How should clients approach an energy efficiency project at the beginning ?
TS : It always helps to have a goal in mind . If a client wants to reduce their energy consumption , do they want to reduce it by 5 % or 50 %? This goal will depend on the facility type and budget the owner has set . If the client doesn ’ t have a well-defined goal , we can help with a Level 2 ASHRAE energy audit . If the goal is already defined , we can do a more detailed energy or decarbonization analysis to help the client further develop their goals and then chart a road map to meet the goal in different phases . We have multiple projects where our scope is to create a road map to reach different client goals . These are goals that the clients have set for themselves to decarbonize , reduce energy use or bring down their operational costs .
What simple , cost-effective steps can owners take to lower their energy consumption ?
TS : If we ’ re talking about an older facility , definitely upgrade to LEDs because they not only decrease electricity consumption for lighting but also reduce the heat produced in a space and therefore reduce the electricity needed for cooling the space . Another good measure is retro-commissioning . Retrocommissioning is crucial to ensure that equipment is doing what it was designed to do and is used efficiently and effectively . Retro-commissioning is excellent for identifying missing pieces or other deficiencies within a system . Something as simple as a broken sensor could be causing a lot of unnecessary energy consumption . This is a straightforward and inexpensive problem to fix , but a client would probably never know about it if they didn ’ t commission the systems in their facility . Because of this , retro-commissioning is something that I advocate that all clients do . On the mechanical side , setting a reasonable and closely monitored schedule that reflects the actual operation of the building can reduce unnecessary energy use . Resetting the temperature of the heating , chiller plant , or even air system can also help reduce energy . This is a measure that the operators can gradually implement to see what the limits are on the existing system . All of these recommendations are relatively simple , low-cost solutions that can save clients ’ money and , at the same time , identify where system deficiencies are . That way , when owners are ready to invest more , they already know where the problems are , and they can fix them right away and get more value .
What effect does increased energy efficiency at client facilities have on the surrounding environment ?
TS : With our infrastructure , most buildings are drawing electricity from the electric grid . If we can make more buildings more energy-efficient , it will have a considerable impact on the grid as more buildings attempt to transition from fossil fuels to electricity for space and domestic hot water heating . The grid has to respond to the overall electric demand ; with less demand , there are fewer greenhouse gas emissions . Energy efficiency , decarbonization and electrification are not zeroone , binary efforts . Every gradual improvement in these areas helps . Even if organizations don ’ t have the funding or the maintenance staff to complete the bigger steps in the process , they can still take those smaller steps that lower their energy consumption . The fact that a client knows they can ’ t complete the full process shouldn ’ t stop them from starting the journey with the smaller feasible steps . As more and more clients begin to do these initial steps to become more efficient , the positive effects start to scale up . It ’ s a win for the individual facility , a win for power suppliers , and a win for the environment .
Why should clients entrust the P2S Energy Team with their projects ?
TS : Clients should trust our energy team because of our expertise and the fact that we ’ ve been providing these services for over three decades . We have a multidisciplinary team of engineers , commissioning agents and construction managers that collaborate on projects and bring added value to clients . We seek technical solutions that are economically viable . We have internationally recognized industry experts currently helping write the guidelines for building decarbonization , energy efficiency and high-performance sequence of operations for buildings . Our experts are at the front lines at ASHRAE , other professional organizations like the Association of Energy Engineers ( AEE ) and even federal government task groups . We have experts who are some of the most respected in their fields , and because of the way P2S is structured , their knowledge spreads throughout the company . We also have a decarbonization task force within P2S , which meets regularly and facilities communication from staff throughout the company . This task force helps us collaborate , share new developments , and bounce ideas off each other .
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Q2 / 2022