PROFESSIONAL

PRACTICE
Commercial Building
R e - Tu n i n g C o u r s e

MAKES
Acknowledgements:

• The U.S. Department of Energy funded the

development of Building Re-Tuning Training

• Much of the content of the Building Re-Tuning

training was developed by the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory (PNNL)

• Additional content was added and modifications

were made by Penn State, Performance Systems
Development (PSD) and Facility Engineering
Associates

The Building Retuning Training was  developed by the Pacific Northwest National 
Laboratories (PNNL) in the state of Washington. PNNL is a national laboratory funded by 
the Department Of Energy (DOE).
The curriculum was further modified by Penn State, Performance Systems Development, 
Facility Engineering Associates and other partners, to refine the curriculum for the different 
environmental regions of the country. 

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Welcome & Introductions

• Introductions

• Agenda Review

• Binder Review

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Introduction of the participants to include job title and background.
• Your name?
• What do you do?
• How long have you been doing it?

An overview of the course
Day 1 – In class all day
Day 2 – Virtual building walk-through

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 • Gain understanding of what
building re-tuning is and how it
TRAINING
fits into your company’s energy
OBJECTIVE management program

• Learn how to re-tune buildings

The objective of this course is to provide an understanding of what building retuning is and 
the merits of building retuning to your facility and employer.

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Building Re-Tuning: Purpose

• Utilize field observation data and/or data from the building

automation system (BAS) to diagnose changes to
building O&M practices, repairs, and/or the BAS control
logic

• Improve the building’s energy efficiency and tenant

comfort

• Identify and correct no/low-cost operational problems that

lead to energy waste

• Identify problems that require physical repair such as

sensors or air dampers

The purpose of building retuning is to identify items that are causing your facility to waste 
energy. 

The focus is on “No Cost/Low Cost” energy wasting items.

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Building Re-tuning:
Basic Energy Management Principles

• If you don’t need it, turn it off

• If you don’t need it at full power, turn it down

• Make holistic energy decisions when adjusting systems

to the real building needs

• Save energy without negatively impacting the comfort of

the occupants

The basic premise is:

If you don’t need it, turn it off, if you don’t need it at full power turn it down.

Think about how the energy used by any one system affects all the other systems in the 
building.

You will find that the energy conserved by making a facility run more efficiently goes hand 
in hand with occupant comfort.

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What is Re-tuning?
Re-tuning is a systematic process of identifying and capitalizing
on operational opportunities at no or low cost

Two approaches developed by PNNL:

Observation-Driven Data-Driven

The two approaches developed by PNNL are Observation Driven and Data Driven, 
distinguished by the availability of data from a Building Automation System (BAS).

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 • Observation-driven – walk through of
building and equipment following a
checklist of visual and simple measurement
checks

• Guidance for BRT through BAS

BUILDING RE-TUNING: interface– check for and correct a limited
MULTIPLE PATHS set of operational control issues within the
building automation system (BAS)

• Data-driven – deeper investigation of many

and complex control issues from the BAS
and energy meters

There are several approaches to building retuning. Which one you choose may be 
dependent on the sophistication of the building in question.

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Observation-Driven Re-tuning

• The observation-driven (prescriptive) approach to

identify and correct no-cost or low-cost building
operational problems that lead to energy waste

• For buildings without, or limited BAS

• Typically less than 100,000 square feet
• Limited to observations
• Typically packaged HVAC equipment (rooftop units)

• Intended for: building operators, service providers,

control vendors

Many buildings have packaged units for heating and cooling with simple

air distribution, and are controlled by a zone thermostat. In these cases 
many of the recommendations for efficiency improvements will be 
prescriptive or observation driven.

Buildings with more complex HVAC systems come in two varieties for BRT 
strategy: those with BAS and those without. 

Buildings without BAS, but still with complex HVAC systems, require 
observation driven BRT.

Generally speaking, some of the topics covered in this building re‐tuning

training are often covered in training associated with energy auditing and
retro‐commissioning for small/medium‐sized commercial buildings

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Building Re-tuning: Observation-driven

• Applicable to all buildings but

most useful for smaller
commercial buildings with rooftop
HVAC equipment and no BAS

• Enables staff to diagnose

malfunctioning or broken
equipment and maintenance
issues

• Requires sufficient knowledge of

the equipment operation and the
schedules of the building

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The observation driven training focuses on prescriptive guidance for staff to identify issues 
as they walk through their facility.  It relies mostly on observations with some simple 
measurements.

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Building Re-tuning: BRT within the BAS Interface

• Applicable to buildings that are

controlled by a building
automation system (BAS)

• Enables staff to determine if a

limited set of the simpler re-tuning
measures are present

• Requires sufficient knowledge of

the equipment operation and the
schedules of the building, and
basic knowledge of and read-only
access to the BAS user interface

The BRT within the BAS Interface guidelines focus on enabling the operator to diagnose a 
subset of the re‐tuning measures directly within the BAS.  This can be a great entry point 
into re‐tuning, as the effort to learn and apply it are very small.

