Business Energy January/February 2016

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Energy GENERATION | EFFICIENCY | TECHNOLOGY

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Innovations & Insights

Military: Aesthetics & Energy Efficiency Lighting Controls Win-Wins With Interns

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Business

Energy GENERATION | EFFICIENCY | TECHNOLOGY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | VOLUME 14, NO. 1

Features

LIGHTING pg 31

10 Aesthetics and Energy Efficiency The new Martin Army Community Hospital of Fort Benning, Georgia

By Barbara Hesselgrave 31 When Are Lighting Controls Cost Effective?

An expert with more than 27 years in lighting shares some practical knowledge.

By Stan Walerczyk 36 Win-Wins With Interns Internship program examples, their value, and their role in employee recruitment

By Carol Brzozowski Departments Editor’s Comments 8 Guest Commentary: Cogen at the Ronald McDonald House 41 Project Profile: Ohio Recreational Center Boosts ts Bottom Line With CHP 44 Continued on page 6

pg 52

HUMAN RESOURCE pg 36

EFFICIENCY pg 10

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 | VOLUME 14, NO. 1

Departments continued from page 4 Guest Commentary: Combined Heat and Power 46 Guest Commentary: Beyond Reporting to Energy Intelligence 49 Guest Commentary: Maximizing Energy Savings 52 Guest Commentary: Can Your Window Do This? 54 Products & Services Directory 56 Spotlight 57 Advertiser’s Index 57 Reader Profile 58 Supplement Dream Big, Think Small 21 HVAC Innovations and Insights 22

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BUSINESS ENERGY (ISSN 1546-9751 [print], ISSN 1546-976X [online]) is published seven times a year: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sep/Oct, and Nov/Dec by Forester Media Inc., 2946 De La Vina Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, 805-682-1300, fax: 805-682-0200, e-mail: publisher@forester.net, Web: www.foresternetwork.com. Periodical Postage at Santa Barbara, CA, and additional mailing offices. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Publisher. Entire contents Š2016 by Forester Media Inc. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to BUSINESS ENERGY, 440 Quadrangle Drive Ste E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Changes of address can be completed online at www.cdsreportnow.com/renew/now?bem or mailed to 440 Quadrangle Drive Ste E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440; please provide your mailing label or old address in addition to new address. Include zip code or postal code. Allow two months for change. Editorial contributions are welcome. All material must be accompanied by stamped return envelopes and will be handled with reasonable care. However, publishers assume no responsibility for safety of artwork, photographs, or manuscripts. Every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy, but the publishers cannot accept responsibility for the correctness or accuracy of information supplied herein or for any opinion expressed. Subscription Rates: seven issues of BUSINESS ENERGY are $76 per year in US ($95 in Canada, $160 elsewhere). Send the completed subscription card with a check to BUSINESS ENERGY, 440 Quadrangle Drive Ste E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Reprints: All editorial material in BUSINESS ENERGY is available for reprints. Call 805-679-7604 or e-mail reprints@forester.net for additional information. List Rentals: 1-800-529-9020 ext. 5003, dfoster@inforefinery.com. Back issues may be ordered (depending on available inventory) for $15 per copy in US ($20 in Canada, $35 elsewhere). Send written requests for back issues along with check or money order in US funds payable to BUSINESS ENERGY, PO Box 3100, Santa Barbara, CA 93130, USA. Provide address for where the copies should be shipped. Allow six weeks for delivery.

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EDITOR’S COMMENTS John Trotti

The Infrastructure Hotseat

O

ne very clear and well-understood energy policy in the US needs no iteration by politicians or translation by news speakers, lawyers, or academicians. In truth it is not verbal; rather, it is the simple understanding that when you flip the switch, you and everyone else in the country expect the lights to come on. That such a complex organism has evolved in so short a time—it still boggles my mind to think that the electrification age is barely more than a century old—is without precedent in human history, yet most of us cannot even conceive of life without electricity, and in fact you have to wonder just how many of us would inhabit the planet if it did not exist . . . a sobering thought when it comes to determining just what level of effort we ought to put forth in maintaining and improving the system.

Yes, what has evolved is truly amazing—miraculous, you might say—but even so I wonder if we called a timeout to reconsider how we generate and deliver electricity, whether we would take the same approach. Perhaps we wouldn’t, but we have neither the luxury nor the wherewithal to go about reinventing things. Nor are we any more imbued with 20/20 foresight than were our predecessors, so it’s better that we look for ways to augment and improve what we have in order to meet new demands and challenges as they unfold.

As many of you will remember Business Energy began life as Distributed Energy, the Journal for Onsite Power Solutions, not because distributed energy is the be-all, end-all answer to the myriad challenges our nation faces, but because it offers options for dealing with some of them—and I cannot conceive of any advantage in not having as many options as possible. This is especially true for those responsible for meeting the demanding challenges brought about by the ever-changing, ever-increasing, ever-more demanding need for reasonably priced, economically stable, secure, reliable, high-quality electrical energy. If this vision was true in 2002, it is no less so today.

Questioning the Centralized Approach It seems like only yesterday our nation found itself reeling in the wake of well-planned, organized, and coordinated terrorist attacks designed to inflict the maximum number of human casualties and capture the undivided attention of the entire world. While we were indeed fortunate that the casualty figures from the strikes fell short of their potential, there is no doubt that the terrorists achieved their overall political aims. Moreover, these attacks lay bare the vulnerability of much of our critical infrastructure . . . none more vulnerable and at risk to a variety of threats than our electrical-generating and transmission systems. Now, years after digesting the lessons of those attacks—other than laying down barbed wire and posting guards to protect strategic facilities—we seem no closer to coming to grips

with many of the risks than we were in the wake of 9/11.

I shudder when I hear that our federal government is sitting down to solve a major problem, but nothing shivers my timbers faster than when the subject is so redolent with vested interests as energy. The waves of outrage, fear, and incipient panic brought about by grid failure barely begins to subside before nearly everyone in the nation with a soapbox and an audience is demanding an answer to what had happened and a government plan to deal with it . . . as if the “what” mattered.

The “what” as is brought forcefully to our attention with all too much regularity is rarely something that can be anticipated, or else it would have been studied nearly to death and then banished to oblivion by the application of a new and foolproof Band-Aid, guaranteeing “this will never again happen.” And what’s wrong with this? Probably nothing is unless the Band-Aid itself is a disaster. The real danger, it seems to me, lies in devising patches that increase rather than decrease the centralization of our electrical-generating and transmission systems.

Changing the Equation Following bouts of what were dubbed “rolling blackouts,” California —under the leadership of the California Energy Commission— began to actively promote the development of distributed energy resources, an approach that is heartening to those who see in distributed energy its potential for taking pressure off the grid while providing reliable, high-quality, environmentally superior electrical energy at cost-competitive rates. Frequent blackouts add even greater impetus to the search for solutions and the recognition that we are engaged in what amounts to a war against implacable foes, only some of whom are known.

Carl von Clausewitz, the father of modern military theory, coined the term “friction” to describe the ever-widening gap between plans and reality. To him and his disciples, the first and most important principle in planning is to prepare for the worst. No general was ever condemned for winning a war by having more resources available to him than actually used. Most of us know intuitively that assigning resources on the basis of expected requirements is prescription for disaster, partly because, as experience teaches us, few things come in on time or within budget, but more because nearly all situations take on lives of their own that tend to invalidate expectations right from the start.

To me, this vision as a prescription for action is the strongest argument for the need to encourage the development and implementation of distributed energy resources. Distributed energy resources are not a panacea that can solve all our power problems, but its contribution to the effort cannot and should not be underestimated. It is Business Energy’s mission to promote this vision, and with your help and support we’re going to accomplish it. BE

Editorial Advisory Board David Baldwin

J. Michael Edwards

Jim Moxley

David Van Holde

Michael Zimmer

President

Principal

Aquarian Technology Systems Lexington, OH

Power Recruiting Group Houston, TX

Assistant Vice President of Facility Management

Healthsouth Corp.

Birmingham, AL

Senior Engineer & Project Manager SBW Consulting Inc. Seattle, WA

Executive in Residence & Senior Fellow Ohio University Athens, OH

Jeff Dummermuth

Justin Fortmeyer, P.E.

Director, Energy and Engineering Big Lots Stores Inc. Columbus, OH

Project Manager Patton Air Conditioning Fresno, CA

James W. “JT” Thielman, CFE

Barry Worthington

Director of Operations–SMG SeaGate Convention Centre/ Huntington Center Arena Toledo, OH

Executive Director, US Energy Association Washington DC

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AECOM

EFFICIENCY

Aesthetics

and Energy Efficiency

THE NEW MARTIN ARMY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL OF FORT BENNING, GEORGIA

N

BY BARBARA HESSELGRAVE

early a century ago, legislation enacted

by President Woodrow Wilson founded a basic training facility for American soldiers preparing for World War I. Named Camp Benning, the post was located just outside the capital city of Columbus, GA. Following the Armistice, the post was renamed Fort Benning in 1922. But this was just the first step toward a number of changes that transformed the facility from an Infantry training school to an installation that included several outdoor and indoor recreational facilities. The biggest change however, was spurred by military concern that the disastrous casualty rate of the Great War—believed to be a result of

inadequate training—must never be repeated, which led to Lt. Col George C. Marshall initiating a significant overhaul to military training and education in the late 1920s, later known as the “Benning Revolution.”

Over the next several decades, Fort Benning evolved from a basic training facility to become the home for armor and paratrooper training, and consolidated the programs from other training facilities to create what is today a post that is a mediumsize city. Yet by 2009, this growing city supporting a population of over 110,000 people comprised of soldiers, their families, civilians, retirees, and others was in desperate need of a new hospital.

Plagued by inadequate water supply, failing air conditioning, power outages, and plumbing nightmares, the old hospital was

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clearly on its last legs, and even those were shaky at best.

“We were in a 60-year-old facility that was being held together with duct tape and baling wire,” says Tim West, electrical engineer at the new Martin Army Community Hospital (MACH), Facilities Maintenance Branch. West explains it was not a matter of fixing the old but starting from scratch to create a new, energy efficient facility that he says “provides services to three states—Georgia, Alabama, and Florida—with an eligible beneficiary population of nearly 83,000.”

West says that the process of building any military facility is initiated through the US Army Corps of Engineers, under the auspices of the Department of Defense (DoD) where he and colleague Darrel Maples, the Corps HVAC guru who handled the mechanical engineering aspects, first began working on the project. Both West and Maples later transitioned from the Corps to helm the new hospital’s facilities management maintenance Branch.

The primary objectives were to bring the post’s healthcare into the 21st century, both clinically and structurally, which became the task of a huge team of contractors, engineers, architects, and interior designers who met—and in fact exceeded—the stringent requirements of the first-ever design/ build hospital developed by the DoD. A Natural Healing Environment With today’s hospital health delivery evolving toward fewer

and shorter in-patient stays, the facility reduced its bed size from the previous 100-beds to 84-beds, but Maples says there still are more than 30 outpatient specialty clinics that take up 300,000 square feet, which is just a bit less than half of the total MACH footprint of 750,000 square feet.

Even from the outside, the new hospital, named after the late Major General Joseph I. Martin, imparts a sense of serenity and peacefulness. Built on a 50-acre parcel and surrounded by a natural wooded environment, the hospital’s main structure includes two clinic wings with a connecting bridge at one end in an open rectangle shape. In between these two wings the structures are joined visually with a lush landscaped area complete with trees, shrubs, flowers, and a serpentine waterway that traverses its length, terminating in a series of small falls and a pond. Outpatients and visitors can walk, sit and relax on these grounds. These clinic wings attach to the hospital through a Grand Concourse that is the main entrance to the facility.

From a distance the overall appearance blends nature with function. “Our concept was to build into the natural slope of the site, and thereby minimize the size and height of the buildings,” says Maples. “There’s a terraced feel, with lots of levels and differing roof levels,” which he says are enhanced by roof gardens.

“Three of these roof gardens are on different levels and they are installed to basically reduce the heat island effect and

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EFFICIENCY

Energy Efficiency From the Ground Up Kim E. Shinn, PE, LEED Fellow, CxA, BEMP, Principal and Senior Sustainability Wizard at TLC Engineering for Architecture, comments on his role with the Turner Construction side of the project. Since they were pursuing LEED from the project outset, he says they were able to “program” in many credits within the budget and actually achieved LEED Gold certification.” Current Federal regulations prohibit spending additional monies above what is budgeted for anything higher than Silver level certification. He adds the project was awarded LEED Gold in August 2015.

Shinn explains that the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2009, requires that “Federal facilities must be built to use 30% less energy, than if that building was designed and built to the minimum requirements of the national building energy code,” which he says was ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 at the time of their contract award.

Nonetheless, Shinn says they exceeded that 30% threshold and were able to reach an estimated 40% of energy reduction against the EISA benchmarks.

This would be challenging for any garden-variety project, but especially so for hospitals as their energy use profile is significantly different from office or residential.

MACH fountain, elevator tower

AECOM

reflect solar energy. Where we don’t have those we have TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) membrane,” he says.

“Everything was chosen for low maintenance and maximum efficiency, while all our colors and surfaces were selected to enhance the healing environment,” which he says includes the interior aesthetics and all the artwork which was chosen for a “waterbased theme.”

However, the largest and signature piece of artwork is a massive commissioned wall art that acts as the focal point for their fourstory atrium. This modernist installation features a representation of a jump tower augmented by small, colored, semi-globe structures attached by wires from the ceiling that echo the parachutes of the servicemen undergoing paratrooper training at the renowned Fort Benning “jump school.”

From the full-scale design down to the smallest interior fitting details, every aspect of the project was chosen and installed toward optimizing the energy efficiency of the building and its systems, all toward the goal of achieving LEED Silver Certification.

In fact, West says that the Army now requires all their building projects must meet LEED silver objectives.

“The hours of operation are essentially 24/7/365, and are dominated by the internal energy consumption such as high air-flow rates for clinical spaces, medical equipment, lights, the occupants; all this is fairly constant year-round and not influenced by climate,” says Shinn.

In fact, they discovered unexpectedly how climate can affect major energy decisions. In the pre-proposal modeling stages he says they learned the code minimum insulation values were very good; so good in fact, that by adding extremely high wall insulation to the walls and roof they saw it would actually cause an increase in energy costs.

“The heat generated by high internal loads of the lights and equipment was being held in during Georgia’s relatively mild spring and fall, causing the air-conditioning energy to increase.”

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AECOM

What they did Grand Concourse learn was that the most important element of the architecture with respect to energy consumption turned out to be not the walls and roofs, but windows and curtain wall. Most of the highest performing energy conservation measures, Shinn says, “turned out to be control-related; that is, being able to reduce lighting, temperature settings and air ows during times when spaces were unoccupied, which cost the project very little.â€?

Maples adds that they selected walls constructed of pre-cast concrete which were conveniently available from a manufacturer right outside of Atlanta; a bonus, since buying local “within 500 miles� is another LEED credit. He describes the precast as having an insulated board sandwiched between the outside which is a smooth, sandstone appearing surface,

and the inside concrete which was to receive interior surfaces and would not show.

