Successfully Implementing Energy Efficiency Projects

Abstract

Some building owners find that implementing energy efficiency
projects may not provide the anticipated energy savings. Why do en-
ergy conservation measures (ECMs) sometimes fail to deliver the ex-
pected energy savings? This is often due to a predictable set of causes.
Some owners rely on contractors, who are proficient in installing tech-
nologies, but not necessarily expert at configuring their new equipment
to maximize energy savings. When contractors are not provided with a
detailed scope of work written by the energy engineer who uncovered
the energy savings opportunity, critical knowledge can be lost, and the
improvements may not perform as intended. It is important to employ
third party commissioning agents who are versed in energy efficiency,
to ensure that the new technologies are performing as specified. For the
ECMs to be successful in meeting their objectives, the facilities manage-
ment staff must accept the new technologies. They need to understand
how the improvements reduce energy use, how to maintain the new
equipment, and how to troubleshoot problems when they occur. These
potential problems are avoidable. This article details specific method-
ologies (e.g., commissioning, measurement and verification and train-
ing) that ensure your energy efficiency improvements will perform as
intended.