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Building Re-tuning: Data-Driven Analysis

• Applicable to buildings that are

controlled by a building automation
system (BAS)

• Enables staff to determine the

presence of a wide range of simple and
complex re-tuning measures

• Requires sufficient knowledge of the

equipment operation and the schedules
of the building, setting up and exporting
trend data (history of equipment’s set
points and performance) from the BAS,
as well as working in Excel

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The Data‐Driven Analysis enables staff to diagnose the full range of re‐tuning measures 
utilizing several weeks of recorded data from within the BAS and an analytic tool called 
ECAM to create charts of related data points over time. This allows the building operator to 
identify issues with system operation and interaction.

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Data-driven Re-tuning

• The data-driven approach: use the building’s BAS to identify

and correct building operational problems that lead to energy
waste

• For buildings with BAS

• Typically 100,000 square feet or more
• Front-end data drives re-tuning process

• Intended for: building operators, service

providers, control vendors

The data driven retuning approach is usually applied to large buildings with complex 
building automation systems. A comprehensive understanding of the building’s systems, 
the building automation system and Microsoft Excel is needed.

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 • Re-tuning skills can be developed in
almost any job skill set

• Low- to no-cost method for

BUILDING RE-TUNING: improving your building’s energy
WHY? performance and savings money

• Often results in improved tenant

comfort and fewer tenant complaints

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Why BRT?

Re‐Tuning is and will continue to be the new frontier of building operations.  

Re‐tuning skills can be developed in almost any job skill set, from custodial staff all the way 
to engineers.

As budgets reduce, resource‐challenged organizations will be looking to leverage employee 
skill sets in areas that improve operational efficiencies in all areas (energy reductions, 
reduced occupant complaints and extended equipment life).

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Life Cycle of Re-tuning

Time

ASHRAE estimates that a building loses around 3% efficiency each year. This slow upward 
trend of energy consumption in a building, away from initial commissioning, can be 
corrected through periodic building re‐tuning.

Re‐tuning is the process of returning a building to its initial or in many cases better than its 
original efficiency.

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 • Energy Savings (and GHG reductions)
• Cost Savings
BENEFITS OF BRT • Improved Tenant Comfort
• Improved Energy Ratings

Building retuning is intended to save energy, but there are other benefits inherent in 
energy savings:

• Lower carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions
• Operating cost savings
• Tenant comfort and satisfaction
• Potential recognition of energy savings

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Re-tuning Case Study:
Parmenter (Las Colinas Tower, Dallas, TX)

• In January 2014, with retuning experts

from the Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory (PNNL), Parmenter re-tuned
its Las Colinas Tower II building in
Irving, TX

• Re-tuning provided the facilities

management team with the ability to
identify and understand building
scheduling opportunities that drove
significant and low-cost energy savings Projected kWh usage based on a year’s
monthly consumption prior to re-tuning
• Las Colinas Tower II improved its and weather normalization.
ENERGY STAR score by 24 points
from 55 to 79

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This case study is of data driven building retuning project in a large scale building. (484,028 
sq. ft.)

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Re-tuning Case Study:
Parmenter (Las Colinas Tower, Dallas, TX)

In the 2 years post-training, the building has saved an average of 9.7% on its
electricity usage due to a long list of energy savings opportunities.

Projected kWh usage based on a year’s monthly consumption prior

to re-tuning and weather normalization.

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Almost 10% savings in electrical consumption is a lot in a large scale building!

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Re-tuning Case Study:
Parmenter (Las Colinas Tower, Dallas, TX)

Figure: Weekday Load Profiles for Before, During, and After Re-Tuning Project.

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After re‐tuning, the facility received an Energy Star rating, energy consumption was down 
15 to 20%, and tenant complaints related to comfort were down 50%. Peak savings were 
realized in shoulder months, which is a typical re‐tuning finding. 

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Re-tuning Case Study:
Georgia Tech (Research Building, Atlanta, GA)

• The Technology Square Research

Building (TSRB) is an academic
research center at the Georgia Institute
of Technology

• In July 2013, experts from the Pacific

Northwest National Lab conducted a
re-tuning training with the property
management staff
The University Financing
• The building automation system (BAS) Foundation Lease: Georgia Tech,
and indoor and outdoor building walk- Triple Net Lease
downs were utilized to identify re-tuning Size: 209,000 Square Feet
opportunities

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This case study was a BRT with a BAS interface for guidance

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Re-tuning Case Study:
Georgia Tech (Research Building, Atlanta, GA)

Five re- tuning measures were implemented, which contributed to electricity savings of
23.6 % over 2 years compared to projected usage.

Projected kWh usage based on a year’s monthly consumption prior to

re-tuning and weather normalized

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Very impressive savings for only implementing five energy saving opportunities.

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Re-tuning Case Study:
GSA National Capital Region, Washington, D.C.

