Common Opportunities Identified

The most common energy saving measures or opportunities are:

1. Adjust and reset temperature settings – Settings are often adjusted over time based on personal preferences, to compensate for inadequate system operation, or to achieve energy savings. In addition, sensors require periodic recalibration.
2. Staging or sequencing of boilers, chillers, and air handling units – Equipment such as chillers, boilers and fans, should be operated in the most efficient combination and at varying load conditions.
3. Adjust and repair dampers and economizers – Malfunctioning or poorly tuned dampers (including seals, actuators, and linkages) and economizers result in:
   1. increased supply air fan energy in the closed position or additional air heating and cooling when open too much;
   2. undesired building operating conditions due to lack of outside air;
   3. premature equipment degradation and replacement.
4. Modify control strategies for standard hours of operation – Motors, pumps, fans, and air handlers often operate on a 24/7 schedule even though not required by either the building tenants or the building operating plan.
5. Eliminate simultaneous heating and cooling – Heating and cooling systems for the same space can compete against each other due to improper temperature setpoints.
6. Air and water distribution balancing and adjustments – Systems require rebalancing due to drift changing building or workspace usage and/or tenant requirements.
7. Verify controls and control sequencing including enabling and re-enabling automatic controls for temperature setpoints, weekends, and holidays. Verify that overrides are released.