AFE May/June 2012 : Page 23THE CURRENT STATUS AND TRENDS IN ENERGY-EFFICIENT & SUSTAINABLE FACILITIES indicated an additional chiller was needed. Management challenged the calculations and asked for an energy audit. Th e audit found the chillers were long overdue for rebalancing. Th e rebalancing found that the cross-connection valve controls were incorrectly set, causing a fl ow defi ciency. In turn, this caused the steam chillers to operate well below design values. Rebalancing and correcting provided the necessary cooling at a greatly reduced cost. Th e next design basis hot day confi rmed the suitability of the cooling. Th e energy auditing and corrections yielded a three-month payback period from the more-effi cient opera-tions — demonstrating that investments in energy effi ciency and sustainability can contribute to an organization’s bottom line far sooner than is generally perceived. Unfortunately, the cost savings associated with saving 100 MWh/y is only $15,000 per year (at 0.15$/KWh). This yields a payback period of approximately 44 years at current rates. This long payback period would be substantially reduced only in the event of drastic energy increases, far greater than those predicted by even the most pessimistic energy experts. Holy Wisdom Monastery and Events Center The Holy Wisdom Monastery and Events Center (34,383 square feet) sustainability and energy-efficient features include: ■ High-performance envelope ■ R-30 roof ■ R 2.9 windows ■ Brick exterior ■ High-effi ciency HVAC — Closed-loop ground-source heat pump ■ Minimum-lighting power density — 85 percent daylighted ■ Low-fl ow fi xtures — 1 gal/fl ush and waterless urinals ■ Private well ■ All gypsum, asphalt, steel and glass from recycled material ■ Room-by-room temperature control, operable windows, multi-level dimmable light controls ■ No irrigation ■ Green roof on garage and maintenance building Oak Ridge National Laboratory The Oak Ridge National Laboratory office building of 6,940 square feet was remodeled in 2009 for $660,000. Each room has a packaged heat pump. The remodel installed a 68MWh/y solar array, increased roof insulation (R-6 to R-16), T8 high-efficiency lights on occupancy sensors, a central printer, and low-power-mode systems on the computers. The remodel reduced the annual electrical load from 100 MWh/yr to 65 MWh/y. Hence, the solar array satisfies the load. “ Wit new, more energy-With efficient and sustainable building systems and techniques available every day, it is more important than ever for facilities en-gineers and operations and maintenance professionals to demonstrate the skills, education and training necessary to successfully operate today’s high-tech facilities by becoming AFE Certified. d. —Larry Ross, PE, CPE, CPMM Chair, AFE Professional Development Committee Get AFE Certified! UPCOMING REVIEW COURSES FOR CERTIFICATION YOUR COMPANY >>> AFE certifi cation gives you the strategies and tools to overcome the workplace challenges you face every day. WHY BECOME AFE CERTIFIED? ” FOR YOUR FUTURE EMPLOYER >>> AFE certifi cation on your resume lets prospective Apr. 2012 -Jan. 2013 September 7-9, 2012 CPE employers Virtual Review Arlington, know you’re the kind of person who is VA Course (ongoing) (near Washington, D.C.) motivated to get the job done right! FOR YOURSELF! >>> Nothing beats the pride you feel knowing that you have set yourself apart from the crowd by becoming AFE certifi ed. November 7-9, 2012 AFE Region 8: Waltham, MA (near Boston, MA) September 8-9, 2012 Arlington, VA (near Washington, D.C.) more about Learn More About AFE AFE Certification Certification WWW�e;!&%�e;ORG�f;CERTIlCATIONsCERTIlCATION AFE�e;ORGs�e; �e; at www.AFE.org/certification May | June 2012 ■ Facilities Engineering Journal ■ www.AFE.org 23 Publication List Using a screen reader? Click Here |