• The U.S. General Services

Administration (GSA),National Capital
Region (NCR’s) teams of property
and energy management
professionals help reduce energy
consumption and costs in GSA-owned
buildings

• In March of 2014, experts from the

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory LBJ Department of Education Building
(PNNL) delivered re-tuning training to Address: 400 Maryland SW,
property managers, building Washington, DC 20202
engineers, and O&M contractor staff Owner: U.S. General Services
Administration
Size: 550,800 Rentable Square Feet

Another large scale building retuning project for the General Services Administration (GSA). 
The GSA has continued to perform building retuning projects throughout its large portfolio 
of Federal Buildings nationwide.

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Re-tuning Case Study:
GSA National Capital Region, Washington, D.C.

In two years since re-tuning the LBJ Dept. of Education Headquarters, facilities staff
from GSA saved 14.2% on electricity usage

Projected kWh usage based on a year’s monthly consumption

prior to re-tuning and weather normalized

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14.2% electrical consumption savings in a building over half a million square feet is 
significant! Note that this chart only reflects the electrical savings and not all of the energy 
sources for this building.

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Real Results from BRT : PNNL Meta-Analysis

• 100 buildings underwent re-tuning using the BAS Data-

driven Analysis technique

• The majority of the buildings were from large portfolio

owners and the GSA

• Annual energy savings ranged between 2% to 26%,

with a median savings of 15%

• Annual normalized cost savings ranged between

$0.05/sf to $0.60/sf, with a median savings of $0.12/sf

Only about half of the recommended re‐tuning measures were implemented in most of 
these buildings.

If all re‐tuning measures identified were implemented, the savings could have been even 
larger.

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Does Re-tuning Work?

• 15 – 20% savings
• Tenant comfort complaints down 50%

Figure: Weekday Load Profiles for Before, During, and After Re-Tuning Project.

In this example (after re‐tuning): 
• The facility received an Energy Star rating
• Energy consumption was down 15 to 20%
• Tenant complaints related to comfort were down 50%
• Peak savings were realized in shoulder months, which is a typical re‐tuning
finding.
Yes, Re‐tuning works!

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Real Results from BRT:
Most Common Re-tuning Measures

No discharge temperature reset 65%

No static pressure reset 65%

Lack proper schedule for exhaust fans during warm-up 50%

Lack proper schedule for AHUs & lack schedules for fans 50%

No chilled water temperature reset 45%

Lack occupancy based controls for common areas 40%

No Chilled water differential pressure reset 30%

No hot water temperature reset 30%

Improper mininum outdoor air setting during warm-up 30%

Faulty sensors 30%

No photo sensors or improper location 25%

Improper dead bands 25%

Improper heating/cooling set points 25%

No night set backs 20%

Lack automatic lighting controls 15%

No hot water differential pressure reset 15%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Building [%]

The takeaway here is that some of the biggest energy saving opportunities (static pressure 
reset, and proper schedules for the AHUs) occurred in more than half of the 100 buildings 
in the study!

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 OBSERVATION-DRIVEN
RE-TUNING TRAINING
MODULE

The purpose of the training delves into various aspects of “how‐to” maintain (and sustain) 
building systems, “how‐to” identify problems and areas for improvement, and “how‐to” 
make a building and its individual systems more energy‐efficient.

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Observation-Driven Building Re-tuning Training:
Introduction
• The purpose of this training is to train
students/technicians on how to make buildings more
efficient, leading to energy savings and reduced costs

• The knowledge and skills learned through the training

will be highly valued by organizations and companies
seeking to improve the performance of buildings

• It will also prepare the participating

students/technicians for hands-on field training

• It will also provide an opportunity for

students/technicians to ask questions and get
clarification on any aspect of the re-tuning process

The knowledge and skills learned by anyone who seriously applies the concepts delivered 
in this training will lead to job opportunities for those who are proficient.  For students who 
diligently apply these concepts, there will be opportunities to find employment by 
organizations and companies who recognize the value these potential employees bring.

For those who are already employed, this training will provide skills and capabilities that 
will set them apart for promotion and/or job security where employers understand the 
economic value of finding no/low cost improvements from re‐tuning processes.

This training can be used by anyone who deals with small or medium‐sized buildings.  
Besides students or technicians, this may also include building owners or building 
engineers, but the most likely users of this training are students and technicians.

Hands‐on field training re‐enforces the classroom concepts.  Concepts rarely move from 
theory to real world application without repeated demonstration. 

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Goals for this portion of training

GOALS FOR THIS • Become familiar with

building re-tuning process
PORTION OF
for non-BAS applications
TRAINING

This is the prescriptive/observation driven approach to building retuning that you would 
use in buildings that do not have advanced building automation systems, or in conjunction 
with a BAS/data driven building retuning project.

In other words, this observation driven approach is not reserved for small scale buildings 
only, but in some cases it’s the only option you have.

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Observation-Driven Building Re-tuning Training: Definition

Re-Tuning Is Going Back To Basics

Education

Awareness

Continual
Optimization

You can think of retuning as ‐‐ taking us back to the basics of how to run our buildings to be 
the best of our ability.  It is sometimes considered a scaled down version of commissioning.  
You are spending the time in the building making sure things are running as they should be. 
Its primary focus is to identify and correct building operational problems that lead to 
energy waste.  