Heating, Cooling, and Critical Backup Power Maples says that the RFP stipulated steam as the source of heat energy from the central plant but that the contractor proposed a “value engineering change that instead proposed hot water.�

He says hot water has fewer maintenance problems and steam, it was pointed out, can be costly in the long run with leaks, steam traps and requires constant vigilance “from full-time maintenance people to make sure you have a tight system.� The hospital now runs on the three heating hot water boilers, rated at 400 boiler hp each.

Still, there was a role for steam and while hot water serves most of their needs, Maples says that two small steam boilers,

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EFFICIENCY

MACH waterfall

AECOM

rated at 100 boiler hp each, are in use to create plant steam for humidification, high level disinfection for washers, sterilizers, the kitchen, and for the loading dock.

The Central Utility Plant supplies all of the hospital utilities in an innovative fashion, as Maples explains. “We have a utility trench coming into the hospital, and all the utilities, heating, domestic, natural gas, chilled water, fire protection—all of those are fed from the detached central plant, and they come through this trench to a mechanical room and distributed through a set of risers.

“What was unique about our project was that a lot of hospital interstitial space, that is the space above the finished ceiling where you typically run a lot of utilities, always presents access and maintenance issues.

You’re always having to pull ceilings apart, or get into patient or clinic rooms causing downtime and inconvenience. So what we said was, ‘let’s take a whole floor and consolidate that space, and have a whole 16-foot height and dedicate a complete floor to all of our systems.’ So they picked a floor, and now it all goes through huge chases that go up and down, and the maintenance people love it because they can easily get to everything.”

Having enough backup power is also critical, and West says that the Army mandates they have enough power to run 100% of the designed load for a minimum of four days in the case of a utility failure.

“We installed three emergency diesel engine generators each rated for 1,750 kilowatts to meet the facility emergency load demands and ensure that the hospital can run ‘business as usual’ across each of the three branches of the emergency power system, which include the life safety systems, critical patient care systems, and the critical equipment loads.”

In addition, West explains that the emergency power system was designed to allow for adequate future growth as additional emergency load requirements are introduced within the new facility through new equipment purchases and renovations over the coming years.

The equipment branch includes air handling equipment, mechanical equipment, and “anywhere there are pumps, fans, and motors, these must be provided with power. You have to maintain an environment of care anywhere there’s patient care in the hospital, and if you have a utility failure, you have to provide enough power to keep it operational.”

West says the diesel backups provide 5.25-MW emergency service power, “So it’s really a small power plant on its own,” which he says is supplied by two, 25,000-gallon underground diesel fuel tanks that are double walled and encased in leak protection systems.

And just for perspective, West cites 1 MW as equivalent to one million watts of energy, so the hospitals’ standby emergency power system is capable of supplying more than five million watts of backup power, which would be enough electrical energy to simultaneously operate more than 160,000 32-W T8 fluorescent lightbulbs.

“But really, we’re almost never operating at 100% of the capacity of the emergency power system, so we could supply emergency power a lot longer than the four required days should that ever happen,” he adds.

Spending More to Stay Cool for Less The cooling capacity for the nearly 750,000-square-foot facility is provided from “three large 1,200-ton centrifugal chillers with matching cooling towers about 45 feet high,” says Maples.

The hospital uses condensate recovery from air handlers

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Hospital Building RFP 101 Alan Bugg, Area Engineer, Savannah District of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), explains how the chain of decision making for Army and Air Force hospital construction works.

“We [USACE] are the construction manager for all major Army and Air Force construction. In the case of Army hospitals, we work with the Health Facility Planning Agency [HFPA] who is responsible for the overall planning and construction of all Army health facilities.”

The HFPA is part of the US Army Medical Corps (MEDCOM), which oversees of all the service’s fixed facilities, including medical, dental, and veterinary facilities.

Bugg says that the HFPA has standardized the hospital building process to ensure Army health professionals smoothly transition during regular moves from facility to facility. “If you go from hospital to the next, it is important that facilities and processes be consistent.”

He adds that the HFPA assists the Corps in developing the RFP, making sure that those standards are met in the RFP materials. Then, the RFP is put out for bid, and both the Corps and HFPA evaluate the proposals submitted to ensure the bidders have the experience and technical capability to meet the RFP requirements.

“This project was a ‘best value' rather than a lowest price technically acceptable procurement,” explains Bugg.

Turner Construction Company, the contractor selected, made a proposal that he says reviewers determined offered the best value to the US taxpayer and provided the best health facility for the soldiers of Fort Benning and their families.

to help achieve LEED certification; Maples describes how this works. “There are 17 air handling units on the third [maintenance] floor and large fans blow air across the coils, then when the water drops out that condensate is collected and pumped back to the central energy plant and used in the cooling for reuse.” He says it's like collecting the water that drips from an air conditioning window unit, and then sending it back to be reused, but on a massive scale, of course.

Lighting is also a huge energy consideration, and they chose a “very sophisticated dynamic lighting system,” says West.

“The hospital building itself was aligned with natural daylighting, and the system is sensitive to the daylight and ambient light, interacting to automatically dim when light is not needed. A lot of natural light is harvested and the system is also programmed with tiers so that during off-hours a lot of areas can cut back to a certain lighting percentage.”

He describes the lighting as a mix of energy-efficient electronic ballast fluorescent, a lot of CFL and a lot of architectural LED. While the project was a fixed price contract, they demonstrated that by using energy-efficient, but more costly, fixtures, the tradeoff would benefit costs in the long run.

However, the majority of these energy saving strategies are not obvious to visitors and staff. They just know it feels comfortable and looks good. Which is the intent of good design, says Stephanie Cox, Interior Designer and Initial Outfitting Project Manager for US Army Health Facility Planning.

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A Test Run to Fine Tune the Design Cox says they ran scenarios called “Day in the Life” to educate staff on how to use the building before it opened by inviting all departments to test their current building knowledge and current operating procedures.

“It’s very hard to expect staff to continue normal operations in the current facility and think about every scenario or opportunity that could take place in the new facility at the same time.

“The Transition Team ran these exercises to see how people used pathways and procedures; for example, getting a patient from A to B to C, would they remember that pathway in an emergency and under a stressful situation? That’s what we wanted to see. These exercises gave us the knowledge to know where to fix things, whether it was something operational or construction related that caused deficiencies or inefficiencies. Staff members were also encouraged to share the positive as well, so other departments could learn from a success story.”

Cox cites how some staff found chairs in a waiting area placed too close to a railing on a floor elevation could allow a child to fall over it, so the layout was immediately amended to prevent a tragic accident before the hospital even opened for business.

The best part of the project however, Cox says, is installing art and choosing a palette of colors and artwork conducive to

Turner Construction

Outfitting From Carpets to Carts “Interiors for hospitals have very specific requirements: they need to have surfaces that resist microbes and are easily cleaned, the environment needs to be safe for patients and staff, it needs to be inviting and comfortable to offer a healing environment.

These requirements are then compounded by unique needs of government facilities for sustainability, long-term durability, and added strength for protection against terrorism.

Finding the balance and providing a facility that meets these requirement and the needs of all types of users was a challenge that the entire delivery team made their mission,” explains Cox. In terms of equipment and furniture purchases Cox says, “We tried to focus on LEED requirements where possible, and sometimes changes in technology standards were already helping to make that happen. Items that had constant use like refrigerators were easy choices to specify Energy Star-Rated models early in the project.

Many furniture manufacturers now offer a variety of products that are GREENGUARD certified and use 100% post-consumer recycled content, so it was easy to specify those products for the new facility.”

One aspect that made a difference in people’s comfort and behavior is the Design Team’s use of a wide-open stairway in the main concourse, rather than a closedin claustrophobic stairwell that is typical of many older facilities. This has prompted people to choose taking the stairs over elevators on a regular basis.

“By designing the grand staircase in the main concourse we've opened up the space so you have a sight line to both Clinic Buildings and the Hospital Building.”

The Design Team also used drop down natural wood ceilings near elevators and artistic touches such as colored canvas canopies in the Dining Area to provide people with defined areas to gather and add acoustic comfort for spaces that could feel too large and open.

Indoor lab

feeling good in the space. “We want patients and staff to feel good while they are here. Colors, textures, layout, and artwork can make all the difference, sometimes without someone actually knowing it.”

“We chose photographic art to use in corridors and unique fine art for certain public places such as reception desks, waiting areas, and main hallways. The commissioning of the ‘jump tower’ in the main concourse was designed to reinforce the mission and purpose of the post while adding a touch of whimsy and visual interest in a place where stress can quickly overtake you,” she says.

In one case, materials from the old building became art in the new facility. “We salvaged the stained glass window inserts from the Chapel in the old building and used them in the new Chapel area. Most of them were in good shape, but a few needed repairs before they could be reinstalled. The artist was able to reinvent these pieces to match the style of the new facil-

16 www.BusinessEnergy.net

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ity while maintaining their integrity. It turned out better than we imagined and looks beautiful.”

Spectacular Achievement of the 90-Day Miracle Looking back at the project that virtually consumed his existence for five years, veteran project manager Marty Miller of Turner Construction Company says nearly everything that came out of the request for proposal (RFP) on paper. It became the Martin Army Community Hospital, and, in reality, originated in the planning stage of what he calls the “90-day miracle.”

“We had been following the legislation budgets and we knew an RFP was in the works for a new hospital, so we were ready for it when they announced it. We had our teams lined up in the wings ready to go. However, this project was the Army’s first ever firm-fixed price, design/build hospital replacement project with no bridging documents, so we did not really know what to expect.”

And, he says, this challenge was further compounded by the massive 4,700-page RFP “that filled several four-inch-thick notebooks,” but did not include any sketches, nor floorplans of any sort. “We were literally starting from scratch with a blank piece of paper.

“The narrative specified the adjacencies they wanted; for example, they wanted radiology near the emergency room, and they also wanted it near the surgery suite. It also had a description of how the facility should integrate with the site, how

operation and energy functions should perform, and how all of it should reflect army values of strength and character. And the contract was to have a fixed dollar value to do all this.”

Miller says they only had 90 days to review this massive document and respond with a written proposal, plus the elevation drawings that identified the specific rooms and functions.

The first thing his team did was to define a mission statement, “to serve our brave soldiers and their families,” he says, and then “during the design process we had a LEED plan and scorecard from day one.”

“Our LEED plan then went through the schematic design, creating the building blocks in terms of shape, and we ran energy simulation models on the various designs to help us determine an optimal solution to design problems.”

By starting with the end goals in mind he says this steered the team of architects and engineers to maximize value so “from a gross to net square footage there was not much wasted space.”

Miller says as they got on a roll, they had some surprising discoveries. “What we found more important than the insulating qualities of the walls and precast were the windows, 90% of which have views to nature. We selected a very high performance spectrally selective glass that allows in light but rejects the infrared heat. And the more glass we put in, the more it reduced artificial lighting and this had more impact than the heat gain from using more glass. Our energy model allowed us to study this as we never had before.”

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Turner Construction

EFFICIENCY

MACH fountain, elevator tower at night

As the artificial lighting load was reduced, Miller says, “We began to see these synergies that allowed us to produce the design which achieved a LEED gold at no extra cost.”

Other energy considerations included their concept of “don’t make more of something than you need.”

For example, Miller says a hospital needs certain air changes per hour per room type, but to get that air change “you over-condition the room, then have to put in a heat coil to bring the temperature back into the comfort zone, and it’s a tremendous energy waste.”

By maneuvering the chill water to a higher temperature, they reduced the over-cooling and saved energy and cost.

Another energy-saving surprise came from noise reduction efforts. Studies report noise as a big factor on patient recovery and satisfaction so to produce a quieter atmosphere Miller says they slowed down the air handlers.

“Instead of pushing air 500 feet per minute, we slowed down the fans and made the ductwork larger and an interesting thing happened. It became quieter, it reduced fan horsepower and allowed air to be in air-cooling coils longer, and this reduced the static pressure across the coils. We slowed our variable speed pumps [VSP] pumps down, and as we did this, it moved the energy needle a lot.”

Years Later, the New AwardWinning MACH After years of work, the ribbon cutting to celebrate the final finish of the Martin Army Community Hospital came 18 www.BusinessEnergy.net

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on November 8, 2014, and included impressive dignitaries such as Congressmen who helped secure the needed funding, local town mayors, and descendants of the eponymous Martin family, says USACE’s Alan Bugg, who recalls the ceremony.

However, the ribbon cutting was just the beginning for the medical and administrative staff tasked with preparing for the first patient, who Bugg says was admitted just days later on November 17, 2014. Bugg says in late 2015, nearly a year later, fine tuning adjustments are still taking place, and there is one remaining change order to add, “an uninterrupted power source for the MRI.” All the principals from each of the MACH participating teams are in consensus that while this was probably the most challenging and demanding project of their career, it is one they are exceedingly proud of. Bugg says, “After being in the construction business for 32 years this is the best one I’ve worked on,” and he praises the work of other contributors.

“The hospital team did a really great job, and we won a USACE project delivery team award of the year. The patients, staff, and visitors who come into the facility are amazed by how much it doesn’t look like a typical hospital. With nearly all the clinical rooms facing the creek and the woods, you just don’t have any sense this even is a hospital.” BE

BE

For related articles: www.businessenergy.net

Barbara Hesselgrave is a writer specializing in

environmental topics.

1/5/16 9:37 AM

Business

Energy GENERATION | EFFICIENCY | TECHNOLOGY

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Dream Big, Think Small This innovative system has it all. hen mechanical engineers operation, comfort and IAQ—especially and installers, architects and important for a health facility.” building owners have the rare luxury of designing a From Underground to Overhead new facility specifically to Circulation for Penn Foundation’s geoexmeet or exceed energy efficiency and indoor change system is possible with the use of Taco’s comfort needs, big dreams become a reality.

KS series vertical in-line pumps. The waterThe key to this imaginative plan: smaller, to-water geothermal system feeds a total of smarter mechanical systems that wrench every 176 chilled beams and a few other terminal last BTU from super-efficient ground-source units. A single-pipe distribution system tied heating and cooling systems. to the LOFlo blocks saves space, installation “I don’t know that you’ll find a more time, initial cost and operating expense. efficient mechanical system than the one now Taco’s iWorX® control system monitors installed at the new Penn Foundation facility,” room temperature, supply water temperature, said Glenn Snyder, PE, a VP with architect and dew point, and circulators connected to the engineering firm, Lederach Associates. He’s stainless steel mixing blocks. The new BAS Cunniff (left) and Snyder referring to mechanical components that were also controls circulation in the geoexchange recently brought together at Penn Foundation, then connected field, water-to-water units, DOAS and remote heat pumps. by a modular control The facility’s fresh air is supplied through the chilled network to serve as the beams, via the DOAS, which in turn increases the capacity of building’s central nerthe active chilled beams. vous system.

“Coupling the LOFlo distribution system with iWorX The new 36,000 controls and geothermal equipment provides the most energy square foot, two story efficient HVAC system available today,” said Cunniff. addition to the mental health facility not far Challenges: Solved from Allentown, PA “Because of tight space restrictions, we offered the singleputs geothermal systems pipe, LOFlo system as an alternative to ducted air or a to good use. “But the four-pipe, fan coil system,” said Cunniff. “This reduced the real uniqueness of this number of pipes to two—one for heating, and one for cooljob is the way BTUs are ing—and because of its low flow we can use a very large removed from or delivered to enclosed spaces,” explained Greg delta-T which shrinks the size of the pipes needed.”

