAC, lighting, building controls, office equipment, etc.)
and conduct an analysis of energy bills. In some cases, one time measurements (volts,
amps, temperature, lighting levels, etc.) using handheld devices will be taken to
support specific audit findings. The results of the Level 1 audit are to identify energy
saving opportunities at a high level with estimates of the potential savings, estimated
installed costs, identification of available utility incentives and the simple payback for
each identified measure. Potential energy efficiency measure finding will range from
low-cost/no-cost measures to potential capital improvements for further study.
ASHRAE Level 2 Energy Audit: This level of audit includes the features of the Level I
plus more detailed collection of energy system nameplate data, short term monitoring
and trending of system operations, detailed energy calculations and system modeling,
and lifecycle financial analysis of proposed energy efficiency measures. For projects
that do not require a large capital expenditure, the results of the Level 2 audit are
generally adequate to make a decision to move forward on implementing a measure
and to engage a vendor to provide a proposal to acquire and install the equipment.
Automated Benchmarking Service (ABS): A free web service designed to exchange
energy use data and facility information, with EPA's Portfolio Manager software tool.
Using XML-based Web Services provided by the EPA, third -party energy service
companies can securely provide energy and building data from their systems to
Portfolio Manager in exchange for receiving the EPA's energy performance rating and
other related energy and environmental performance
Benchmark Administrator: The person within the agency that is appointed to be
responsible for overseeing the benchmarking process and having authority to
represent the agency to the utility for the purposes of obtaining the utility billing
information.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (B.O.D.): The amount of dissolved oxygen needed by
aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material
present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period.
BOD is used as a gauge of the effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants.
British Thermal Unit (BTU): a measure of energy. One BTU represents the quantity of
City of Palm Desert 15 September 15, 2015
heat required to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
California Law: AB 1103: Existing law declares that electrical energy is essential to the
health, safety, and welfare of the people and the economy of this state, and it is the
state's policy to promote all feasible means of energy conservation.
Certified Energy Manager (CEM): A professional certification issued by the
Association of Energy Engineers. Professionals become eligible for this certification
after demonstrating expertise in several areas ranging from standards, air quality,
energy audits, lighting, procurement and financing.
Energy Efficiency Measure (EEM): Any type of project or technology implemented to
reduce the consumption of energy in a building without impacting operations.
Energy Star Data Checklist: In order for a building to qualify for the ENERGY STAR, a
Professional Engineer (PE) or a Registered Architect (RA) must validate the accuracy
of the data underlying the building's energy performance rating. This checklist is
designed to provide an at -a -glance summary of a property's physical and operating
characteristics, as well as its total energy consumption, to assist the PE or RA in
double- checking the information that the building owner or operator has entered into
Portfolio Manager.
Energy Star Portfolio Manager: An EPA web -based interactive energy benchmarking
tool that allows users to track and assess energy and water consumption across a
portfolio of buildings in a secure online environment.
Energy Utilization Index (EUI): A measure of the total energy consumed in a building
or facility for a defined period that is expressed kBTU/ftz
Million Gallons per Day (MGD): a rating capacity of wastewater treatment facilities.
Nonresidential Building: "Nonresidential Building" means a building of an occupancy
type A, B, E, 1-1, 1-2, M, R1, S, and type U parking garages, as defined in the California
Building Code, title 24, section 302 et seq. (2007).
Nonresidential building types include but are not limited to:
o Offices - Retail and wholesale stores;
o Restaurants - Theaters
o Schools - Storage facilities
o Commercial garages
o Factories and other industrial buildings
o Churches, and other places of assembly;
o Hospitals and other health care facilities;
Professional Engineer (PE): A registered or licensed engineers in the United States
who is permitted to offer professional services directly to the public.
City of Palm Desert 16 September 15, 2015
Registered Design Professional: An individual who is registered or licensed to practice
his respective design profession as defined by the statutory requirements of the
professional registration laws of the state or jurisdiction in which the project is to be
constructed.
Retro-Commissioning (RCx): The process of tuning -up an existing buildings in order to
ensure proper operation of major equipment, proper indoor air quality, desired
occupant comfort, and optimum energy consumption of existing equipment. Retro-
commissioning is a process that seeks to improve how building equipment and
systems function together. Depending on the age of the building, retro-commission ing
can often resolve problems that occurred during design or construction, or address
problems that have developed throughout the building's life. In all, retro-
commissioning improves a building's operations and maintenance (0&M) procedures
to enhance overall building performance.
Southern California Edison (SCE): Electric service provider in Southern California and a
partner in the Green for Life Program
Statement of Energy Performance (SEP): This document communicates information
about a building's energy performance in a format that is both understandable and
easy- to -use in business transactions. The Statement of Energy Performance can help
you formalize performance expectations to support leasing, building sales, appraisals,
insurance, staff management, and energy/O&M service contracts. The Statement of
Energy Performance, validated by a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect, is a
required component of your building's application for the ENERGY STAR. See Appendix
A for sample copy.
United States Energy Protection Agency (US EPA): An agency of the federal
government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the
environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.
City of Palm Desert 17 September 15, 2015