After the first retuning project, the building will over time develop new problems with wear 
and tear over time. So an important emphasis is put on continual optimization. This is a 
major goal of retuning.  

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Observation-Driven Building Re-tuning Training:
Common Energy Conservation Efforts

New
Retro-
Construction Energy Audits
commissioning
Commissioning

New --- Building Life Cycle --- Existing

Theoretically, when your building was brand new (if it was commissioned correctly) it was 
running just perfectly at the peak of its energy efficiency.

Over its life cycle, due to wear and tear, modification and abuse, the efficiency of the 
building systems decline. Periodic energy audits may help stem this decline.

Eventually, you may decide to perform a retro‐commissioning or recommissioning to get 
the building back to “like new”.

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Observation-Driven Building Re-tuning Training: Definition

Building re-tuning is a systematic process to identify

and correct no/low cost operational problems that
lead to energy waste
• Many of the recommendations for efficiency improvements will be
prescriptive

Because small/medium‐sized buildings will mostly have packaged units for heating and 
cooling with simple air distribution and are controlled by zone thermostats, many of the 
recommendations for efficiency improvements will be prescriptive

Some of the topics covered in this building re‐tuning training are often covered in training 
associated with energy auditing and retro‐commissioning for small/medium‐sized 
commercial buildings

This portion of the training is focusing on buildings without a BAS. The data‐driven retuning 
relies on data analysis from building automation systems (BASs). We want to show you 
what you can do even if you don’t’ have a BAS. This also takes us back to the basics and 
gets us observing our building and engaging with occupants.  

Data analysis does not require or rely upon direct observation of equipment performance.  
Therefore, this type of training will require more “hands‐on” observation and prescriptive 
analysis.

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Observation-Driven Building Re-tuning Training:
Approach

It will use a four step approach

1. Initial data collection phase:

Collection of information about the
building

2. Investigation phase: Building

walkdown to identify and
characterize the building operations

3. Implementation phase: Application

of prescriptive re-tuning measures

4. Documentation phase: Reporting

of measures implemented and
calculation of energy savings

Trainees need to have good documentation skills, along with a correct technical foundation to 
accurately document findings, observations and implemented changes.

Creating an organized data set (if not already created) will aid the student, building technician 
and anyone else involved in building retuning.  Drawings, sequence of operation documents, 
vendor manuals, and retuning information gathered over time should all become part of the 
data set.

As electronic tools are further developed or utilized, it would not be uncommon to expect 
pictures, infrared thermal images, portable data logger files (temperatures, power 
consumption, etc.) and other electronic data to become part of this data set. 

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Small/Medium-Sized Building Re-tuning Training:
Major Focus Areas

• Building envelope

• Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning

Systems and Controls
• Packaged air conditioners, heat pumps and gas
furnaces

• Lighting System and Controls

• Hot Water

• Office Equipment

• Air distribution system

• Meter Profile

Although the focus area includes office and process equipment, specialized 
(manufacturing‐related) equipment will not be a significant part of this course – unless the 
instructor chooses to add additional materials related to specific process equipment.

Some of these focus areas will require that trainees, technicians and others, apply caution 
and pay attention to safety when collecting data, investigating or implementing changes.  
Any electrified equipment, gas‐fired equipment, rotating equipment or high temperature 
systems could cause injury or death.

A healthy respect for all mechanical and electrical systems is at the heart of any 
organization that values students or employees.

Other hazards may be unexpected, but should be part of anyone’s “awareness” as they 
walk down a building (roof access, ladders, falling from heights, exposed wiring, high 
temperature hazards, gas leaks, rodents, snakes, spiders or any other unexpected hazard 
(natural or man‐made).

It is always wise to communicate with facility managers, building owners and occupants, 
prior to performing any building or system evaluation/walk down.  At a minimum, they 
should be aware of what you will be doing, so they are aware of your plans.  This is also 
important for your own safety in case you are hurt, and fail to report back when you 
indicated you would. 

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Observation-Driven Building Re-tuning Training:
Basic Energy Management Principles

• If you don’t need it, turn it off

• If you don’t need it at full power, turn it down

• Make “smart” energy decisions when adjusting

systems to the real building needs

• Save energy without negatively impacting the

comfort of the occupants

The basic principles of retuning.

Low‐cost and no‐cost methodologies will be extensively covered.  

Examples of this include installation of low‐cost weather‐stripping on doors, sealing 
exterior wall piping penetrations, fixing photo‐cells for exterior lights, thermostat 
adjustments or other similar (“key pad”, “key stroke” or manual‐auto switch adjustments) 
to effect more efficient building operations.

Care must be exercised to mitigate inadvertent impact to facilities or facility systems that 
serve critical spaces or could be deemed “Mission‐Critical”.  Medical facilities, data centers, 
computer rooms, manufacturing facilities, food‐handling systems or other facilities with 
mission‐critical outcomes should be approached with extra care when either evaluating or 
implementing changes. 