Cunniff, application engineering manager for Taco, Inc. The iWorX, chilled beam and geothermal combination “Different water temperatures are readily available for a is estimated to provide a $12,000 yearly energy savings over a variety of terminal units from a standard water source heat pump single-pipe system because they system. used Taco’s LOFlo injection mixSystem designers used Taco’s ing blocks to blend supply and HSS (Hydronic System Solureturn water temperatures from tions®) to design the majority of the main,” continued Cunniff. the system piping and cascading “Injection mixing provides temperatures. the perfect balance of everything “The project is a great examdesigners, installers and buildple of what can be accomplished ing owners most want,” he added. when manufacturers, engineers “Their master list of essential and contractors all work together needs included performance, for a common goal,” concluded efficiency, compact size, quiet Snyder. BE

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SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT Business Energy January | February 2014 2016 21

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HVAC Special Supplement

HVAC Innovations and Insights

Aaon

Equipment and software that goes further for efficient heating and cooling BY CAROL BRZOZOWSKI

AAON LN Series air-cooled chiller (45-140 tons) with VFD controlled variable speed tight leaving water temperature control. control compressors save energy and allow for tight-leaving

istorically, hot sunny days have prompted many to turn on the air conditioning. These days, the sun’s rays are being used as a renewable energy source to run HVAC systems. It’s one of many innovative technologies on the market to provide energy-efficient operations.

For instance, in a recent commercial application, six SunTrac solar panels were installed on a 30-ton chiller system, which is expected to provide the building owner a return on investment in a little more than two years, and provide energy savings for more than 10 years.

SunTrac Solar Manufacturing has partnered with Emerson Climate Technologies/Copeland and KMC Controls to create renewable energy air and heat systems for commercial customers through upgrade, new, and replacement system options.

The hybrid systems are designed to provide optimal efficiencies and low operating costs through the SmartPanel.

An air conditioner generates heat to remove heat. Recently introduced high-efficiency units feature two-stage, variable

H

speed equipment. SunTrac technology is used to keep the two-stage compressor at low or at a first stage, low amperage drop and add supplemental heat to the system using the sun’s energy that would normally be added by the compressor’s second stage. And to do so with full BTU cooling output, says Mike Weinberger, SunTrac Solar’s executive vice president of sales and marketing.

While many solar panels can be used to add heat to refrigerant, controlling the temperature becomes a challenge, says Weinberger.

Certain refrigerants operate at particular temperatures and pressures, he says, adding that a compressor can fail when the temperature is exceeded. The SmartPanel is used to dial in temperature requirements for a particular refrigerant. The SmartPanel uses Rite Temp sensor technology to control heat generated by the system, thus safeguarding the effectiveness and longevity of refrigerants and compressors. The system monitors and controls the pressure and heat added to the refrigerant, enabling it to maintain a steady temperature and

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ensuring system pressures are kept within optimal ranges, says Weinberger.

That’s key in places with critical peak demand periods such as California.

Southern California Edison is vetting the technology for a potential installation rebate program, he adds.

Although results vary depending on the compressor type, manufacturer, age, and condition, an integrated SmartPanel can reduce compressor electricity consumption by up to 40%, says Weinberger.

Each SunTrac SmartPanel can support up to 7.5 tons of compressor cooling capacity. For systems with more than one compressor, with each on a separate circuit, SunTrac adds additional SmartPanels to the next circuit for an additional 25–40% electricity savings on that compressor, says Weinberger.

“For HVAC/R systems with compressors larger than 7.5 tons, SunTrac’s SmartPanels can be linked in series, accommodating HVAC/R units into the hundreds of tons,” he adds.

SunTrac’s Solar Hybrid HVAC/R System integrates with a variety of HVAC package units, chillers and refrigeration systems. It serves as a “mid-life” HVAC/R upgrade for commercial/ industrial units in which the HVAC/R contractor replaces worn compressors and/or upgrades the controller and adds the appropriate number of SmartPanels to the HVAC/R unit, says Weinberger.

SunTrac systems are scalable, and panels can be linked, configured, and integrated to accommodate larger commercial HVAC systems.

The renewable energy technology also qualifies for a 30% federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, due to end December 31, 2016, at which point it is expected to be reduced to 10%. The entire installed cost of the SunTrac Solar Hybrid HVAC/R system upgrade also qualifies for a five-year accelerated tax depreciation and offers a typical payback of less than five years, Weinberger notes.

Ducts In another example of HVAC innovations, a 23-story high rise apartment building in New Jersey derived $34,000

in annual energy savings after property managers utilized the duct-sealing Aeroseal technology in exhaust shafts and replaced dampers. The facility also is saving several thousands of dollars more each year through increased heating efficiencies.

According to EPA, the US Department of Energy (DOE), ASHRAE, and various industry reports, having leaky air ducts is one of the leading causes of energy waste in US buildings, says Neal Walsh, Aeroseal’s senior vice president of strategy and commercial sales.

On average, US building duct systems lose 30% of heated or cooled air through these leaks. Leaks not only prevent treated air from reaching its intended destination but, when related to ventilation systems, they substantially increase energy usage when fans are turned up to compensate for inefficient building exhaust.

Dr. Mark Modera, a former US DOE researcher and developer of Aeroseal technology, says 80% of US buildings have ducts that leak 20–40% or more, resulting in building code violations, indoor air quality health risks, and wasted energy.

Aeroseal, developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in concert with the US DOE, EPA, and local utility companies’ sponsorship, is “a computerized process of applying an aerosol mist of sealant to the inside of the ducts where it locates and seals all the leaks,” says Walsh.

The product is designed to meet tight standards for duct leakage in new building construction and repair leaks in ducts and ventilation shafts of existing buildings, he adds.

Aeroseal is designed to be 95% effective, with studies finding it to be as much as 60% more effective than manual sealing, and labor and repair costs reduced by 30%, says Walsh.

Aeroseal equipment is typically attached to ductwork via a long flexible tube that extends from the equipment to the ducts. “In buildings, the duct connection is usually made at points found on the rooftop—as with ventilation shafts— or via a temporary hole made in the side

of the duct itself,” says Walsh.

During the setup process, all of the vents serviced by the ductwork are temporarily closed so that any air being pushed into the ducts can only escape through leaks. The Aeroseal service technician uses computerized equipment to measure the exact amount of leakage before the sealing process begins.

When ready, the equipment is then used to send an aerosol mist of microscopic sealing particles into the interior of the ductwork. The computer monitor provides details of the leakage rate as holes are being filled. At the end of each sealing event, users can generate a computerized report providing accurate account of the pre- and post-seal leakage rate, says Walsh.

Measuring Software In the context of energy, all providers build self-contained infrastructures for which any number of tools can be used in measuring building performance, points out Ted Atwood, trakref CEO. “But they are not built around the ecosystem,” he adds. “And most people do not do the work on their own buildings. They may be a tenant, landlord, service contractor, or a property management company.

“There’s a weird dynamic regarding energy in the market. Often, the owner is responsible for the installation and the tenant is responsible for the variable cost of the energy. There’s very little sharing between tenant and owner of the actual expense related to the energy. Additionally, if equipment costs get higher or lower than the usual service rates, there’s no benchmarking, and it doesn’t tie back into the functionality of creating a system health index.”

As such, tenants rarely have tools to measure their energy usage in a rental property, Atwood says. The contractor may be performing service on a system that no longer warrants investment.

“Because there is no collaboration, the units continue to stay in service and perpetually operate although they may be obsolete by more than a decade,” he adds.

Additionally, Atwood says the average amortization schedule from the IRS

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is approximately 27 years for an HVAC AAON LZ Series packaged chiller outdoor system, and the average unit’s refrigerant mechanical room (90-540 tons) with Turbocor oillife is approximately 20 years. free magnetic bearing centrifugal compressors Even with the best system, there can be a lack of granular data to understand its performance conditions, Atwood adds.

“Add things like California’s Title 24 to the responsibility checklist and you end up with compliance that is struggling to deploy successful plans,” he says.

“People are fined for some AB32 offense (regarding greenhouse gas emissions), which is a refrigerant emissions event that may never have happened and it largely falls into the cracks between the different audiences, each of which has an independent view of what should be happening.” trakref builds on first-generation HVAC measuring software by tying a field technician geo-locates and identifies knowledge about the unit’s performance number of elements together, serving as and characteristics,” says Hook. asset locations. trakref also addresses the “workflow logic”, says Nate Hook, UX Most dispatch software dispatches challenge of field technician turnover as and digital marketing director. high as 30% in some parts of the country. service technicians to proximity, not “We know technicians, compliance condition, Hook adds. “If you knew When a technician leaves a compeople, and property owners need the the unit’s condition, you may be able pany, “he leaves with all of the legacy data,” says Hook. “Property management to send a Level 4 tech instead of a Level information on the asset and now the companies need data. The OEM suppli1 tech,” says Hook. “The tech doesn’t next guy in line has to re-establish his ers need feedback on the have to get all the warranty information and way to the job to Green, Safe Rentals the system performance. start harvesting the If you’re in California, you needed information hrough its specialty division, Sunbelt Rentals offers large air condineed the energy informaon broken parts. The tioners and chillers, heaters, and de-humidifiers. The majority of the tion codified the right tech can look at vital company’s self-contained heaters are flameless. A flameless heater way so you can remain in stats and a service captures the heat from the exhaust, radiator and the shearing of hydraucompliance. Most of the history and make an lic fluid, notes Roland Reesby, director of industrial climate control. time, absentee property assessment.”

“The majority of the rentals we have go to areas where you have to owners have no idea about have fire watches, where with a machine like this, you don’t have to have the success or failure of Variable Capacity a fire watch because there’s no flame,” says Reesby. the infrastructure supThe company, “Aaon” Flameless units are typically rented where a flame is of concern, porting the property. They manufactures “semisuch as at an oil well site or at a hospital where an addition is being collect rent.” custom” products constructed, he adds. Units are on trailers and range from 600,000 to Hook points out that that differ from 950,000 BTUs. the US DOE “has a treconventional HVAC “It’s a very green machine because it’s very fuel efficient, capturing mendous amount of data equipment, notes all of the waste heat coming off of the engine,” says Reesby. that’s already been colEric Taylor, marketSunbelt also offers air conditioners with variable frequency drives lected, and if we can haring manager. “On (VFD), which dials up or down to match the needed conditions. The comvest that information, that all of our systems, pany’s large chillers also have VFD. would reduce keystrokes we offer some sort The company can provide a wireless Sunbelt Air Monitoring System, for every air conditioner, of variable capacity a device in a Pelican case with sensors inside of it for the gateway for heat pump, furnace, or compressor,” he says, projects in which condition documentation is required. Sensors are placed window that’s produced.” adding that there have inside of the facility and communicate with the gateway. Some 200 to trakref enables field been more require300 sensors can be set for each gateway. technicians to use smart ments for Integrated End users can access information online. Alarms can be set and tools to harvest the data.

Energy Efficiency alerts given if temperatures exceed a set point.

By carrying a phone, the Ratio efficiencies.

Aaon

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HVAC Special Supplement

range, lowering energy costs.

Other HVAC Matrix Drive features: • An integrated input fusing to provide 100 kA SCCR • Eco-Mode to achieve near acrossthe-line THD • Integrated C2 EMC filter • Embedded BACnet communications (BTL Certified) • Multi-language LCD operator with hand/off/auto and copy function • Internal real-time clock for event stamping • High carrier frequency (low motor noise) capability • 0-400-Hz output frequency Available NEMA 1 models include ratings of 1 to 100 HP (208 V) and 7.5 to 350 HP (480 V). Z1000U is offered both as a standalone drive, as well as in packAeroseal

“A big part of that has been offera geothermal unit; it’s a configuration of ing variable capacity compressors, all of our equipment.” which allow you to reduce the system’s cooling capacity and save energy when Harmonic Distortion you are at partial load, so when it’s not Yaskawa recently released its HVAC the hottest day of the year, you don’t Matrix drive (Z1000U), a single-comhave to run the system at full on,” says ponent solution designed to provide Taylor. “You can run it at partially on extremely low harmonic distortion and save compressor energy.” without the need for additional counAaon offers variable capacity comtermeasures such as passive filters or pressor options allowing users to modumulti-pulse arrangements. late the compressor from 10 to 100%.

Yaskawa’s matrix technology The company also offers variable freemploys a system of nine bi-directional quency drive compressor control options switches arranged in a matrix to convert allowing users to modulate compressor a three-phase alternating current (AC) speeds to reduce the capacity. input voltage directly into a three-phase The company also offers a cenAC output voltage. trifugal compressor that’s akin to the The design eliminates the need for variable speed compressor in that it can a rectifying circuit and a direct current modulate the speed of the centrifugal (DC) bus used in traditional AC drive compressor to reduce its capacity as well.

All of Aaon’s equipment has foam panel construction. “Everything we build is double wall, so it’s sheet metal on both sides with foam insulation on the inside,” notes Taylor. In a rooftop unit, that construction keeps it from leaking energy out of an HVAC cabinet, says Taylor.

“When you are cooling the air in a rooftop unit, you’re going to use all of that cold air to cool the space,” he says. “It’s not going to leak out of the cabinet. The same concept applies with the small air handling units.” This method applies to chillers as well and additionally holds in the sound and insulates it during the cold weather, Taylor says.

Aaon also offers geothermal technology. “We have a small packApplying duct sealing age system for each space that’s flexible and customizable,” says Taylor.

“You can put energy recovery on it.

You can have variable capacity compres- inverters. Matrix technology reduces total harmonic distortion levels to less sors on it.” than the IEEE compliance standard of Aaon also offers rooftop units with geothermal configuration. “We can build 5% without the need for reactors and filters. a geothermal unit just like we build a A smoother current waveform rooftop unit, so it will have that same reduces stress on the system power supfoam panel construction, the same variply and infrastructure. Reduced distorable capacity compressors, it could have energy recovery,” explains Taylor. “It will tion improves displacement power factor have the high-efficiency fans. It’s not just to 0.98 through the entire load and speed

aged bypass and configured solutions.

Pump Balance The Taco SelfSensing Series with ProBalance integrates Taco KV or KS pumps with a variable frequency drive.

SelfSensing ProBalance pumps allow installers to accomplish system balancing for constant flow central plant applications and variable flow building

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HVAC Special Supplement

distribution applications. The system is designed to significantly reduce balancing contractor costs at commissioning or startup.

Pump performance curves are embedded in the speed controller’s memory. During operation, pump power and speed are monitored, enabling the controller to establish the hydraulic performance and position in the pump’s

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head-flow characteristic.

This enables the pump to continuously identify required head and flow at any point, providing accurate pressure control without the need for external sensor feedback. SelfSensing ProBalance pumps can be run in constant flow mode for chiller/boiler pumps (primary), system curve mode for variable flow pumps (secondary), and constant

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pressure mode for booster pumps. All three modes are designed to reduce energy consumption. By slowing pump RPMs, pump life is increased.

ProBalance is designed to pinpoint true system resistance without inducing false head, balancing internally and automatically.

