When Urban Renaissance Group purchased Tower 333, a 20-story office building in Bellevue, Wash., they knew the aging and inefficient water-booster system needed to be replaced. The original system consisted of three 20-horsepower constant-speed booster pumps operated in a staged sequence, bringing on successive pumps as demand changed. With a commitment to occupant comfort and maintaining the building's energy-efficiency certifications, the company knew they had to find a replacement for the aging water-booster system that would save energy and improve performance.
Strategic Energy Management (SEM) is a holistic approach to energy management that achieves deep and persistent energy and cost savings in Commercial and Industrial facilities. This guide provides a high-level overview of key activities and milestones that would be achieved during the first years of SEM implementation at your facility. Contact your utility energy efficiency program representative for specific information about tools and financial incentives they offer to support SEM adoption.
These print-ready cards provide key learning points and discussion topics on energy efficiency to engage your team in discussions on a variety of SEM tools, approaches and methods. The Commercial Energy Talk Cards will help you increase participation and reinforce energy efficiency practices for key systems in your commercial facility.
Watch these online Strategic Energy Management courses to receive the tools and know-how to identify and implement energy-saving opportunities.
Originally built as a warehouse in 1943, the 11 Main Building in Portland, Oregon, was converted into an office space in 2014. Though its existing HVAC system was functional, its deficiencies created an uncomfortable indoor environment with occasionally poor indoor air quality. Learn how Energy 350 upgraded their HVAC using the very high efficiency DOAS approach to improve their comfort and air quality while saving energy and money.
In commercial buildings across the U.S., outdated or inefficient HVAC systems waste a staggering amount of energy and money, while also creating unhealthy and uncomfortable indoor environments. However, research and field studies have proven there’s an optimal approach to HVAC design that can significantly improve indoor air quality and occupant health, comfort and productivity, while maximizing energy-cost savings. Learn how this optimized, high-performance approach to HVAC combines high-efficiency equipment with design best practices to make widespread commercial HVAC deficiencies a thing of the past.
Very high efficiency dedicated outside air systems (very high efficiency DOAS) pair the highest performance HVAC equipment with key design principles to provide cleaner and safer indoor air, enhance indoor comfort, and reduce commercial building HVAC energy use. This approach has been demonstrated to reduce HVAC energy use by an average of 69% when compared to a code-minimum version of the existing equipment (often a packaged rooftop unit).
For building owners and operators everywhere, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the importance of enhancing indoor air quality through better approaches to commercial HVAC and natural ventilation. A recent study conducted by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), Red Car Analytics (RCA) and the University of Oregon (UO) proves how crucial ventilation is to reducing the spread of dangerous particles.
Although the full impact of pumps in our society sometimes falls under the radar, what hasn’t gone unnoticed is energy efficiency and sustainability. When it comes to whole-building energy efficiency and sustainability, pumps are front and center and play a critical role in helping facilities reach these goals.
While utilities often provide incentives for selecting efficient large motors, NEEA's Extended Motor Products (XMP) program take this one step further: It focuses on pumps and circulators under 50 horsepower used in many commercial and industrial applications. Hydraulic Institute talked to Warren Fish, the XMP program manager, about NEEA's focus on smaller pumps and how the program works.
The Hydraulic Institute (HI) has announced the development and implementation of a certification program for Pump Systems Assessment Professionals (PSAP). This program sets the standard for the discipline of pump systems assessment and the use of pump system optimization techniques. Certification will provide a high level of confidence to end-users and other stakeholders that pump system assessors have the experience and expertise to perform high quality assessments which will lead to more energy efficient and reliable pumping systems.
Smart Domestic Hot Water (DHW) Circulation Pumps use high efficiency variable speed motors and integrated controls to reduce the amount of energy used to circulate hot water in a commercial building. They are easy to install and have programmable controls to automatically adjust flow in response to hot water demand. They can be used in new construction or to replace existing circulation pumps. Learn where smart pumps offer the best opportunity for savings with this fact sheet.
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