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Observation-Driven Building Re-tuning Training:
Basic Energy Management Principles

Parents Childhood Years Teenage Years Adult Years

• Buildings designed by • Built with low bid or value • Use changes • High energy use
“Parents” engineered design • Staff changes • High complaints
• Engineers with best • Tight schedules • Wear and tear
guess use information • Limited inspections or
• Some weather and load commissioning
conditions

Design Construction Early Use Current

Result: Result: Result: Result:

Best guess design can Lack of commissioning can Staff changes and lack of
result in improper training can perpetuate Complaint based operations
leave installation issues can lead to poor operations
configuration of HVAC unresolved problems
systems

A building develops a personality over time.

How it responds to things – such as internal and external loads.

Think of it this way;  
Buildings are designed by parents, built during childhood years (tight schedules, money is 
tight), grow into teenagers ‐ where they go through constant change (usage, weather, 
personnel), and become adults – which may look and feel completely different than 
childhood! 

So, understand what works for your building, what it can handle, etc.  

35
Observation-Driven Building Re-tuning Training:
Basic Energy Management Principles

Get to Know Your Building:

What is Your Building’s Personality?

How does it act or respond to changing internal conditions?

How does it respond to weather changes?

What is its balance point, a point where no heating or cooling is required

to maintain comfort in the building?

If the building is lightly occupied on weekends, how does it behave?

How does it react at night with setbacks?

Does you building have “gremlins”? What are the known conditions?

36
Observation-Driven Building Re-tuning Training:
Basic Energy Management Principles

If it is status quo, ask why?

Questions Results
• Why is this • If conditions have
temperature set at changed, try new
this level? settings
• Why is equipment • If people who made
turned on at 6:00 the decision are
am? gone, revaluate the
• Who made that decision
decision? • Consider trying new
• To those conditions retuning ideas and
still exist? see what happens

This is important! 

Question why things are the way they are. 

What worked 10 years ago, may not work today. 

The person who decided to make it that way may not have made an informed decision.

37
 Collection of Basic Building Information:
Initial Data Collection Phase

• This is the first step in the building

re-tuning process

• Information collected in this step is used

to plan the building walkdown or the
Investigation Phase

Document all of the information and use a format that is easy to duplicate for multiple 
buildings and/or multiple systems (HVAC, lighting, loads, etc.).

If the building’s owner, service provider or others have log sheets related to complaints, 
service, repairs, upgrades, etc., use and refer to them to help develop a baseline. 

38
Collection of Basic Building Information

Building & Cooling Heating Occupant

Usage Degree Degree Complaints
Basics Days Days

We want to collect data and review the data before we start the walkdown.  We can use 
the data we collected to focus our retuning effort.  These four areas are important.  

39
Collection of Basic Building Information

• Size, age and type of building

• As-built and construction documents

• O&M Manuals, Sequence of Operations (SOO)

• Types of equipment, recent repairs

• Equipment maintenance schedules

• Review logs (e.g. tenant complaints, etc.)

• Construction or changes to the building

• Building occupancy/equipment schedules

• Use/mission of the building

• Meter data (Utility for Electric, Gas, Oil, etc…)

Here are some specific building information we want to collect:

Is the building single floor or multi‐floor?

The age of the building will dictate the code requirements for envelope (windows, wall 
thickness, insulation values, HVAC equipment efficiency requirements, lighting 
requirements, etc.) that were in place when the building was designed and constructed.  

Over time, the only likely improvements would be limited to new HVAC and lighting 
systems, but this also should be documented. 

40
Collection of Basic Building Information:
Building Information Log Example

• Building Survey
• When was the building constructed?
• When was the building most recently renovated?
• How many floors are there?
• What is the approximate gross square footage of the building?
• What is the general shape of the building?
• What are the different uses of the building?
• Offices: ________
• Classrooms: __________
• Computers/Servers: __________
• How many computers are in the building? __________
• When are they on?
• What is your buildings monthly energy consumption in kWh for January
through December?
• January: ___________
• February: __________

You can send a questionnaire out before you go on site and ask these questions;

• Has the building mission changed (was a warehouse, now converted to office space)?

• Have the HVAC systems serving the building changed or been modified to meet the
changing mission?

• Construction or renovations are considered “post initial building construction activities.”

• Are there historical amenities to this building, that are no longer needed or used
(smoking rooms with dedicated exhaust fans is common in older buildings)?

• Were renovations done, but not completed (rooftop equipment removed, but ductwork
left in place when it could be capped or removed)?

• Did walls go up that split an HVAC zone resulting in duct work serving an area that is no
longer part of the HVAC zone (thermostat in the wrong location or two HVAC zones
serving the same area – possibly fighting each other)?

41
 Temperature
The BTU
REVIEW OF THE BASICS Heat movement
OF THERMODYNAMICS Heat transfer modes
Sensible heat vs latent heat
R-value

43

Before we get started in our discussion of the building walkdown, there is merit in 
reviewing some of the basics of thermodynamics as they apply to buildings.