According to Richard Medairos, P.E., senior systems engineer and director of commercial training, this means lower installed cost, no errors in setpoint, a simplified construction schedule and no sensor failure risk.

The pumps include automatic alerts with optional shutdown for no-flow, dry-run, and end-of-curve operation, and are electronically protected for overload and locked rotor conditions.

Self-Sensing SKV pumps are available in sizes from 1.5 hp to 60 hp. The SKS line is available from 1.5 hp to 250 hp.

Taco’s OneTouch ProBalance is an integrated, self-sensing control enabling automatic balancing of SelfSensing pumps—and by extension, the entire hydronic system—with a mouse click.

Combined with Taco’s iWorX ProView module, the SelfSensing technology—with a touch of the screen— presents automatically-rendered real-time graphics showing pump performance, system influences, energy consumption, and energy saved. The system also provides automatic alarming, trending capability, and predictive maintenance scheduling.

The SelfSensing ProBalance pumps—coupled with iWorX ProView—are designed to accomplish ideal system flow and head pressure automatically. Once installed, the pumps act as their own flow-control and measuring device.

Installers or facility managers can use the graphical interface to set the flow and meet system GPM demand. The technology is designed to bring building owners custom integration with reduced installed cost, greater system intelligence, and continuous monitoring and control of system performance, and energy management for the life of the building. BE Carol Brzozowski specializes in topics related to energy and technology.

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BY STAN WALERCZYK

I

Introduction t really depends on your definition of cost effective. If you just look at saving energy with many of currently available, very efficient, and low-wattage LED products, you may find that the answer is often, “no.” This includes many applications where controls were cost effective, saving energy with previous LED products, and even high-performance legacy lighting products. Although controls will become much less expensive, LED products will also continue to get more efficient and less expensive.

But, other substantial benefits that many controls can provide can make those controls quite cost effective. Those other benefits include: reducing HVAC load in addition to controlling lights, signaling exact wattage and peak load, providing cumulative hours of operation of lighting products, noting certain lighting products that are not working properly, turning on the next hibay for forklift drivers that motion sensors will not trigger fast enough, improving security, properly billing various tenants in master metered buildings, informing how and when various rooms are being used, interior GPS, measuring carbon dioxide and humidity, and, what is probably most important, Human Centric Lighting.

Controls Can Still Save Energy Cost Effectively in Limited Applications Controls can be quite cost effective, saving energy with even

very efficient lighting in some applications, which can include: • warehouse rack aisles when the hibays are on for long periods of time and nobody is there, • library book rack aisles when the lights are on for long periods of time unoccupied, • rooms and buildings where lights are left on during nights and weekends when nobody is there, • high school and college classrooms, and • rooms with skylights and daylights.

But in Many Other Applications It Is a Brave New World Although numerous manufacturers and lighting professionals still promote controls to save energy, many LED products have gotten wattage so low that there is not enough kilowatthours for controls to save cost effectively in many applications.

This is important for energy-efficient auditors and specifiers, who got in the habit including controls with lighting when lighting was not that efficient and controls were usually cost effective with them.

This is also important for energy codes, which are still mandating controls for lighting.

Following is a modified version of what I sent the California Energy Commission regarding Title 24, April 10, 2015. First of Business Energy January | February 2016 31

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LIGHTING

Table 1 Lighting upgrade

Existing wattage

Proposed wattage

Saved kilowatts

Annual operating hours

kilowatthours saved

kilowatthour rate

Annual electric savings

Installed cost

Payback

180

40

0.14

3,000

420

$0.18

$75.60

$260.00

3.44

Controlled kilowatts

16% reduced operating hours

Controlled kilowatthours

Kilowatthours rate

Annual electric savings

Installed cost

Payback

0.04

480

19.2

$0.18

$3.46

$70.00

20

Controlled kilowatts

25% reduced kilowatts (or kilowatthours)

Controlled kilowatthours

Kilowatthours rate

Annual electric savings

Installed cost

Payback

0.04

750

30

$0.18

$5.40

$140.00

26

Basic controls

Advanced controls

all, is the summary table for a typical private office (Table 1 above). Since Title 24 mandates controls, there are no rebates for them. If you think the paybacks are bad, they would be much worse with a lower kilowatt-hour rate, such as the national average of 12 cents—or even lower like 9 cents, which is common.

Existing Typical Private Office • 10’ x 12’, which is 120 SF • Two 2x4 18-cell parabolic troffers (each with three basic-grade fluorescent 32-W F32T8s and generic standard ballast factor [BF] ballast, which consumes 90 W) • 3,500 maximum annual hours of operation, because the building facility manager or owner turns switch rated breakers on and off every day • 3,000 annual hours, because an office worker does an average job manually turning off the lights in an office when leaving • $0.18 kWh rate • $97.20 annual lighting consumption • There is already good LED task lighting, which will be kept.

• Good-sized, south-facing window (with the sun’s intensity and glare, the window blinds are closed most of the time.)

Lighting Only • $260 for parts and labor for two 20-W 5,000-K LED troffer kits • $21.60 annual electrical consumption • $75.60 annual electrical savings • 3.4-year payback without rebate

• 0.33 W per square foot (WSF) This could also be done by retrofitting each troffer with 1 high-lumen 32-W F32T8 850 lamp, 0.71-BF highperformance program start ballast, and upscale kit for about $110 parts and labor. Fixture wattage would be 25.

Basic Grade Controls Only • $70.00 to install wall-mounted occupancy sensor • 16% estimated energy savings • $15.55 annual savings • 4.5-year payback without rebate Advanced Controls Only • $140 to install advanced controls; includes modules in fixtures and percentage of transceiver, computer, software, licensing fee, and optional service contract • 25% estimated energy savings • $24.30 annual savings • 5.8-year payback without rebate Lighting and Basic Controls • $330 for parts and labor (This does not include the extra cost for dimmable lighting.)

• $79.06 annual electrical savings, of which controls savings are based on 40-W lighting • 4.1-year payback without rebate If controls are mandated, there are probably no rebates for them.

Based on getting the lighting down to 40 W, the occupancy sensor would only save $3.46 per year—a 20-year payback—which may be infinite because the sensor may not last that long.

Lighting and Advanced Controls • $400 for parts and labor • $81 annual electrical savings • 4.9-year payback without rebate Based on getting the lighting down to 40 W, the advanced controls would only save $5.40 per year—a 26-year payback— which may be infinite because controls may not last that long.

Payback in Years Comparison • 3.4 lighting only • 4.5 basic controls only • 5.8 advanced controls only • 4.1 lighting and basic controls (20 years for occupancy sensor assistance) • 4.9 lighting and advanced controls (26 years for advanced controls assistance) Many real-world customers do not want anything over a three-year payback. This lighting option with decent rebates would usually be less than three years. Those customers would not approve any other option, so there would be no energy savings.

Paybacks and other financial returns would vary depending on other parameters, which you could do. But even if the percentage savings from basic or advanced controls were doubled, their paybacks would still be terrible when done with lighting.

In open offices, each 2x4 troffer could cover 80 SF, compared to 60 SF in this private office, so there would be 0.25 WSF with the same LED troffer kits in an open office.

Some lighting professionals consider

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getting down to 0.5 WSF, the tipping point for controls, to not be cost effective in saving energy. We can usually get well below that.

Currently, lighting is often twice more cost effectively saving lighting energy than controls, and LED products will continue to get better and less expensive.

Occupancy Sensors May Actually Increase Hours of Operation Occupancy sensors can actually increase the annual hours of operation more than some control proponents may want to admit.

This can especially be the case in “owned” spaces such as private offices and elementary school classrooms where a teacher pretty much stays in one classroom all day and/or there are “energy cop” students. Often, people are quite good at turning off lights when they leave, but occupancy sensors allow a 10–15 automatic delay for the sensor to turn off the lights. Based on the average 12-minute delay—4 times per day, 5 days a week, and 45 weeks per year—that is an extra 180 hours per year, which can be considered a wasted month of lights being on.

I consulted for an energy service company (ESCO) on a Central Valley of California K–12 school district. The ESCO recommended occupancy sensors in classrooms and did pre and post data logger tests. Although the sensors were cost effective in middle schools and high schools, they increased burn time in most elementary schools. I’m glad I didn’t have to tell people at the school district that they paid for parts and labor for occupancy sensors, which increased burn time.

I have seen data logger reports of numerous private offices, showing that office workers are doing a good job of manually turning lights off.

Diminishing Returns Diminishing returns are common with lighting retrofits, mainly because there is so little low-hanging fruit left.

Although we can still reduce the wattage by 50–65%, the electric bill reductions are about half of what they used to be, and LED products cost more

than high-performance legacy products cost in the past.

Here is a typical troffer example: A 2x4 troffer with four F34T12 lamps and two energy-saving magnetic ballasts were often retrofitted with two F32T8 lamps, high-performance standard ballast factor electronic ballast, and a reflector.

• 90 W = 144- to 54-W reduction (63%) • 3,000 annual hours • $0.15 kWh rate • $40.50 annual energy savings • $65 parts and labor cost • 1.6 payback in years without a rebate Now we can re-retrofit that troffer with a 20-W LED troffer kit.

• 34 W = 54- to 20-W reduction (63%) • 3,000 annual hours • $0.18 kWh rate • $18.36 annual energy savings • $130 parts and labor cost • 7.1 payback in years without a rebate So, with these diminishing returns for lighting retrofit projects to be approved, money cannot be wasted on controls, which are not cost effective in saving energy and make the financial returns even worse.

Although some people and organizations push lighting for demand response, if you do your homework, you will probably agree with me that electric chargers and air conditioning are much better. For example, one addressable 5-ton HVAC unit at 1 kW per ton can shed the equivalent of 100,000 square feet of 0.5 WSF lighting, which may have 1,250 troffers. One-ton HVAC handles about 400 square feet.

Before you recommend lighting controls, do your homework to check if they will be cost effective in saving wattage from lighting. This can include doing the audit while people are working, looking at exterior office windows at night, and installing data loggers. It may be much more cost effective to do more lighting and less controls.

Even if people in private offices, school classrooms, conference rooms, break rooms, etc., are not currently doing a great job turning lights off, educating and reminding them may

be more cost effective than buying and installing controls. The free stickers that go on light switches can often be useful.

Although controls may be cost effective, saving energy from lighting in some applications, you can decide if they should mandated across the board, or if it would be better for lighting professionals and end-customers to decide where controls should be installed.

Now Let’s Look at the Bigger Picture of Cost Effectiveness Although controls are often not cost effective, saving energy from lighting, various advanced controls can be very beneficial and cost effective in other ways, as shown below.

Reduce HVAC Load in Addition to Controlling Lights Various occupancy sensors, usually wireless ones, can partially close motorized vents in unoccupied rooms, in addition to turning off the lights.

Although this can be quite cost effective in new construction, it may be a challenge for retrofits. In general, lower wattage and turned off lighting produces less heat, which reduces alternating current (AC) load.

Signal Exact Wattage and Peak Load Various facility managers and corporate “energy gurus” want to know exact energy consumption at any given moment and peak load, which they may try to reduce for lower demand charges.

Provide Cumulative Hours of Operation of Lighting Products This can be used to help plan relamping, reballasting, or replacing. Typically, group relamping and group reballasting saves considerable money, compared to doing it when individuals burn out. It is usually good to do group relamping and reballasting at about 70–80% of rated life. LEDs usually do not die, but get dimmer and dimmer over time. They are considered end of life at L70, when they have lost 30% of their initial lumens. Since LED products are expensive to replace or retrofit, often one or two years are necessary to obtain enough money. If an LED model has an L70 of 50,000 hours, and

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LIGHTING

it is measured that this model averages 5,120 hours a year, that model should be replaced or retrofitted in 9.8 years, so money should start to be allocated for that about year 8.

Saturdays. An advanced occupancy system could measure the monthly hours the lights are used in each tenant space for equitable electric billing and maybe also HVAC usage.

Note If Certain Lighting Products Inform How and When Various Are Not Working Properly Rooms Are Being Used Signals can be sent that specific lamps, Let’s say a company needs more office ballasts, and LED products are not space and is not sure if either or both working properly. For example, if the of two conference rooms are used very LEDs and/or driver are operating too much. Advanced occupancy sensors hot in fixtures, they can be automatically dimmed so their life is not shortened and a facilities engineer can be notified.

Philips plots new system that uses intelligent

a cell phone app can be used to locate that material. The image below is a Philips grocery store example.

GE has a similar system. Target has started to install a similar system in its stores.

Measure Carbon Dioxide and Humidity With this information, HVAC airflow can be increased or decreased. In college dorms, marijuana smoke could also be detected.

Philips Connected Retail Lighting System

Turn On the Next Hibay for Forklift Drivers That Motion Sensors Will Not Trigger Fast Enough As you may already be aware, many forklift drivers seem to be NASCAR driver wannabes, because they drive so fast. That can result in the motion sensor in each fluorescent or LED hibay not turning on that hibay fast enough.

Advanced controls can turn on upcoming hibays fast enough.

Improve Security If the lights are automatically turned on in room 911 on a Sunday morning at 2 a.m. and nobody is supposed to be there, a signal can be sent to security. This system could also automatically lock doors so intruders could not escape and maybe also call the police.

LED in-store lighting to communicate with shoppers’ smartphones to deliver targeted offers and information based on their location.

David has decided to cook a Mexican meal for his friends this evening.

1.

He chooses guacamole in the supermarket app he downloaded.

It suggests a recipe for fresh guacamole that he accepts.

5.

The light fixture communicates his location and the app plots a route to the churros.

4.

2.

3.

The light fixture above David sends his location to his smartphone, and the app plots a route to the ingredients.

Spotting David’s location at the fresh vegetables section, the light fixture prompts the app to offer him 50% off on avocados.

Properly Bill Various Tenants in Master Metered Buildings Usually, tenants are billed for electricity based on their SF, which is not fair if one tenant is basically only there 8–5 Monday through Friday, and another tenant with the same SF works much longer on weekdays and also works on

could be used to determine usage to evaluate if one or both rooms should be converted to offices.

Interior GPS This is exciting. Each LED fixture can have a digital address, which merchandise, stock or other materials underneath each lighting fixture can be programmed for that lighting fixture and

David then receives a suggestion for a dessert of Mexican “churros.”

He opts for a readymade option.

Human Centric Lighting This is probably the most important in most applications, because this lighting affects both the visual and nonvisual or biologic parts of the visual system. It is optimal dosing of light intensity and spectrum at different times of the day for various tasks to improve circadian rhythms, alertness, visual acuity, mood, productivityperformance, sleep, and general wellbeing. This really makes lighting much than a commodity.

Features and Benefits Features are all of the bells and whistles a control system can do, and benefits are what each customer will really use. For example, Microsoft excel can do a lot of things, but I know that I only use about one-third, so that one-third is my benefit. So, even if a control system looks like it is the best thing, become aware of what you think you will really use. It may not be worth it to spend a lot of money on a control system that has a lot of features, if you will realistically only use a fraction of those capabilities.

