The Human Side of RCx

Abstract

Optimizing facility energy use requires more than technical so-
lutions to bring about and maintain change. The human component
of a building energy system not only affects on-going performance,
but can confound retro-commissioning (RCx) efforts if people are not
recognized as part of the energy system and included as part of the
operational solution. My colleagues and I have observed several human
challenges to RCx efforts that repeat: a building’s many stakeholders
often have competing motivations for their actions, they are working
with incomplete information, they communicate less than perfectly, and
they do not have routine procedures in place to retain savings. We have
utilized people processes to address these issues—establishing a broad
spectrum team, discussing objectives and priorities, building relation-
ships, facilitating communications, and assisting with the establishment
of new behaviors. The underlying issues, coupled with constructive
responses, will be discussed drawing on public sector RCx efforts. Field
experiences will be sprinkled in with generalized observations concern-
ing the human side of the physical-mechanical-human system.