42
Review of the basics
Temperature

Temperature is the
measurement of the intensity of
heat in a substance of a given
mass

• Temperature is measured in
degrees. (Fahrenheit or
Celsius)
This Photo by Unknown
Author is licensed under
CC BY-SA

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius is a measurement of the intensity of the heat 
in a substance.

43
Review of the basics
The BTU

1° F Heat is measured in British

Thermal Units (BTU)

1 BTU is the amount of heat

Water required to raise 1 pound of
water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.
1 lb.
• (The heat from 1 wooden
kitchen match burned to
1 BTU
ash is approximately 1
BTU)

The BTU is a measurement unit of the quantity of heat in a substance. The more BTUs of 
heat there are in a substance of a given mass, the higher the temperature of that 
substance. 

Inversely, the fewer BTUs there are in a substance of a given mass, the cooler the 
temperature of that substance.

44
Review of the basics
The BTU’s relevance

Heat Value Per Fuel Type

• Natural Gas – 1,000 btu/cubic foot
– One Therm = 100,000btu/100 cubic feet
• Fuel Oil – 140,000 btu/gal
• Propane – 91,500 btu/gal
• Electricity – 3,413 btu/kwh
• Coal – 25,000,000 btu/ton
• Wood – 26,000,000 btu/cord

The relevance of the BTU is;
• It is how all HVAC equipment is sized. How many BTUs can it provide or move in one
hour. (For instance; 1 ton of refrigeration is the ability to move 12,000 BTUs in one hour.)
• The R‐value a building envelope is a calculation of how many BTUs it will allow the
escape or enter, per square foot. per hour.
• Every fuel source has a known quantity of BTUs per unit, so it is possible to quantify a
fairly accurate number of BTUs that go into a building, regardless of the number and
types of fuel sources it may have.

The bottom line is, ‘the BTU is the lowest common denominator’ for calculating the 
quantity of energy a building uses.

45
Review of the basics
Heat movement

Heat always moves from hot to cold

• From a substance of high intensity to a
substance of low intensity

This Photo by
Unknown Author is
licensed under CC
BY-SA

Heat always moves from hot to cold. From a substance of high heat intensity to a substance 
with low heat intensity, until both materials are at the same intensity or temperature.

46
Review of the basics
Heat transfer modes

Conduction

Convection

Warm Cold Radiation

Infiltration/exfiltration

There are four methods of heat transfer through barriers (like walls).
• Conduction – because the material(s) the barrier is made out of conduct heat.
• Convection – of the air between layers of the barrier
• Radiation – of heat through transparent barriers
• Infiltration/exfiltration‐ leakage of air through the barrier

47
Review of the basics
Sensible heat vs latent heat

There are two types of heat, Sensible heat and latent heat. Sensible heat can be measured 
with a thermometer (It can be sensed), while latent heat can not be measured with a 
thermometer,

To demonstrate, this graph shown follows one pound of water as heat is added and it 
passes through three changes of state; from solid ice, to liquid water, to vapor steam. 
Notice that only while the water is in between state changes does the temperature rise; 32 
degree F water to 212 degree F water is a 180 degree F change, during which it absorbed 
180 BTUs (1 btu per degree) of heat energy. Once the water reaches 212 degrees F it begins 
to boil, still absorbing a great deal of btus and yet its temperature remains at 212 degrees F 
until it has absorbed 970 additional btus and has changed state to pure vapor (steam). Only 
when the water has totally changed to steam can its temperature again rise. The 180 
degree change is sensible heat, while the additional 970 btus is latent heat. 

Understand that the latent heat is what keeps the water in the vapor state and when it 
mixes with air, there are a lot more btus in the air than can be measured with a 
thermometer. We would refer to this as humidity.
Note that this is true in reverse also. To change 1 pound of 212 degree F steam to 1 pound 
of 212 degree F liquid water 970 btus of heat energy must be removed.
The bottom line is: humid air at a given temperature contains a lot more heat energy (btus) 
than dry air at the same temperature.

Another important concept to understand here is that any time a substance is changing 
state, it must be either absorbing BTUs or giving up BTUs to do so.

48
Review of the basics
R-value
R
• A material’s R-value is 4
the measure of its Δ40⁰F / R-4
resistance to heat flow
= 10 Btu/h/ft²
• Every material has an R-
value
• Some are better than 70⁰ F 30⁰ F
others
• Some are worse than
others
• The R-value depends on
the nature of the
material, its thickness,
and how it is used 1”
ΔT 40⁰F

A material’s R‐value is the measure of its resistance to heat flow
• Every material has an R‐value
• Some are better than others
• Some are worse than others
The R‐value depends on the nature of the material, its thickness, and how it is used.

It is simple math. If you take the difference in temperature across the material and divide it 
by the R‐value number, the result will be the number of btus that will pass through one 
square foot of the material in one hour. 

In the example: a 40 degree difference, divided by 4 (R4) = 10 btus per hour per square 
foot.