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Table 2. Retrofit 48-W 2x4 Troffer at 3,000 Annual Hours and $0.14/kWh Average wattage

Energy savings

Approximate installed cost after rebate

Improved annual worker productivity

Basic payback

10-year benefit including worker productivity

2 TLEDs with existing 0.77 BF ballast

35

$5.46

$30

0

5.5

$25

25-W fixed Kelvin LED troffer kit

25

$9.66

$150

0

15

($53)

20-W tunable 2,700-6,500K LED troffer kit with shared wireless controls and 1/2 tunable LED task light

24

$10.08

$250

$3,000

25

$29,851

Retrofit option

Combining Diminishing Returns With Soft Benefits As discussed, hard savings—which are reduced electric bills, rebates, and lower maintenance costs—are usually no longer sufficient in projects that were built with fairly efficient lighting or have been retrofitted at least once.

This is important, because there is not much low-hanging fruit left, except for “mom and pop” stores and offices that still have fluorescent T12 lamps with magnetic ballasts.

Now soft savings usually have to be included. There are two types of soft savings. Basic soft savings include improved light levels, better contrast ratios, less glare, more personal control, and getting rid of parabolic louvers. Based on wasting five minutes less per day, which is 1% of an eight-hour shift, that is a $500 annual benefit for an office worker making $50,000 a year.

Advanced soft savings include Human Centric Lighting benefits. Lighting affects both the visual and nonvisual or biologic parts of the visual system.

Human Centric Lighting is optimal dosing of light intensity and spectrum at different times of the day for various tasks to improve circadian rhythms, alertness, visual acuity, mood, productivity-performance, sleep, and general wellbeing. This really makes lighting much more than a commodity.

A benefit from Human Centric Lighting, then, may be the equivalent wasting 25 minutes less per day, which is 5% of an eight-hour shift, which is a

BE

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$2,500 annual benefit for an office worker making $50,000 a year. Adding both basic and advanced soft savings may be $3,000 per office worker per year, year after year.

End-customers have to approve soft savings amounts.

Here is one example: Eight years ago, I specified a lighting retrofit project for several California County buildings and the installation followed. The most common lighting fixture was an 18 cell parabolic 2x4 troffer with three basic grade 32-W F32T8s and generic standard ballast factor (BF) electronic ballasting, which consumed 89 W. They were retrofitted with an upscale kit, two high-lumen 32-W F32T8s and high performance low BF electronic ballast, which consumes 48 W. With 14 cents per kilowatt-hour and 3,000 annual hours, each troffer only consumes $20.16 per year.

Now that county wants to do a reretrofit. But with the low electric consumption, significant costs of dealing with California Title 24, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) cancelling the lighting fixture maintenance category, which otherwise requires $90 per hour inside wiremen, cost effective solutions are a challenge.

Retrofitting with TLEDs (tubular LEDs) driven with existing ballasts, which does not trigger California Title 24, may provide the best basic payback based on just hard savings. But this is still not very good.

Financial returns are terrible for a fixed Kelvin LED troffer kit. Retrofitting with tunable (dimming and Kelvin changing) 2,700–6,000 K LED troffer kits and adding tunable LED desk mount task lights may provide the best comprehensive long term financial returns when both basic and advanced soft savings are included. This may be the case even though DesignLights Consortium (DLC)

does not approve products for rebates that can go over 5,000 K, even though they can also be used below 5,000 K. DLC has not provided any good rationale for that arbitrary Kelvin cap. Good neuroscience and case studies show that over 5,000 K can be very beneficial.

Even with a lower hourly rate for installation and without Title 24 costs, basic paybacks would still not be very good.

Last Words I have been in lighting and controls for 27 years, and things have really been changing rapidly the last few years. But the evolution should approach the speed of light the next few years.

As the Apples, Ciscos, Googles and Qualcomms of the world get into lighting and controls and the IoT evolves, basic and advanced control prices could plummet to less than a dime (Yep, 10 cents for an entire sensor, such as an occupancy sensor, in a fixture. These are small enough to fit into a dimple of a golf ball)—but that is going to take at least a few years.

Upcoming sensors with TOF (Time of flight)—sensors, which can detect movement, like how people use a conference room—or other technologies, will be able to self-adapt and learn. This will reduce the need for installers adept with controls, commissioning, and tweaking.

It may also reduce the need for lighting designers.

So, it will be a greater challenge for lighting and control auditors, specifiers, and others. BE Stan Walerczyk is principal of Lighting Wizards and vice chair of the Human Centric Lighting Society. He wrote this as an individual; it is not a Human Centric Lighting Society document.

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Elliott

HUMAN RESOURCE

Win-Wins With

Interns

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM EXAMPLES, THEIR VALUE, AND THEIR ROLE IN EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT

he next generation in line to carry the mantle for distributed, renewable, and efficient energy solutions is in college. Internships are one way that private and public entities can train and identify the best and the brightest in the field.

College students choosing to go into the energy field have a variety of internship choices that offer opportunities to decide what area is most appealing. Many internship programs are available year-round.

Mary Shoemaker is both a former intern and the intern program coordinator for the American Council for an EnergyEfficient Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington DC, which works to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. Founded by energy researchers in 1980, the organization conducts in-depth technical and policy analyses; advises policymakers and program managers; and works collabora-

tively with businesses, government officials, public interest groups, and other organizations.

“During my internship, I was tasked with developing a newsletter to highlight the work of our utilities and our state and local policy teams, and inform my colleagues about policy developments across the United States,” she says, adding that she continues to have ownership of the newsletter project.

Shoemaker also contributed research for ACEEE’s 2014 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, leading her to become a chapter author of the 2015 State Scorecard in her current role.

“Internship programs provide work opportunities to people entering new fields: current students, recent graduates, or experienced professionals exploring a new line of work,” she says. “The duration of the typical internship—approximately three months—allows participants to gain experience without committing to an organization indefinitely.”

The ACEEE sources interns by posting vacancies on its website as well on Idealist.org and college and university job

T

BY CAROL BRZOZOWSKI

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have lunch with our executive director and director of research to ensure they have access to their colleagues at all levels of the organization.”

An intern will conduct research, which varies according to the team on which they serve, such as state and local policy, federal policy, transportation, and industry, says Shoemaker. All interns

Elliott

sites. There are three internship cycles every year: spring, summer, and fall. The number of intern positions may vary, but there are typically three.

“We do not offer the same internships every semester,” says Shoemaker.

“Rather, teams that demonstrate a need for an intern for an upcoming project will apply for one.”

Chris Brennan, a rotor assembler in Elliott's Industrial Products business, peening a turbine disk for a YR steam turbine

Interns are paid according to their educational attainment. “We involve them in substantive research, so their valuable work is worthy of compensation,” says Shoemaker. Aside from the costs of paying the interns, the only additional expense is the cost of time spent facilitating monthly meetings and recruiting new interns, she adds.

ACEEE works hard to ensure interns are provided ample opportunity for professional development and networking, says Shoemaker, and managers encourage their interns to attend educational events such as Capitol Hill briefings or local conferences.

“In order to have an intern on their team, a staff member must demonstrate the availability of substantive work for such a position,” says Shoemaker.

“ACEEE seeks interns to help with research activities, not administrative tasks. The organization benefits from interns’ analytical contributions, and interns benefit from the production of concrete, high-quality work products.

Every semester we arrange for interns to

are required to give a presentation to all staff on the projects they contributed to while at ACEEE. To address any issues that may arise, the organization works to promote interns’ awareness of each other’s projects by hosting a monthly meeting for updates, questions, and discussions of each team’s research activities, she adds.

ASCO ASCO (Automatic Switch Company) Power Technologies, a business unit of Emerson Electric Company, manufactures and sells transfer switches, power control systems, and industrial control products for business-critical continuity.

Headquartered in Florham Park, NJ, the company is the world's largest manufacturer of power transfer switches.

“We are an engineering-oriented company, so we hire engineers,” says Bhavesh Patel, vice president, ASCO Power Technologies. That is one of the driving factors for an internship program at the company.

“We have all of these projects that

we don’t have enough time or enough resources to complete, so the interns fill that gap,” he says. “As we constantly grow, specifically on the engineering front, the talent pool is shrinking. This also allows us to gauge the talent pool before that talent pool becomes available. We have the first dibs when that talent pool is ready.”

In turn, the interns have an opportunity to “experience the world that we offer them and see if that’s the world they like.” This is preferable “rather than hire a fresh graduate, put them through the paces and a year down the road, they find out that’s not the kind of work they like, and then we’ve lost a year,” adds Patel. “The interns get enough exposure over the two or three months and if that’s something that they like, they can tell us they’d like to be considered for future employment.”

ASCO gives the interns projects “small enough so they can finish during summer, but meaningful enough so they can learn from it as well as add value to the organization,” notes Patel.

The company will accept college freshmen, but in most cases, interns are in their junior year. Some are sourced from universities in New Jersey; a few come from out of state. Those who do come from a distance are given a stipend for housing. “We know if they have to pay out of their own pocket, they’re not going to come, so the housing is paid for,” notes Patel. Generally, interns make $10 per hour.

ASCO has 12 interns this year in different disciplines such as electrical engineering and controls engineering.

One was chosen for human resources.

The number fluctuates. “If we only find three good interns that we think will fit into our world, that’s all we’re going to go with,” says Patel. “We just don’t want to have warm bodies and hope that somebody works out.”

Aside from pay and housing stipends, there are indirect time-related costs to the company for operating the program, Patel notes. “There is the cost of on-boarding them even though they are only here for three months at the most,” he says.

Early in the first week, the entire executive team—including the president

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HUMAN RESOURCE

NextEra

and his staff—spends an hour talking to The engineering pool—especially in the interns about the company, about the electrical engineering segment—is each individual’s goal and how they each declining, notes Patel. “Universities are came through the ranks. not teaching electrical engineering partly “That motivates them for what they because electricity has been around for can expect in their future,” says Patel.

100 years, so what’s new? Students want “People spend time training them and to go into computers, which have only educating them, getting them up to speed been around for 25 years, or want to go so they can start to contribute even though we know they’re only going to be here for a few months, and then they’re going away.”

Some internships may entail involvement in work sites and with customers. There may be personnel and logistics costs. Additionally, each intern is assigned a mentor. The return 2014 Intern on the investment in Welcome event in terms of finding new Juno Beach, FL, hires has had a 52% June 4, 2014 success ratio, Patel says.

Although there is no formal evaluation of intern perforinto the social media space.” mance, each manager or mentor ensures He elaborates, “Electrical engineerkey performance expectations are met. ing is taken for granted. If you think “At the end of the program, each intern about this, the world comes to a standpresents to the executive staff what they still without electricity. But that skill did, how it benefits the company, and set is declining. There are more people how they liked the internship,” he says. fighting for those with that skill set, so “They are evaluated based on how they it’s more important to have such an can deliver that message in front of internship program so you get the right senior staff. It allows us to gauge their skill set.” skills in communication, analysis, and critical thinking.”

NextEra Patel’s advice for companies wantNextEra Energy operates approximately ing to set up an internship program is to 44,900 MW of generating capacity be selective. “You need to find a person and has an extensive internship prowho is going to fit into your organizagram. It has two principal subsidiaries: tion. When you start interviewing for Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), an internship, everybody is interested.

Florida’s largest rate-regulated electric Some people are interested because utility and NextEra Energy Resource they want to learn, others are interested which—with its affiliated entities—is because they just need a job. It’s very the world’s largest generator of renewimportant for the company that they able energy from the wind and sun. find somebody who is interested and In 2014, the business reached wind willing to learn.” production levels of more than 32 If the potential intern is not intermillion MWh of generation. NextEra ested in the industry a company repreEnergy Resources’ solar plants in Calisents, “there’s no point bringing in that fornia, New Mexico, Nevada, New Jersey, person. They may be the best engineer out and Ontario, Canada, operate approxithere, but if what you do is not of interest, mately 700 MW of solar power. that’s not going to help you or the intern.”

NextEra Energy also operates eight

commercial nuclear power units in the United States. The company’s 2014 revenues totaled approximately $17.0 billion.

Internships are a key factor in helping the company identify talent and helping students identify desired occupations in the industry. “Internships give students a chance to gain exposure to a corporate environment, prepare for a full-time career and confirm or modify their career aspirations,” says Neil Nissan, NextEra spokesperson. “From the company’s perspective, interns help us to stay abreast of any shifts in the emerging workforce, such as communication styles and what’s important to future candidates.

Second, we are able to essentially ‘interview’ a prospective hire for two months, gaining insights into company fit, work ethic, and work capacity.”

NextEra’s leadership team strongly supports mentorship and developing talent. “We firmly believe that our people are our strongest competitive advantage, and one way to strengthen the team is by ensuring a robust talent pipeline,” he says. “The overall goal of our internship program is to convert eligible and qualified interns to fulltime hires. Throughout their summer with us, interns will develop an understanding of our operations, industry, and business challenges, while working on interesting and relevant projects and assignments.”

To reach the company’s goal of cultivating new talent and testing candidates for future full-time spots, NextEra offers relevant work experience on challenging projects and assignments, says Nissan.

Additionally, “interns participate in corporate events from lunch-and-learn sessions to individual skills training,” he says. “We host an alumni day so interns can network with employees who attended the same school. Interns also experience how the company engages with the community and gives back through our Power to Care program by

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volunteering one day at a local elementary school.”

NextEra’s recruiting team attended more than 20 on-campus events and hired students from more than 50 major universities across the country. “We extend offers for full-time roles and next summer’s internships before interns finish their summer assignments,” says Nissan.

All interns are paid, with marketbased rates that vary according to the student’s year in school. NextEra partners with real estate agents and local universities to assist non-locally-based interns with finding places to stay.

This year, NextEra has more than 200 interns, with many of them repeating from last year. They are placed in 29 business units, in a wide range of positions from engineer to wind technician to cyber security worker, says Nissan.

The hiring managers are asked to assign each a buddy, says Nissan. “Additionally, Intern Ambassadors plan learning and skill development events specific to each intern’s business area. We have found that informal mentoring tends to have the biggest impact on an intern’s development. Those mentor-mentee relationships are normally forged within the immediate work groups.”

Interns are evaluated by following the same Partners in Performance program as all of NextEra’s employees. The program is used to define goals, assess progress and collect constructive feedback.

“Interns receive clear objectives at the beginning of the internship and are evaluated on at the close of the summer,” says Nissan. “Before leaving, interns present their summer projects to upperlevel management.”

The Department of Energy The US Department of Energy (DOE) offers a variety of internships, including some at the National Laboratories and field sites across the country. The Energy Department’s internship programs are aimed at developing and maintaining a diverse workforce, particularly in science and technology.

Students work with leading scientists, engineers, and seasoned professionals to develop career skills and enhance leadership capabilities.

The US DOE’s Minority Educa-

tional Institution Student Partnership Program (MEISPP) offers undergraduate and graduate students summer internship positions with the DOE and its National Laboratories with the goal of employing underrepresented students—such as females—in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.

MEISPP positions involve scientific research or a focus on policy, business, and government relations. All internships include paid lodging, round trip airfare, and a stipend. Currently there are more than 80 MEISPP interns. The number of interns varies, and there are multiple internship programs across the department throughout the year.

MEISPP has been expanded to include a lab-to-market component where students will spend 10 weeks at DOE national laboratories to participate in special “boot camps” to be trained in technology transfer, commercialization, and entrepreneurship.

