Optimize Energy Use

by the WBDG Sustainable Committee

Last updated: 10-13-2008

Overview

On an annual basis, buildings in the United States consume 39% of America's energy and 68% of its electricity. Furthermore, buildings generate 38% of the carbon dioxide (the primary greenhouse gas associated with climate change), 49% of the sulfur dioxide, and 25% of the nitrogen oxides found in the air. Currently, the vast majority of this energy is produced from nonrenewable, fossil fuel resources. With America's supply of fossil fuel dwindling, concerns for energy supply security increasing (both for general supply and specific needs of facilities), and the impact of greenhouse gases on world climate rising, it is essential to find ways to reduce load, increase efficiency, and utilize renewable fuel resources in federal facilities.

During the facility design and development process, building projects must have a comprehensive, integrated perspective that seeks to:

• Reduce heating, cooling, and lighting loads through climate-responsive design and conservation practices;
• Employ renewable energy sources such as daylighting, passive solar heating, photovoltaics, and geothermal;
• Specify efficient HVAC and lighting systems that consider part-load conditions and utility interface requirements;
• Optimize building performance by employing energy modeling programs and optimize system control strategies by using occupancy sensors and air quality alarms; and
• Monitor project performance through a policy of commissioning, metering, and annual reporting.

Recommendations

Reduce Heating, Cooling, and Lighting Loads through Climate-Responsive Design and Conservation Practices

• Use passive solar design; orient, size, and specify windows; and locate landscape elements with solar geometry and building load requirements in mind.
• Use high-performance building envelopes; select walls, roofs, and other assemblies based on long-term, insulation, and durability requirements.

Employ Renewable or High-Efficiency Energy Sources

• Renewable energy sources include solar water heating, photovoltaic (PV), wind, biomass, geothermal, use of renewable energy can increase energy security and reduce dependence on imported fuels, while reducing or eliminating greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use.
• Evaluate the use of building scale, on-site renewable energy technologies such as daylighting, solar water heating, and geothermal heat pumps.
• Consider the use of larger scale, on-site renewable energy technologies such as photovoltaics, solar thermal, and wind turbines.
• Evaluate purchasing electricity generated from renewable sources or low polluting sources such as natural gas.

Specify Efficient HVAC and Lighting Systems

• Use energy efficient HVAC equipment and systems that meet or exceed 10 CFR 434. For Department of Defense facilities, refer to the standards within UFC 3-400-01, Design for Energy Conservation.
• Use lighting systems that consume less than 1 watt/square foot for ambient lighting.
• Use Energy Star® approved products or products that meet or exceed Department of Energy standards.
• Evaluate energy recovery systems that pre-heat or pre-cool, in-coming ventilation air in commercial and institutional buildings.
• Investigate the use of integrated generation and delivery systems, such as co-generation, fuel cells, and off-peak thermal storage. See also WBDG Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Microturbines.

Optimize Building Performance and System Control Strategies

• Employ energy modeling programs early in the design process.
• Use sensors to control loads based on occupancy, schedule and/or the availability of natural resources such as daylight or natural ventilation.
• Evaluate the use of modular components such as boilers or chillers to optimize part-load efficiency and maintenance requirements.
• Evaluate the use of Smart Controls that merge building automation systems with information technology (IT) infrastructures.

Monitor Project Performance

• Use a comprehensive, building commissioning plan throughout the life of the project.
• Use metering to confirm building energy and environmental performance through the life of the project.
• See also WBDG Facility Performance Evaluation.

Sustainability and Energy Security

Increased security of energy supply and distribution systems have become an important component of national security after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Today, power generation is still mostly handled by massive centralized plants, which are inevitable targets, and electricity moves on vulnerable lines. Measures to minimize energy consumption can contribute to increased energy security directly and indirectly. For example, energy conservation and efficiency results in using less energy to do the same tasks. In addition, obtaining more energy from sources that are inherently invulnerable because they are dispersed, diverse, and increasingly renewable (see WBDG Distributed Energy Resources, Fuel Cell Technology, Microturbines, Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), Daylighting, Passive Solar Heating) is an essential part of a comprehensive energy security strategy.