49
 • This is the second step in the
building re-tuning process – the
Investigation Phase

BUILDING WALKDOWN: • Information collected in this step

INVESTIGATION PHASE is used to identify the operational
problems and energy savings
opportunities to plan
implementation of re-tuning
measures

OK, lets get started in our discussion of a building walkdown.

50
Building Walkdown: Focus Areas

Building envelope ‐ focused on the outside conditions of the building, including windows, 
doors, roofing and any exterior penetrations in the walls or roof.

HVAC systems and controls ‐ any or all heating, ventilation and cooling equipment. This 
includes the controls and energy saving devices that might be part of the heating and 
cooling systems.

Lighting systems and controls – Inside and outside lighting. Include the type of lighting and 
the light levels found in the inside and outside of the building and the controls used to 
activate the lights.

Hot water  – any additional hot water heating that might be in the building and what its 
function is to the mission inside of the building.

Office equipment, break room and food‐related equipment – things that can be turned off 
or have a sleep mode and equipment that could have an Energy‐Star rating.

Air distribution systems – any conveyance system (ductwork, diffusers, roof curbs, etc.) 
used to provide a path for airflow into or out of the HVAC equipment.

Meter profile – a valuable tool that, if available, is very helpful for re‐tuning and can show 
the savings after implementing re‐tuning measures. 

Compressed Air – with respect to pneumatic control systems and related equipment.

51
Building Walkdown: Guidance

• While walking down to investigate the building‘s

condition and operations, be vigilant, use your
senses – look, listen, smell and touch (be careful!)

• If possible, perform the walkdown during both “You can

occupied hours and unoccupied hours observe a lot
• A lot of energy waste typically occurs during by just
unoccupied periods and holidays watching.”
• Walkdown at least once during the heating season —Yogi Berra
and the cooling season

• Log all information on the log sheets – this will help

you calculate energy savings

While doing the walkdown – use your senses!  

Look, Listen, Smell, and Touch (if appropriate) – Safety First!
Have you heard of the phrase Management by Walking Around?  Its amazing what you can 
find just by walking around your building…
Take notes, or use a voice recorder—it’s easy to forget! 
Follow a consistent path for each walkdown, now and in the future. This will aid in taking 
notes and in noting locations of discovered issues.
In addition to observing “THINGS”…Watch what the occupants are doing! 

52
Building Walkdown: Tools to Carry

There are some tools that will help you with the walkdown.  We brought some of these and 
we can use them during our walkdown.  Low cost tools shown include temperature gun 
(Infrared) which lets you take temperature measurements around a room, Light Level 
Meter which measures light levels in the space, digital camera (not shown), tape measure, 
tools for opening panels, etc.

Higher cost tools might include a thermal imaging camera (shown), CO2 monitor, digital 
manometer, airflow hood, etc. 

53
Building Walkdown: envelope

envelope
• Walking down the outside
and inside the building
• Doors
• Windows
• Openings
• Shades
• Exterior Plug Loads
• Insulation
• Roof
• Attic and Crawl Spaces

The building envelope is the barrier between the natural environment and the conditions 
you are trying to maintain inside your building. It is an extremely important aspect of your 
facility in regards to energy management.

54
Building envelope Walkdown:
Doors and Windows

• Focus on the exterior conditions

of the building

• Door and window type:

• Are the windows operable?

• Are the windows single, double or

triple pane?

• Are any windows and outside doors

open during the walkdown?

• If windows and doors are open, this

could indicate a problem related to
heating, cooling or ventilation
56

The windows, doors and other openings in your building are called the fenestrations.

Fenestrations normally represent the largest portion of heat loss or gain in the building 
envelope. Window glass, metal frames and metal doors have a poor R‐value. Newer 
ENERGY STAR rated fenestration materials have gotten better, but they still do not have the 
R‐values that you would expect from the rest of the envelope. 

The replacement of building fenestrations is not considered low cost/no cost, but if they 
are a source of heat loss or heat gain, they should be noted for future action.

Meanwhile, there are many things associated with the fenestrations that are no cost/low 
cost energy improvements. 

55
Building envelope Walkdown:
Doors and Windows

• Cost savings for upgrading windows

will vary from location to location

• Local utilities may offer incentives

to upgrade

www.dsireusa.org

Database of State Incentives for

Renewables & Efficiency

The number refers to how many layers of glass each window has.  The more layers of glass, 
the better insulated the window and the more it costs.  In between each layer is an 
insulating gas.  Double pane windows are about three times as well insulated as single pane 
windows, and triple pane windows are about four times as well insulated.

Typical cost savings for heating and cooling, when choosing ENERGY STAR rated windows is 
estimated to be $146 (California) ‐$501 (New England) per year when replacing single‐pane 
windows.  Cost savings vary from region to region across the U.S. 
(http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_benefits). 

Window upgrades are not a low cost option, but there are things we can look for:
• Check for cracked window panes.
• Check for cracked, chipped or missing window glazing or caulking.
• Check for shrunk and/or torn window seals.

