One project that stands out from a few years ago is Christ Cathedral ( formerly the Crystal Cathedral ). This is a multistory 79,010-square foot glass-enclosed building in Garden Grove , CA . This iconic center for worship underwent a twoyear renovation to improve the building systems ’ efficiency and occupant comfort . The renovation included new state-ofthe-art , high-efficiency MEP systems and communication , audio / visual , and acoustic systems . With more than 11,000 panes of glass , new aesthetic building enclosure assemblies ( quatrefoils ) were installed at varying angles to allow natural daylight to illuminate the cathedral while reducing the heat from solar radiation to the entire worship area . With additional equipment , replaced equipment , and maintaining an existing central plant for optimal efficiency , fine-tuning the MEP system operations and controls for this renovated space was critical to meet current California Title 24 Energy Standards .
What competitive advantages does P2S Cx leverage when delivering this service ?
P2S is future-focused , and that means sustainability and energy efficiency are central focuses . Our Cx team enjoys analyzing complex problems to understand the systems , the controls logic , the impacts on end-users , and how to approach possible efficiency solutions for long-term gains . By reviewing all available information for an existing building and understanding the Owner ’ s Project Requirements , we can provide an analysis of existing performance metrics and a life cycle cost analysis to determine what equipment should be re-tuned or replaced . Our experience from prior design and commissioning projects combined with our vast array of project types allows us to pull from our team ’ s collective knowledge to meet customer needs and guide clients on cost-effective and energy-efficient improvements .
VINA NGUYEN Commissioning Agent
RETRO-COMMISSIONING What exactly is this service ?
Retro-commissioning improves efficiency and lowers costs by decreasing energy demands at existing buildings that have not undergone any commissioning before . Systems at existing buildings can run and perform at a higher level for a longer time after the RCx process . Rather than installing new systems , RCx can find ways to improve the operation of existing systems to make them more efficient .
What ’ s one notable project that used this service ? Can you briefly describe the project ?
We help a lot of clients with energy audits and RCx . I can think of some projects at Northrop Grumman , and we ’ re currently working on an RCx project for San Bernardino Valley College . But one that stands out is one we started this year at Kindeva Drug Delivery ’ s Northridge location .
Kindeva is a medical device manufacturer ; they make inhalers , transdermal instruments , and injectables . After an energy audit , we ’ re doing retro-commissioning for two buildings on the campus . Building 9 and 12 are 22,000 SF and 36,000 SF buildings that haven ’ t undergone commissioning before and need to comply with LA requirements for an audit . We ’ re working with staff and evaluating the control sequence of operations and the mechanical and electrical systems . The goal is to provide Kindeva with a report that has all the deficiencies that need correcting so they can take action .
What competitive advantages does P2S Cx leverage when delivering this service ?
Energy conservation and efficiency are guiding principles at P2S , and we get to really dive deep to wring out efficiency gains from older systems during the retro Cx process . Our team uses their knowledge and experience from prior Cx and design work to help find an accurate baseline for current energy consumption and then use that to develop the best strategy for energy savings and calculate the precise savings that would result . For clients who want to get the best performance from their building without major renovations , retro-commissioning with P2S is the most costeffective solution .
6 P2S EXTERNAL MAGAZINE WINTER 2024