Sixteen students split between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois work on developing intellectual property into commercialization packages consisting of technology plans, market assessments, commercialization plans, and associated due diligence documents. At the end of the 10-week program, teams participate in a special three-day pitch boot camp culminating with a pitch competition.

The Community College Internship Program seeks to encourage community college students to enter technical careers relevant to the DOE’s mission by providing technical training experiences at the labs. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 15 participating DOE laboratories, working on technologies, instrumentation projects, or research.

The Atlanta University Center Sustainable Campus Community Initiative is a collaborative effort involving Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College to support capacity building in the areas of alternative, renewable, and green energy technologies.

The project’s goals include developing an energy/science portal site that will be available to all participating institu-

tions’ students and faculty; creating an energy pipeline of students with the assistance of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) through a two-week High School Energy Summer Institute (HESI); and creating an Energy Stars Fellowship Program to attract talented students and employ them in energy research efforts at an Atlanta University Center or with a DOE laboratory.

The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship Program encourages undergraduate students to pursue STEM careers by providing research experiences at the DOE laboratories. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 15 participating DOE laboratories, performing research under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers on projects supporting the DOE mission.

A Tale of Two Interns Lutron Michael Chen, a senior studying to be a mechanical engineer at the University of Central Florida, has spent the summer interning at Lutron. He applied for and received the internship after learning of it through a family friend.

“I’m learning that lighting control is a whole deal more complicated than your basic on/off switches that you usually find or think of when using lights,” notes Chen. “Most of the information I’m learning deals with ways of controlling lighting systems autonomously while trying to save as much power as possible, which in turn saves money.”

Lutron utilizes a variety of sensors such as infrared, ultrasound, and motion types. “This is primarily an electronics company, but I’m mainly helping to design the physical enclosures and user interfaces which these electronics go into,” says Chen. “It’s a very difficult job making sure parts fit together and stay within set tolerances.”

Chen points out that most of what Lutron makes is with injected molded plastic such as polycarbonate. “That in itself has its own standardized specifications and guidelines that we engineers must adhere to,” he says. “I’m learning how engineering projects are put together and managed. Teamwork is extremely important in engineering

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HUMAN RESOURCE

Elliott Group Lauren Ruschak is a student at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park campus, enrolled in the Smeal College of Business, finishing an undergraduate degree in marketing. “I am currently a last semester senior,” she says, “which means that I am graduating in December, the day before my twenty-second birthday.”

Last summer she interned for Elliott Group in Jeannette, PA, “which is right next to my hometown. I learned about the internship opportunity from a friend and applied through their website shortly thereafter. I was hired in the spring and began my internship in mid-May.” Ruschak’s experience makes a case for the value of non-engineering interns who may help bring insight about the energy sector to the general populous.

“If you would have asked me just six months ago if I knew what a steam turbine generator was I would’ve stared at you with a very blank and confused expression. Now that I have worked with Elliott, I have gained a much better understanding of steam turbine generators and their role in the energy sector. Steam turbine generators play a much-needed part in steam systems by taking steam that would have otherwise

BE

been wasted and turning it into valuable onsite electricity. It saves the company money and increases plant efficiency as well—something that is vital to power production for any company today.”

Ruschak also credits her summer as having given her valuable experience in the field of business-to-business marketing. “I have learned how to market to engineers as well as how to apply things that I learned in the classroom to my job.

I also now know some of the ins and outs of corporate America, and can consider myself prepared for almost anything once I graduate. All of this is thanks to my internship here at Elliott. A special thanks is due to my boss, Scott Wilshire, for giving me the opportunity and helping me every step of the way.” BE Carol Brzozowski specializes in topics related to energy and technology.

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practice. I more or less understand now why companies such as Lockheed need to hire thousands of engineers. It all can’t be done by a few people.”

He says his internship means a lot to him. “It’s my first opportunity to gain real experience working with full-time industry veterans,” he says, adding that he believes it will open doors to more internships, and eventually, a career.

“I don’t have any previous experience, so it has been difficult to obtain an internship in the past few years,” says Chen. “Having good connections with people is necessary if your resume is not impressive, which the case with me was.”

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All photos: Ronald McDonald House

GUEST COMMEN TA RY

Cogen at the Ronald McDonald House in New York City

W

hat began in 1974 as a Shamrock Shakedriven fundraiser to help families with sick children is today a network of 322 Ronald McDonald Houses in 57 countries. The first Ronald McDonald House (RMH), in Philadelphia, PA, was meant to serve as a “home away from home” for families spending time in the city for cancer treatment.

More than 35 years later, that focus remains; each house is a comfortable safe haven in close proximity to pediatric medical care. The New York City (NYC) location is the largest facility of its type in the world.

NYC’s Ronald McDonald House New York, located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is unique because it’s near 19 cancer treatment and major medical centers. The 13-story brick building provides temporary housing to as many as 84 families and was built in 1989. Though living space within

BY DAN VASTYAN

the 70,000 square-foot structure is modern, the systems that served it were original until last year.

“The boiler and chillers were past their life cycle,” says Ike Beyer, owner of Integrated HVAC Systems and Services Inc., the specialized, 30-person mechanical company that partnered with Rochester-based MEP engineering firm, Energy Concepts, for the design/build retrofit that materialized in 2014.

Energy Concepts also has an NYC office. “As a non-profit organization, the project’s payback and sustainability were equally important as the initial cost.”

Beyer worked with Chris Cafer, associate and senior mechanical engineer at Energy Concepts to design and install new systems at RMH. Both Energy Concepts and Integrated have LEED and CSBA (National Sustainable Building Advisor Program) accredited professionals on staff, and were early adopters of combined heat and power (CHP)—or cogeneration technology. Decades of experience would ultimately lead Business Energy January | February 2016 41

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G U E S T C O M M E N TA RY to a solution that surpassed facility managers’ expectations of comfort and sustainability.

“From the inception of this project, the goal was to better serve children and families battling cancer,” says Mel Farrell, BSEE, Chief Engineer at RMH New York.

“As such, we hand-selected the team who would move it forward.

Energy Concepts has designed over 80 cogeneration plants in New York State ranging from 75 kW to 10 MW, and Integrated has flawlessly maintained our facility for years. Ike was a Navy submariner. To say he’s meticulous is an understatement.”

At every step, Farrell was intimately involved with the renovation. His understanding of the building and its existing systems was invaluable.

The Ronald McDonald House, New York, NY

“If” Before “How” In 2011, long before any plans for a retrofit were drawn up, Energy Concepts began a feasibility study to determine if a CHP plant would be right for Ronald McDonald House New York, or if an in-kind equipment replacement offered better value.

“All applications are different, based on energy use trends and the physical structures themselves,” explains Cafer, who spends several days each week at the firm’s Brooklyn office. “We took a holistic approach; energy models were developed based on past use and projected costs.” The study was funded in part by NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority).

After two years of research and data collection, it was determined that onsite cogeneration equipment would provide the heating, cooling, and DHW loads while supplying 95% of the building’s power needs.

“Making the changes necessary to convert to a CHP system would have yielded a seven or eight-year payback,” says Cafer. “But the charity wanted to make huge strides toward sustainability, occupant comfort and cost avoidance, so the decision was made to remove nearly

all old mechanical components and start with a clean slate. This only pushed the retrofit’s simple payback out three more years, which is very impressive.”

Both Beyer and Cafer will attest to the growing adoption of CHP technology in the Big Apple; up nearly 400% in the past decade. Cafer explains that Hurricane Sandy stirred great interest in cogen. While much of the grid was down, several buildings they worked in continued operation as usual, courtesy of well-designed CHP systems.

“Cogen has always made sense,” he says. “But with cheap natural gas, costly power, and an overtaxed electric grid in NYC, it makes more sense now than ever.”

CHP unit loop from the building’s various needs for heat.

Three loads draw from the heat exchanger: DHW production, the building’s two-pipe fan coil units when in heating mode, and three new, 50-ton Yazaki absorption chillers on the 12th floor. “Absorption chillers are the nearest thing to a magic box,” says Cafer. “You put hot water in and get chilled water out.”

The chiller’s unique Lithium Bromide absorption technology lends itself perfectly to CHP applications.

During the shoulder seasons, there’s potential for the CHP unit to produce more thermal energy than the facility needs. In the event there’s excess heat, there’s a dry cooler on the roof for heat rejection.

“Being that the absorption chillers are now the only source of cooled water, both the heating and cooling elements in the building are entirely dependent on a source of hot water,” explains Beyer. “During maintenance of the CHP unit, or in the unlikely event of failure, we needed complete redundancy in the form of condensing boilers.

This is the case with almost every cogen application.”

A pair of Laars NeoTherm condensing boilers provides double redundancy.

The larger, at 1.7 MMBTU, more than matches the output of the CHP unit. It

Hardware Integrated HVAC Systems and Services installed a natural gasfired IntelliGen CHP unit on the roof of the 13-story building. The pre-packaged unit combines a roughly-600-HP, 12-cylinder reciprocating Workers on the roof engine with a 250-kW generator to produce power for the building. Heat from the alone is able to condition the building engine—up to 1.5 million BTU under regardless of the season. The second, 1 full load—is rejected into a large platemillion BTU boiler is in place for furand-frame heat exchanger, isolating the ther peace of mind. If the CHP unit is

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turned off for any reason, the boilers fire or letting comfort levels drop. Their sectogether, each modulating to roughly ond largest challenge, without a doubt, 50% to meet design load. was working within the small, existing “The contribution of the boilers in mechanical spaces. this situation is critical, even more so “Because the project started in heatthan in a conventional heating applicaing season, we began to demolish the old tion,” says Don Rathe, president of Rathe chillers on the 12th floor while the existAssociates, the manufacturer’s represen- ing boilers in the basement remained tative firm whose professionals helped online,” says Beyer. “Meanwhile, the to specify components for the hydronic CHP unit, new boilers and chillers were system and supplied the boilers. “In all rigged to the roof at one time.” addition to carrying the heating and Once the old chillers were removed, snowmelt loads, the cooling system would also go down if the boilers failed to run.”

“Given the physical state of some of the children at RMH, the role of the boilers becomes essential to their health and year-round comfort conditioning,” adds Rathe. “This was a key reason for specification of the NeoTherms, systems we’ve found them to be extremely reliable.”

Integrated also replaced the building’s existing domestic hot water equipment with two 85-gallon instantaneous, indirect-fired water heaters. A new BAS simplifies the otherwise complex systems, and a snowmelt zone outside now keeps guests safe and eliminates costly winter sidewalk maintenance.

Lighting throughout the structure was updated with LED fixtures, a joint project between Integrated and IESG-NY (Innovative Energy Solutions Group–New York), and also partially funded by NYSERDA. NeoTherm system at RMH Needless to say, the twophase project was formidable, but everyone involved had realistic timethe CHP and absorption chillers were installed in time for cooling season, at line expectations when work began in which point the old boilers were broken December of 2013. down and hauled out. The downstairs boiler room then became a pump room, Maintaining Operation supplying almost all circulation for the “Unfortunately, cancer doesn’t take entire structure. All heat exchangers and a year off for building upgrades,” says Beyer. “Patients and families still DHW production equipment are here needed a place to stay, and the need as well. to maintain a clean, quiet building “Farrell wanted the very best equipthroughout the duration of the project ment money could buy; efficiency and rose above all else.” dependability were his key concern,” With all rooms full, Beyer, Cafer, explains Cafer. “Ike and I had to figure and Farrell faced the monumental task out how to make it all fit.” Given their of renovating three systems without small footprint, high efficiency, and Beydisplacing occupants from a single room er’s familiarity with the NeoTherm line,

the boiler selection process was brief.

“We’ve used Laars boilers for years now, even in conjunction with other CHP projects,” says Beyer. “I have yet to encounter an issue that hasn’t been resolved with a short phone call to the rep, Rathe Associates.

Control and comfort Over the summer, 2,200 square feet of sidewalks and approach in front of the main entrance were removed and repoured, but not before PEX was tied down to provide a snowmelt solution. For this portion of the project, Rathe donated material, while Integrated donated manpower to ensure safe winter passage for all guests.

After walking over the clear sidewalk and into the building’s lobby, visitors can now interact with a screen that displays all the mechanical components and how they cooperate to meet the energy needs within the building.

The display screen also shows energy use and production in realtime, courtesy of a full BACnet control system made by Reliable Controls.

Among other things, the new controls were necessary to operate the final component of the retrofit, which is still in the planning phases and slated to begin later this year.

“We’re looking to replace the existing two-pipe fan coils with a four-pipe system,” explains Beyer.

“It’s more than just an energy consideration; it offers precise control for optimal comfort. The kids staying here are going through chemo and radiation therapy. Some might feel hot while others are shivering. A four-pipe system will allow us to provide heat to one room and air conditioning to the next.”

“Every part of this project has come together perfectly,” says Farrell. “The new fan coils are the final element. This renovation means that for many years to come, the NYC facility is going to continue serving families in some of their darkest hours. BE Dan Vastyan writes about plumbing,

HVAC, and related industries.

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PROJECT PROFIL E

Ohio Recreational Center Boosts Bottom Line With CHP

BY CHRISTIAN MUELLER

C

ombined heat and power (CHP) systems are one of today’s most efficient, reliable and cost-effective approaches to electricity and thermal energy generation. By simultaneously producing both from the same fuel source, CHP is a smart solution for businesses seeking to control heating, lighting, and cooling costs. In addition to cost-effectiveness, CHP systems provide benefits that not only serve the individual facility of service, but also reach the communities in which they operate by offering large-scale energy efficiency improvements.

iStock/NicoElNino

Cogen In-Depth Because CHP systems require less fuel than separate heat and power systems, a reduction in operating cost, despite rising energy cost, is guaranteed. CHP systems use a diverse set of fuels and can typically be found in four market clusters—biogas, landfill, and wastewater treatment; natural gas non-CHP; and natural gas CHP. Each has its unique attributes and applications: Biogas. Methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted in the United States, so there is an emphasis to reduce the amount that escapes to the atmosphere, particularly among farmers. With anaerobic digesters, farms are able to produce biogas from dairy, livestock, and food waste to generate energy.

Electricity is the main energy produced in this application —either for self-consumption or to feed to the grid.

Landfill and wastewater treatment. Large amounts of methane are produced in landfills and wastewater treatment plants. Instead of burning this gas in a flare, it can be used in a CHP system to produce electricity.

Natural gas non-CHP. Peaking plants, independent power producers, industrial facilities, and any other requirement for electric onsite power generation can produce electricity more cost-effectively using CHP than purchasing it from the utility. With independence from the grid and reduced total life cycle costs, CHP systems are often critical for the economics of onsite generation.

Natural gas CHP. A CHP system is well suited to consistently provide for the energy needs of most commercial build-

ings, industrial facilities, health care facilities, shopping malls, greenhouses, hotels, condominiums, and universities, which have a significant year-round demand for heating, cooling, and electricity. Total efficiency of a CHP system can exceed 90% in these applications.

