Monitoring-Based Commissioning for Fifteen Laboratory
Buildings
Karl Brown, California Institute for Energy
and Environment
The University of California (UC), California State University
(CSU), and California Investor-Owned Energy Utilities are collaborating
in an innovative new program to retro-commission campus buildings
and plants with the assistance of permanently installed energy monitoring
equipment and trending capability. This monitoring-based commissioning
(MBCx) effort involves eight plants and forty buildings on twenty-four
campuses, including over fifteen laboratory buildings. The program
is a part of the implementation of the new UC Green Building and
Clean Energy Policy, ongoing CSU energy efficiency efforts, and
the California public-goods funded Energy Efficiency program.
Based on the success of preceding efforts on campuses in California
and other states, the program is designed to identify, diagnose,
and implement previously unrecognized low-cost operational and maintenance
improvements. The program is also demonstrating the potential for
MBCx to identify previously unrecognized cost-effective retrofit
opportunities in campus systems. In addition, the monitoring equipment
will provide enhanced benchmarking capability for campuses, aiding
in overall energy management efforts, design of new facilities,
and campus infrastructure planning.
Campuses nominated a high percentage of laboratory buildings for
the program, reflecting not only the relatively high energy intensity
of these facilities, but also campus staff perception of the potential
for substantial improvement in laboratory facility efficiency through
MBCx.
Labs21 Connection:
Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) employs remote energy metering
and other monitoring capabilities to provide new information about
campus building and central systems performance. This capability
can facilitate the application of diagnostic protocols, identify
previously unrecognized inefficiencies in building and plant system
operations, measure and document energy savings from resulting operational
improvements, and facilitate ongoing re-commissioning of systems
to ensure persistence of savings. The energy system performance
information for MBCx exceeds that provided for direct control of
building systems, and is accompanied by an improved degree of trend
log capability for diagnosing problems and guiding commissioning.
The program also emphasizes training of campus staff in commissioning
techniques including monitoring and diagnostic protocols.
The program is partially based on the energy monitoring capability
installed at the new UC Merced Campus, a Labs21 Pilot Partner. It
reflects the UC Merced and Labs21 approach of establishing goals,
tracking performance, and sharing of results for continuous improvement
in design and operations. It is anticipated that project case studies
will identify MBCx best practices and establish benchmarking that
can form the basis for an expansion of the program to much of the
rest of the 160 million gross square feet of floor area in the two
University systems.
Biography:
Karl Brown is Deputy Director of the California Institute
for Energy and Environment (CIEE), a part of the University of California
Office of the President (UCOP). With twenty years experience in
energy systems, Karl manages research in end-use energy efficiency
and assists with energy planning for University of California facilities.
His recent work has focused on the new Merced campus and on contributions
to the development and implementation of the UC Green Building and
Clean Energy Policy.
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