Emerging Issues

Passive survivability, which is described as the ability of a facility to provide shelter and basic occupant needs during and after disaster events without electric power is becoming a design strategy to consider, particularly in areas of the country where storms and floods have been reoccurring annually or more often. Incorporate facility survivability concepts in the design of critical facilities, including on-site renewable energy sources that will be available to power the building soon after a major storm passes.

Relevant Codes and Standards

• Energy Codes and Standards
• Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA 2007) (PDF 738 KB, 310 pgs).
• Energy Policy Act of 2005 (PDF 1.9 MB, 550 pgs)
• Executive Order 13423, "Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management"
• Executive Order 13221, "Energy Efficient Standby Power Devices"
• U.S. General Services Administration:
• P100 Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service, 2005

Major Resources

WBDG

Building / Space Types

Applicable to most building types and space types, especially high energy users such as Health Care Facilities, Hospital, Research Facilities, Automated Data Processing: Mainframe, Automated Data Processing: PC System, Laboratory: Dry, Laboratory: Wet

Design Objectives

Aesthetics—Engage the Integrated Design Process, Cost-Effective, Functional / Operational, Historic Preservation—Update Building Systems Appropriately, Productive, Secure / Safe, Sustainable—Optimize Site Potential, , Sustainable—Protect and Conserve Water, Sustainable—Use Environmentally Preferable Products, Sustainable—Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality, Sustainable—Optimize Operational and Maintenance Practices

Products and Systems

Section 23 28 13: Commercial—Kitchen Hoods, Section 23 31 00: HVAC Ducts and Casings, Section 23 05 93: Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing for HVAC, Building Envelope Design Guide—Sustainability of the Building Envelope
Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers:

• 01 91 00 (01810) Commissioning
• 03 30 00 (03300) Cast-In-Place Concrete
• 03 40 00 (03400) Precast Concrete
• 04 20 00 (04200) Unit Masonry
• 07 20 00 (07200) Thermal Protection
• 07 30 00 (07300) Steep Slope Roofing
• 07 50 00 (07500) Membrane Roofing
• 07 92 00 (07900) Joint Sealants
• 08 14 00 (08210) Wood Doors
• 08 50 00 (08500) Windows
• 11 13 00 (11160) Loading Dock Equipment
• 11 30 00 (11450) Residential Equipment
• 11 28 00 (11680) Office Equipment
• 12 10 00 (12100) Art
• 48 14 00 (13600) Solar Energy Electrical Power Generation Equipment
• 48 15 00 (13600) Wind Energy Electrical Power Generation Equipment
• 48 30 00 (13600) Biomass Energy Electrical Power Generation Equipment
• 14 20 00 (14200) Elevators
• 23 70 00 (15700) Central HVAC Equipment
• 23 30 00 (15800) HVAC Air Distribution
• 26 50 00 (16500) Lighting

Project Management

Project Planning and Development, Building Commissioning

Tools

LEED® Version 2.1 Credit / WBDG Resource Page Matrix, LEED®-DoD Antiterrorism Standards Tool. See also Tools: Energy Analysis.

Minimize Energy Consumption

• Energy Design Resources
• Energy Star®, EPA
• Energy Star® for New Building Design
• Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), DOE
• High—Performance Buildings, U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Program
• WBDG case studies: Center for Neighborhood Technology; EPA New England Regional Laboratory; NAVFAC Building 33

Employ Renewable or High-Efficiency Energy Sources

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
• Photovoltaics Program, Sandia National Laboratory
• Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) and CREST (Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology)

Specify Efficient HVAC and Lighting Systems

• 10 CFR 434 Subpart A
• ASHRAE 90.1
• FEMP Buying Energy Efficient Products
• Lighting Research Center

Optimize Building Performance and System Control Strategies

• WBDG: Productive, Functional / Operational—Ensure Appropriate Product/Systems Integration, Functional / Operational—Meet Performance Objectives
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), OE/EE-0157: International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP)

Others

• FedCenter.gov—FedCenter, the Federal Facilities Environmental Stewardship and Compliance Assistance Center, is a collaborative effort between the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, and the U.S. EPA Federal Facilities Enforcement Office. FedCenter replaces the previous FedSite as a one-stop source of environmental stewardship and compliance assistance information focused solely on the needs of federal government facilities.
• Executive Order 13423 Technical Guidance
• GSA LEED® Applications Guide
• GSA LEED® Cost Study