The benefits offered by CHP have helped the technology gain traction in the United States; however, the cogeneration process is not new. The principle has been put to use for nearly 135 years as a way to conserve resources. In 1882, Thomas Edison’s first electric generating plant—the Pearl Street Station in New York City—used waste heat from the plant’s steam engines to provide heating for nearby buildings. By supplying both heat and power, Edison was able to achieve an overall efficiency of 50%.

In recent years, use of CHP technology has increased steadily in the United States due to growing efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. Recognizing the underutilization of CHP as an energy resource in the United States, the Obama Administration issued a goal of achieving 40 GW of new CHP site installations by 2020. If accomplished, CO2 emissions will be reduced by 150 million metric tons annually, energy users will save $10 billion per year, and the country’s CHP capacity will increase to 50%.

Historically, CHP was reserved for very large facilities. According to a report published in 2012 by the US Department of Energy and EPA, approximately 3,700 industrial and commercial facilities exist in the US. Today, smaller facilities such as hospitals, hotels, or school buildings are starting to reap the benefits of utilizing heat that would otherwise be wasted from the production of electricity.

Searching for Sustainability It is estimated that Ohio has 54 CHP installations in the state totalling over 500,000 kW. With approximately 10 incentives for cogeneration, including the Advanced Energy Fund, the Advanced Energy Stimulus Program and the Energy Loan Fund, Ohio is helping drive growth in the CHP market as they strive to reduce energy usage and increase efficiency

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Fo Re re gis ste te rU r to niv d er ay sit @ y.n et !

W Ne eb w in ar !

through a long-term strategy.

“MTU Onsite Energy has seen an uptick in interest and installations in Ohio recently, particularly from municipalities,” says Kevin McKinney, senior sales manager at MTU Onsite Energy. “For example, Medina High School has saved more than $80,000 in annual utility costs with the help of a compact natural gas-powered Series 400 CHP.” The Dublin Community Recreation Center (DCRC) joins Medina High School in their utilization of MTU Onsite Energy’s cogeneration technology. Located about 20 miles north of Columbus, the DCRC is an 110,000-square-foot facility that caters to a community of 43,000 people. Housing three pools, classrooms, a community hall, a theatre, a gymnasium, and other meeting rooms, the DCRC offers classes and activities to children, teens and adults throughout the year.

DCRC began its search for an environmentally friendly solution to power and heat its facility and began examining a number of options, including solar power. In the end, an IGS Generation LLC and Hull & Associates Inc. CHP proposal, which included an MTU Onsite Energy Series 400 CHP system, was selected. The system, which is owned by IGS, was co-developed by IGS and Hull and is completely customized to the specific needs of the DCRC. W. W. Williams, an authorized MTU Onsite Energy Gas Systems distributor, was chosen to install the system in March 2014 and the project was com-

pleted and commissioned in May 2015.

“The DCRC was an ideal location for installing the CHP technology due to its high coincidental electric and thermal loads,” says Tom Drake, gas and power systems manager at W. W. Williams.

The Series 400 CHP uses waste heat from the engine to provide thermal energy to heat the indoor pools and provide other hot water needs at the DCRC, as well as producing heat for the facility. Annually, the unit will average about 8,000 operational hours and will produce approximately 2,000,000 kWh per year, supplying around 50% of the annual electric requirement of the DCRC. The unit, which produces 248 kWe, is nearly twice as efficient as traditional power generation and is designed to operate independently and also reduces the operational usage of the boiler system extending its lifecycle. Serving also as backup power to the facility’s four existing HVAC units, the DCRC is able to be used as a community shelter in the event of extended outages, offering peace of mind to those who call Dublin, OH, home. BE Christian Mueller has more than 10 years of experience in power generation. As the sales engineer at MTU Onsite Energy, he’s responsible for gas power and CHP cogeneration systems in the North America region.

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GUEST COMMEN TA RY

Combined Heat and Power Woodard & Curran

YOUR ORGANIZATION’S ENERGY RESILIENCY SOLUTION?

BY DAN KELLEY

T

here are thousands of reported power outages each year. The largest cause of these interruptions is severe weather. Manufacturers need to determine how long they can go without production or supply basic functions like heating and cooling, or other essential services when the next big storm hits. When power delivery failure occurs, many facilities will not be ready to serve their community or their customers. To measure the impact of power lost on operations, the industry is starting to use a new key performance indicator—loss of revenue (LOR)—to aid in the financial analysis of projects.

Facilities with distributed energy resources—the ability to generate power where it is used—that support some form of backup power or full microgrid capability will be able to deliver fundamental needs when centralized generators that

serve the grid are shut down, or when transmission is disabled.

Organizations are turning to combined heat and power (CHP) for a proven and effective approach to reducing risk to electricity supply disruptions, providing low-cost onsite electricity generation, and implementing environmental benefits.

While a majority of CHP systems are found at industrial and commercial facilities, the systems can also be found at hospitals, hotels, apartment buildings, and college campuses.

Facilities with CHP systems typically maintain a connection to the centralized power grid and receive some power from the local power utility to meet peak demand requirements, for backup reliability, or to supply power during planned maintenance of the CHP system. However, CHP systems can be set up to operate independently from the grid, which would allow a facility to operate partially or completely (depending on the design) during a local or regional power grid outage.

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The Economics of Choosing CHP A typical CHP system can operate at approximately 85–90% efficiency, as opposed to the 45% efficiency of traditional boiler- and powerplant-generated heat and electricity.

The energy efficiency from a CHP solution comes from recovering the heat that would normally be wasted while generating power to supply heating or cooling needs.

Moreover, since power is produced onsite, transmission and distribution losses from the electric utility through the grid (on average 7%) are also avoided. Greater efficiency also means a net reduction of CO2 emissions and other pollutants, producing a significant environmental benefit.

CHP systems are usually installed at facilities in areas where utility-delivered electricity rates are high, fuel costs are low, and the facility has needs for both electricity and thermal energy. Project economics are often compelling where a heat application can be found as part of a CHP project. A CHP system is designed to match the thermal or electrical load at a facility. When it is the former, any excess or lack of electrical power can be delivered to or purchased from the grid. It is also possible to design a system that not only delivers heat, but also can use an absorption cycle chiller to convert hot thermal output from the CHP plant to a chilled water supply for use in cooling.

Where applicable, combining federal, local, and state incentives and resiliency funding with utility rebates, forward capacity payments, and energy credits can yield simple paybacks that are as low as two years.

Furthermore, by creating greater independence from the centralized grid, facilities are better able to weather energy price volatility.

Conducting a Feasibility Analysis EPA and Department of Energy (DOE) outline three primary tasks for a Level 1 feasibility analysis. The first task is to identify barriers. In this task, the recommendation is to determine any uncontrollable factors that prevent or impede the installation of a CHP system. For example, an organization may have an existing contract for power that prevents or makes impractical distributed power generation.

The next task is the development of conceptual engineering. In this step, an organization should look at estimated electric and thermal loads at the site. The objective here is to propose a system that provides the greatest efficiency and cost savings. Several approaches may make sense, but generally, thermal base loading is the objective.

The final task, a preliminary economic analysis, looks at equipment pricing, estimated fuel use, energy savings, installation costs, and other financial factors. A critical factor for many facilities is an estimation of the payback period.

A Real-World CHP Example A Fortune 100 beverage client engaged Woodard & Curran to be part of the team to identify an opportunity to collect gas from a nearby-decommissioned landfill and convert the methane into energy. The firm completed a feasibility study and engineering design for a cogeneration system to produce electricity, heat energy, and chill water, which helped the client achieve its two-pronged goal of creating a process that is financially intelligent and environmentally conscious.

Woodard & Curran was part of a multi-discipline project team that worked with the client to design, engineer, and oversee the construction of a 6.6-MW CHP system. To begin, the design team reviewed the facility’s current energy consumption and outlined future potential patterns to determine facility demands. The analysis included a supply-demand capacity analysis showing chilled water demands. The team also analyzed potential equipment solutions and determined a reciprocating engine would be the most effective method of providing energy to the facility.

The CHP system includes three industrial size engines, each capable of producing 2.2 MW of electricity to offset the process load energy required for an onsite plastic molding process. In addition, three large heat recovery steam generators take engine exhaust gas from the CHP system to generate steam. This steam is then piped into the facility for facility process HVAC use. The steam is also piped to a steam-driven turbine chiller, which cools water used in facility process and the HVAC system.

Considering Boiler Replacement?

There are a number of issues that lead facility operators to consider boiler replacement, such as increased maintenance costs for older boilers, new regulations that require investments in existing infrastructure (e.g., EPA’s Major Source Boiler MACT requirements), efficiency or sustainability objectives, or steam demands that exceed a current boiler’s capacity.

According to EPA, nearly one-half of boilers with a capacity greater than 10 MMBTU per hour operating in the US are at least 40 years old. A facility may be a good candidate for a CHP solution if there is a plan to replace, upgrade, or retrofit central plant equipment or boilers and/or complete a facility expansion within the next three to five years.

It’s important to note that replacing a coal- or oil-fired boiler with a natural gas-fired boiler or CHP system may require an emissions assessment and a modification of a facility’s air permit.

Conclusion: The Outlook for CHP According to the DOE, more than two-thirds of the fuel used Business Energy January | February 2016 47

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G U E S T C O M M E N TA RY to generate power in the US is lost as heat. The DOE and EPA also report that while only 8% of electric power generated comes from CHP systems, it saves users an astonishing $5 billion each year in energy costs. There is the potential in this country to do a lot more. Countries such as Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands generate 30% of their power from CHP systems.

Despite being a proven technology, CHP remains underutilized. A number of obstacles hinder the implementation of cost-effective CHP, such as current market conditions, technical barriers, and emissions regulations that don’t recognize the efficiency of CHP. More needs to be done to publicize the benefits of CHP, and the government is beginning to step into that role.

The federal government has set a goal to achieve 40 GW of new CHPproduced power by 2020. This would increase total CHP capacity by 50%, reduce emissions by the equivalent of taking 25 million cars off the road, save

CHP is a practical means for facilities to generate cleaner energy and reduce energy costs. manufacturers and companies $10 billion each year, and save 1 quadrillion BTUs of energy annually, which represents 1% of all energy use in the US. In addition, a number of states have initiated incentive programs for CHP. For example, in Massachusetts, the Green Communities Act of 2008 created incentives for CHP projects. California, New York, and New Jersey have similar programs, and many states recognize CHP in one form or another as part of their Renewable Portfolio Standards or Energy Resource Standards. EPA provides an online database that allows users to search for CHP policies and incentives by state or at the federal level.

Organizations that provide criti-

cal resources yet experience frequent power outages, or are vulnerable to severe weather-related outages, are good candidates for distributed generation solutions, such as CHP. Furthermore, CHP systems improve power resilience by providing low-cost onsite electricity generation, limiting congestion, enabling load reduction, and offsetting transmission losses. These benefits, and more, indicate that CHP is a practical means for facilities to generate cleaner energy and reduce energy costs. BE Dan Kelley is a Senior Vice President

and Service Line Leader for Energy and Power Engineering services at Woodard & Curran in Portland, ME.

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48 www.BusinessEnergy.net

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GUEST COMMEN TA RY

Beyond Reporting to Energy Intelligence

BY PIETER NOORDAM

E

ver-increasing energy costs erode businesses’ profit margins, and traditional energy reports aren’t providing actionable answers. To make effective changes, organizations require accurate and timely energy data that measures performance against corporate goals. That’s an extremely costly and error-prone challenge for organizations of nearly any size. Data being reported by energy management systems is collected in isolated silos with no plan to solve the original goal of allowing for simple and immediate understanding energy use and costs.

Advanced IT now supports myriad business functions, from manufacturing processes, to sales, inventory control, human resources, and marketing. Tracking and analyzing data provides the insights needed to increase productivity and save money. Yet, the billions of dollars spent annually by enterprises on energy costs remains uncontrolled and haphazardly

benchmarked. This is due to the fragmented state of energy management software, often owned or operated by different divisions within a company or different companies within a building. Furthermore, data-generating software from different suppliers is typically not designed to work in unison with or serve corporate IT systems. Now a fresh approach mitigates the problems, quantifying energy data financially and providing the insights to help businesses devise optimal solutions.

What’s Broken Controlling the ever-increasing cost of energy and the processes that create environmental impact is critical to long-term business success. Therefore, organizations require accurate and timely data to measure performance against their corporate goals. Government and shareholder-mandated improvement indicators drive the need for visibility into Business Energy January | February 2016 49

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G U E S T C O M M E N TA RY energy efficiency and reliability. However, according to a 2013 LNS Research study, 39% of respondents listed energy metrics as the top challenge in meeting energy efficiency goals.

Building management system (BMS) suppliers claim to provide integrated, single-source solutions. Unfortunately, the critical data being collected isn’t being integrated back to the business process—it’s still in a silo. There’s no plan to solve the end-customer’s original problem. Collected EMS and BMS data still doesn’t answer simple questions about the reliability, cost, impact, performance, and efficiency of the customer’s operation.

All this big data still isn’t answering some essential questions about the corporate energy picture, including: • How much will the utility bill be at the end of the month?

• How reliable is our power?

• What impact does our power supply have on our operations?

• Are our utility suppliers performing to service level agreements?

• Are we using energy efficiently?

• What’s the ROI on last year’s energy efficiency retrofits?

• What’s the impact of changing utility providers?

Many existing, so-called “energy intelligence” offerings rely merely on utilities’s meters and billing data; essentially they are repackaging the utility-provided data. The status quo of energy “dashboards” relying on utilities’ data and billing information cannot accurately confirm utility billing data or performance. Those “dashboards” create nice graphics, but offer no viable means to truly audit utility bills and performance.

What does a dashboard do for your overall business intelligence? Can your dashboard provide information on your utility provider’s quality of service? Can it help your Ops team understand Power Quality events with information on sag/swell, duration, magnitude, and total harmonic distortion (THD)? Can it help the Finance Department understand the corporate energy investment? That information is out there and ready to be analyzed and

understood, if you can extract it from the various silos and communicate it across the organizational boundaries.

Success Strategies I’m advocating a revolutionary change—using the power of information technology to deliver answers to large business-critical energy consumers’ problems. This approach demands leveraging the large installed base of energy meters and energy management systems to transform the collected silos of energy data into a wealth of “golden” information enabling intelligent business decision-making.

Simply coordinating the installed base of metering, EMS, and BMS assets with modern IT tools can consolidate these data silos, and then allocate the information in ways that are usable to provide the answers customers need to measure the reliability, cost, impact, performance, and efficiency of their operations. Independent third parties providing such services can also offer unbiased performance validation to customers, utilities, and government agencies for energy efficiency investments.

Instead of relying on the utilities’ meters and billing data, or requiring a new metering infrastructure, why not apply an organization’s existing energy and power monitoring system (EPMS) to provide utility-independent, revenue-grade, real-time data necessary for true energy intelligence? Besides creating an effectively independent and accurate alternative to utility-based systems, such an approach will allow for information on the utility supplier’s quality of service as well. Existing energy intelligence offerings aren’t addressing all aspects of a facility’s energy picture. To truly provide “intelligence”, they must!

Ironically, mining the energy data being collected by the large metering infrastructure that businesses have already invested in, when connected to the right IT tools, provides a clear, timely understanding of energy use, costs and quality-of-service. This approach aligns incentives from operations and financial personnel by reducing consumption and cost while improving quality.

