Energy Efficient Buildings | Recommissioning

Recommissioning (RCx) Guide for Building Owners and Managers

Chapter 2 - Investing in Recommissioning

Indirect Benefits (Non Energy Impacts)

The benefits of recommissioning go beyond reduced energy costs. While more difficult to quantify, non-financial benefits should not be overlooked. Even though these benefits may not yield direct monetary paybacks, they can generate associated cost savings. The dollar value of non-energy benefits alone can offset the cost of a project by up to 50%.¹⁵

Increases asset value

Building owners may benefit from higher appraised building values if the property is properly appraised for its operating performance, since equipment that is well-maintained and operates efficiently increases the asset value of the property. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) has estimated that every dollar invested in energy upgrades yields $2 to $3 in increased asset value of a building.¹⁶

Lowering operating and tenancy costs

The benefits of recommissioning can translate into increased profitability for building owners by reducing operating expenses that lead to an increased net operating income and quicker returns on investment. Recommissioning lease properties can also be made more competitive by reducing the operating cost per square meter ($/m²) and lowering tenancy cost.

Improved equipment performance

The recommissioning team assesses whether each piece of equipment is functioning properly, and then investigates the cause of any problem and recommends a solution. For example, if the recommissioning team finds multiple chillers operating unnecessarily at low loads, team members will collect and analyse chilled water system data and recommend changes that ensure chillers cycle on only when needed. The result? Equipment that lasts longer, works more reliably, needs fewer repairs, and uses less energy. Equipment that operates properly also demands less "crisis maintenance" from onsite staff and outside contractors, allowing staff to concentrate on their primary duties.

Increased O&M staff capabilities and expertise

An essential aspect of the recommissioning process is providing training to building staff. Involving staff early allows them to take advantage of the training opportunities that occur throughout the recommissioning process. When staff members increase their understanding of building equipment and troubleshooting skills, they are better able to operate and maintain equipment and respond to occupant requests without circumventing energy-saving strategies. Training may include onsite walk-through with members of the recommissioning team, developing and analysing trend-logging strategies, and classroom-style presentations.

Improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ)

The quality of a building's indoor environment affects the health, comfort and productivity of its occupants. The consequences of a poor indoor environment range from mildly inconvenient to very serious. Building system deficiencies that result in poor temperature control or light quality and level issues can cause an uncomfortable work environment that hinders learning and lowers an organization's productivity. In more severe cases, poor air quality causes headaches, fatigue, or severe allergic reactions. Poor air quality can have many causes, such as moisture and mold in the building envelope, inadequate outside air or poor air circulation, inappropriate control of ventilation air, and poor initial installation or tenant revisions that impact the air distribution system.

Improved building documentation 

Up-to-date building documentation, including operation and maintenance (O&M) manuals, sequences of operation, and system diagrams, is produced through the recommissioning process and is essential to maintaining and troubleshooting equipment. The preventive maintenance plan and a recommissioning plan should describe in detail the human and financial resources that are necessary to maintain the benefits of the recommissioning process for many years.

Percentage Breakdown of Non-Energy Impacts

In an analysis of 36 commissioning project results, more than half of building owners reported benefits that went beyond energy savings. Extended equipment life and improved indoor thermal comfort were the most prevalent. Other recommissioning benefits (in order of decreasing incidence) included improved indoor air quality, first-cost reductions, labour savings, improved productivity/safety, fewer change orders and warranty claims, and liability reduction.  

Figure 3 below displays the percentage breakdown of these non-energy impacts. More than a third of the projects reported that RCx had a positive impact on the equipment life. Where the economic value of these non-energy impacts was quanti-fied, the value of the savings ranged from¹⁷ $1.00 - $4.75/yr/m² with a median value of¹⁸ $1.95/yr/m² ($17,000 of savings per project).¹⁹

____________________________________________

¹⁵ Ibid 13

¹⁶ Thorne, Jennifer and Steven Nadel. "Retrocommissioning: Program Strategies to Capture Energy Savings in Existing Buildings," American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACE), Report Number A035 (June 2003), p. 4.

¹⁷ $0.10 to $0.45/ft²

¹⁸ $0.18/ft²

¹⁹ See the US-EPA Guide related case studies "Symphony Towers" and "Office Buildings" in Appendix G.