Behold—The Virtual Meter Employing modern IT tools enables virtual metering techniques which aggregate meter data and can do so across business functions, departments, and projects. Doing this eliminates tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone spreadsheets. Any number or combination of physical electrical meters located throughout various facilities are mathematically aggregated as several virtual meter groups or accounts. A virtual meter clearly defines the energy consumption to be attributed to each department, building, project, and important key performance indicators (KPIs) like power usage effectiveness (PUE) or data center infrastructure efficiency (DCiE). By monitoring energy consumption at the device, department, and enterprise level, identifying energysaving opportunities is made quite clear.

By applying cloud computing data integration techniques, energy use and cost forecasting can tie the meter data to the actual utility tariff billed at that meter, regardless of where it is or what it is metering. Reports gleaned from the existing utility-independent metering data on energy use and cost can be revenue-grade accurate. Financial features would also include a tool to accrue and reconcile the forecast to the actual bill.

Real “Energy Intelligence Solutions” should also calculate “unbundled” bills if your company purchases energy independent of a utility. The proposed approach is simply a better way of managing utility bills and checking the utility bills for accuracy. But the benefits go much further.

The Path to True Energy Use Visibility When effective software tools are employed to analyze data from existing meters, EMS and BMS installations, and that data is indexed with a centralized report server, real intelligence becomes possible. With those IT capabilities in place, an analytics system can deliver customized reports to the interested parties with immediate answers. This information is easily understood, and accessible anywhere, anytime. With such a system in play, all the following highly

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From Reports to Intelligence Imagine data from your company’s EPMS aggregated with utility tariff data, formatted into responsibilityspecific KPIs and delivered in real-time to a Web portal for all appropriate employees and business partners to view? Take it further: Download all your energy and power metrics with a single click using standard or customized reports to meet your organization’s various needs, like consolidating meters and sites into a single report. Some other potential benefits of accessing and applying your company’s big data energy meter investment could also include: • Editing reports to suit your organization’s various departmental requirements • Saving reports for future use or automatically scheduling report generation and delivery • Comparing energy use between multiple sites and against historical data for each one • Using the reports to help identify variances and problem areas based on historical data or custom settings • Reconciling utility bills with an accrual and reconciliation engine Conclusion These are among the host of outcomes

that grow out of mining, integrating, and analyzing what was once siloed data from your installed EPMS infrastructure, thus moving from spreadsheets to actionable information. The essential innovation investment is information technology unveiling the isolated metering data which provides insights and cost control capabilities that cannot be gained from utilityprovided reporting. Then organiza-

New On-Demand Webcasts!

tions can capture clear, simple, timely, actionable intelligence about their energy costs, consumption and qualityof-service. The data is there from the metering investment you already made.

Apply it to solving problems! BE Pieter Noordam is CEO at Alchemy

Unlimited, the Campbell, CA-based expert in strategies for creating energy intelligence.

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desirable analytical benefits and more become available: Forecasting- Know what your energy use and costs will be long before you get the bills.

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Accountability- Provide an independent source of accurate data to enable you to truly audit utility bills and hold suppliers accountable for quality of service.

Aggregation– Get the big picture view with the granularity of data you wish. Understand energy use and cost by facility, region, project, department, or product.

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GUEST COMMEN TA RY

Maximizing Energy Savings

by Leveraging Peak Demand Energy Management

F

BY IFTY HASAN

or small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that want to maximize their energy savings, it pays to know when, during the course of the business day, energy prices will be at their highest, because reducing consumption at those critical times during the day makes the greatest impact on saving money on energy.

This is called peak management, and with Open Automated Demand Response (OpenADR) 2.0, the technology is now available to enable all types of SMBs to create a successful automated peak demand energy management program.

OpenADR builds on decades-old demand response (DR) programs originally offered by utilities to their large and primarily commercial and industrial (C&I) customers. Demand response is one way utilities have attempted to reduce energy consumption at times of peak demand—when usage comes dangerously close to the total amount of electricity a utility can produce. Utilities would get voluntary commitments from their largest customers to reduce their energy usage either

voluntarily, by contractual obligation, or through select incentive programs.

Traditionally, demand response would involve a utility calling customers enrolled in their program by phone to make an energy reduction request, and those customers who could reduce their energy would do so. Historically, demand response programs were a very time-consuming and manual process, which is one of the main reasons why utilities focused these programs on just a handful of their largest users.

It’s also the reason why traditional demand response has not been a viable solution for the more than two million SMBs throughout the US, including the food service, health care, retail, and service businesses that are consuming a significant amount of energy per square foot, often the result of inefficient appliances and systems. These SMBs waste a significant amount of energy and have relatively high energy bills, but it’s not feasible for the utility to proactively call them.

OpenADR was created to provide automated demand response technology for SMBs. The OpenADR specification

52 www.BusinessEnergy.net

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includes a dedicated set of communication protocols that provide a two-way data flow between the utility provider and their business customers, allowing utilities to send signals about electricity price, and system grid reliability and availability directly to customers over networks such as the Internet.

But OpenADR 2.0 also provides these businesses with real-time data on when their energy rates are at their daily peak so that these businesses can automatically, through an energy management system (EMS), or manually, reduce their energy usage.

Although OpenADR 2.0 provides the data that is required for peak management programs for SMBs, complete program execution requires a dedicated staff trained in energy management, with the ability to respond quickly to the price fluctuations.

For many businesses, the requirement of allocating dedicated internal resources to manage energy is a difficult hurdle.

A new class of service is emerging that provides this level of expertise along with the EMS needed in a facility. Dubbed energy management as a service (EMaaS), these new capabilities have emerged as a solution to help SMBs leverage the cloud, wireless networks, and data analytics to benefit greatly from peak management—without hiring additional internal resources or staff to administer and support.

Businesses are growing more comfortable with cloud-

based services, with some 90% of businesses now utilizing the “cloud” and software as a service (SaaS) solutions for dayto-day business operations such as bill payment, work order management, and facility maintenance services, to name a few.

EMaaS builds on the SaaS business model by combining data from a facility’s EMS with a dedicated support team that proactively monitors all of the facility energy data including the data from utilities on peak energy pricing.

With EMaaS-based peak management, a business owner and/or their facility team can effectively optimize their ongoing systems to reduce their energy costs by eliminating energy waste in addition to initiating peak management programs for added energy savings.

Energy management provides an easy cost savings for most businesses. Lighting, heating, and air conditioning and other equipment can typically be optimized to reduce usage and cost. In addition to the bottom line benefit of these changes, energy management also results in a positive impact on the environment and can be turned into a message that resonates with customers. Peak management leverages energy management combined with Open ADR technology to significantly maximize energy savings. BE Ifty Hasan is a cofounder of EnTouch Controls and serves as CTO and contributing member to the OpenADR Alliance.

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GGUEST UEST COMMENTA COMMEN TARY RY

Can Your Windows Do This?

T

here are many options to choose from when it comes to improving commercial building performance and reducing utility costs without breaking the bank. While investing in energy efficiency initiatives is a smart business move in most cases, it’s also important to find a balance between a project’s upfront costs and the expected return on your investment.

It’s not often that making just one change to a facility can impact several areas of energy efficiency, but highperformance, low-e window film gives engineering managers that chance.

Window film has been on the scene for decades; most energy efficiency experts know that window film can help control solar heat gain and reduce glare. But the right window film can offer several other performance and energy-saving benefits as well.

Photos: Eastman Chemical

Installing high-performance, low-e window film on existing windows is one energy efficiency improvement that offers several opportunities for savings. BY STEVE DEBUSK

Increase Insulating Power of Existing Windows The US Department of Energy declares that 25 to 35% of wasted energy in a commercial building is due to inefficient windows. But there’s good news: You can make existing windows more efficient without having to replace them.

Almost like adding more insulation to walls or the ceiling, high-performance window film may add as much as 92% more insulating power to existing windows. As long as windows are in good condition (no cracks, moisture or leakage issues, or structural integrity problems), installing low-e film can give single-pane windows the same insulating performance as double-pane windows.

It can offer double-pane windows the same insulating performance as triplepane windows.

Not only can this insulation help in warm months to keep solar heat gain at bay, but it can also help in cooler months when reducing heat loss is key to providing comfortable temperatures for occupants. Today’s new high-performance, low-e window film improves window insulation year-round in all types of regions and climates.

Reduce Artificial Lighting Needs Despite the notion that window film may make spaces too dark and intensify interior lighting needs, it can actually do the opposite.

A study at the University of Padua in Italy examined the MG Tower’s use of window film and its impact on lighting.

This modern high-rise office was running up-to-date HVAC systems and had low-e glazing on its new windows. However, occupants were still feeling the effects of solar heat gain and glare: uncomfortable

temperatures, difficulty completing tasks due to impaired visual clarity, etc.

The study’s research team found that window film installation addressed these problems, and also provided a significant increase in the amount of available useful daylight. Unlike curtains and blinds (which can make spaces too dark and increase artificial lighting requirements), window film controls which UV rays enter through windows. By regulating the levels of heat and light passing through the glass, natural light can still enter without occupants needing to worry about exposure to UV radiation, glare, etc. With this increase in incoming natural light, artificial lighting systems may be able to remain off or be dimmed, which can also reduce HVAC loads.

Prolong HVAC System Lifecycle To improve efficiency, many energy consultants suggest reducing heating or

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cooling loads as an inexpensive A Smart Way to Save Energy first step. This may allow your High-performance, low-e window existing HVAC system to operfilm is a cost-effective option to ate less frequently, which lowconsider if a green building investers operating costs and extends ment is in your future. A current equipment lifecycle by preventConSol study of California building premature HVAC upgrades ings pinpoints window film as the or replacements. most cost-effective solution for One way to better manage energy savings and reducing carheating and cooling loads is to bon footprints, when compared to control solar heat gain entering other energy efficiency improvea building. In fact, the California ments, such as air-leak sealing Energy Commission estimates and caulking, adding R-38 ceiling that 40% of a commercial buildinsulation, or updating HVAC Window film application ing’s cooling requirements occur systems. as a result of solar heat gain The right window film can through windows. By improving provide an impressive ROI, because Building Upgrade Manual, 5% of US window performance, you may also be it may prolong HVAC system life, electricity is put toward counteracting able to keep heating and cooling systems waste heat generated by artificial lighting improve the insulating power of existfrom running as long or as often, ultisystems. If the use of lighting is reduced, ing windows, and decrease the need for mately reducing loads. as discussed earlier, there is also a poten- artificial lighting. BE To prove this point (and to meatial to lower cooling loads. When artisure actual energy-efficiency savings Steve DeBusk is global energy solutions ficial lighting isn’t used as often, there from low-e window film), the Hyatt manager for the window film division at won’t be as much waste heat from the Regency Houston recently installed Eastman Chemical Company. lighting system. low-e window film in 48 of its guestrooms. These rooms were located on the southwest- and southeast-facing sides of the building since these were the rooms that received the most temperature complaints. Using an extensive sub-metering system, heating and cooling energy use were measured in the 48 rooms with window film; the data was then compared to heating and cooling use in 48 southwest- and southeast-facing guestrooms without window film.

The results were compiled by a third-party energy management consultant, and also verified by the local utility to help Hyatt Regency Houston qualify for a rebate. The results found that, in Consider yourself the Einstein rooms with window film, both heating of business energy? and cooling energy use decreased: heating energy use decreased by 25% and Bring expertise and entertainment cooling energy use decreased by 23%. to the table?

HVAC runtime was also significantly reduced; the HVAC system that once Apply today to join our faculty couldn’t keep guestrooms cool enough of energy experts! now provides enough cooling without retrofits or replacement. The hotel expects a full ROI in 3.6 years as a result of these energy savings.

Become a speaker at One other interesting note: According to the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR

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Business Energy January | February 2016 55

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Business Energy January | February 2016 57

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Reader Profile

BY CAROL BRZOZOWSKI

I

n his sustainability endeavors, George Nassos is driven by a philosophy first expressed by Stephen Grellet, French/American religious leader (17731855): “I expect to pass through the world but once.

Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Nassos is a consultant, teacher, project developer, and writer—he co-authored Practical Sustainability Strategies: How to Gain a Competitive Advantage (John Wiley & Sons).

He is also a principal with George P. Nassos & Associates in Glenview, IL, consulting in sustainable strategies and renewable energy systems and president of Sustainable Energy Systems, a company that develops and sells renewable energy systems.

What He Does Day to Day

Nassos currently spends his time consulting in environmental and social sustainability, energy efficiency, and renewable energy, and markets an onsite waste-to-energy technology. He is developing projects in biofuels production and converting coffee grounds to an efficient fertilizer.

Nassos is creating an executive certificate program in sustainability for a local university and an executive education Master’s program in sustainability for a Greek university, and writes a monthly newspaper article and blog. He teaches sustainability at the Quality Training Institute in Skokie, IL. Nassos is currently seeking a site and sponsor to install and demonstrate a highly efficient small wind turbine—one he says generates 45% more energy than a typical small wind turbine.

What Led Him to This Line of Work

When working for International Minerals and Chemicals Corp., one of Nassos’ assignments 38 years ago was to manage its European subsidiary in Germany. During the three years Nassos and his family lived there, he was exposed to numerous energy-efficient systems that even today are not normally seen in the US, he notes. Those experiences, as well as subsequent work with Waste Management’s Cemtech LP subsidiary as its fiber fuels division general manager, planted the seeds from which his interest in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and environmental sustainability grew. That interest was augmented by a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois and an M.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Northwestern University, from

George Nassos

which he also earned an MBA. That led him to pursue business opportunities.

Nassos was an associate industry professor and director of the M.S. in Environmental Management and Sustainability Program at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Stuart School of Business for 14 years. He also was the director for the Center for Sustainable Enterprise, a resource center advancing ecological and economic sustainability in the Chicago area.

What He Likes Best About His Work

Nassos says he has developed a “real passion for the environment” as he engaged in continuing education while teaching. “I have learned that over the past hundred years or so, the human population has degraded the environment faster than ever,” he says. “Today, we are consuming 50% more of the natural resources than the earth can regenerate. We are using one and one-half earths. At the rate we’re going, we will need two earths by 2030. I may not be here at that time, but I am concerned about my children and grandchildren, and, everyone else that will be on this earth.”

Based on his research, Nassos has made numerous presentations on the state of the environment. “Most of my presentations are depressing until I get into strategies that may mitigate these problems,” he says.

His Biggest Challenge

Nassos views his biggest challenge as convincing corporations to adopt practical sustainability strategies allowing them to gain, extend, or maintain a competitive advantage in such a way that doesn’t negatively impact the environment.

“Unfortunately, corporations—large or small—are more concerned with their quarterly earnings report and don’t look at the long term,” contends Nassos, adding that many company managers believe they satisfy stakeholders by appointing a chief sustainability officer.

“Unfortunately, that is not enough,” says Nassos. “Sustainability should not be the responsibility of one person or even a department. Nearly every employee should have some understanding of sustainability so it can be embedded in the company culture. In this manner, everyone can work together to achieve that goal. This requires corporate training in sustainability.” BE Carol Brzozowski writes on the topics of technology and industry.

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