Feel for drafts.  Carry a piece of  tissue or toilet paper and hold it aloft near door jambs and 
window trim.  If there’s leakage it will usually flutter! 

56
Building envelope Walkdown:
Doors and Windows

Door and window seals:

• Check seals around doors and windows

– are there large air gaps?

• Are the seals missing?

• Look for cracks in the caulking for the

windows, doors and seismic joints

• Missing caulking?

• Moisture between panes? Cracks in the

panes?

Seals can be installed either on the door edge or on the door jamb lip (all edges or as 
required to make tight seal). 

When a building has a loading dock or freight delivery area, the interior doors of that 
loading dock become “exterior” doors by virtue of the freight being delivered for extended 
periods of time.

These interior doors that become exterior doors need to have their seals inspected or 
installed if missing (as shown in this picture). 

The tissue paper test might help here too!

57
Building envelope Walkdown: Openings

Cracks and penetrations in Gaps under doorways

the foundation

One indicator for a door that lacks proper seals is light coming from the bottom edge(s) or 
middle edge (for double doors). 

While doors may not be replaced (not a no/low cost action), if they are a source of heat 
loss or heat gain, they should be noted for future action. 

Damage to the building foundation should also be noted as a source of infiltration and 
water intrusion.

58
Building envelope Walkdown: Openings

Cracked and deteriorated Damage to exterior

EIFS material, exposing material leading to
insulation to elements potential water infiltration

60

Look for any damage to the exterior materials which are the barriers to water entering the 
envelope. Water conducts heat energy quite well, thus wet insulation is no insulation. 
Water infiltration can also freeze causing additional damage to the envelope which will cost 
your facility more energy.

59
Building envelope Walkdown: Openings

• Lack of insulation around ac unit

• Old caulking worn off

The picture on left shows an air conditioner unit above a radiant heating unit.  If the air 
conditioner is left plugged in and turned on while radiant heating is active, will the air 
conditioner thermostat potentially activate?  
Check for thermal images of poorly insulated exterior doors that may need to be replaced.
Check for interior heating or cooling systems that are located just inside the door.  If they 
are running for significant amounts of time, this could be indicative of a poorly insulated 
door or a door with poor seals that needs to be repaired or replaced. 

60
Building envelope Walkdown:
Shades

• Operable shades, if used

properly, can reduce cooling load
in summer time (fully closed) and
provide day lighting and solar
heat gain during winter time
(open)

• Check if shades are being used

appropriately

• If the windows are missing

shades or not using shades,
recommend adding shades and
using them properly

Check for installation of awnings or window treatments.

Check that they are closed to block solar glare and heat gain and open to receive natural 
light.

Seasonal changes may mandate they be open during cold weather (to admit solar heat gain 
and natural lighting). 

Check for installation of window treatments.

61
Building envelope Walkdown:
Unsealed Penetrations in the envelope
Are there unsealed penetrations in the
building?

• Look for penetrations around seams or

pipe penetrations in the building
envelope

• Improperly sealed holes will allow for

increased infiltration into the building,
which will lead to increased heating and
cooling loads on the HVAC equipment

• Have there been any problems or

indication of vermin (mice or rats)
entering the building? This could be a
health safety issue

63

Look for holes around seams in the building and around anything that enters the building 
(pipe penetrations). Holes will allow for additional infiltration into the building, which will 
add additional load to the heating and cooling equipment.

Have there been any problems or indication of vermin (mice, rats, bats or insects) entering 
the building? 

Typical pipe penetrations that one should review or might encounter include the following:
• Fire sprinkler piping, natural gas piping, electrical conduits, water lines and abandoned
piping – check for gaps, missing caulking, etc.
• Outlets and other electrical fixtures on the outside of the building – check for missing
seals, etc.
• New security cameras and related equipment – check for missing weather seal and/or
caulking.
• Un‐heated parking garages under buildings or buildings with overhangs – the occupied
spaces directly above may be encountering “envelope” related challenges and should be
checked for missing insulation or poor insulation.
• Frozen water lines inside a building are often an indicator of a compromised envelope,
negative building pressurization condition or both.

Also, In some buildings there are wall‐mounted louvers and grills for the heating, cooling 
systems and exhaust systems. These louvers and grills need to be clean and free of debris. 
If trees, shrubs or bushes are in close proximity to these grills and louvers, ensure that they 
are trimmed to be far away from the grills – especially on intakes.

62
Building envelope Walkdown:
Heat Traces and other exterior plug loads

Some buildings may use heat traces

on outside water lines, gutters or
storm drains to avoid freezing or
ice/snow build up

• Touch and feel for heat (be

careful!) – better to use thermal
camera

• If they are on during summer,

spring or fall, recommend that
they be turned off until needed

64

Heat tracing is the method of heating and/or maintaining temperatures in pipelines, 
tanks/vessels and pipeline equipment.  Heat trace is generally found on water lines, gutters 
or storm drains and should be turned off in the summer (automatically or via seasonal PM). 

The heat trace may have on/off controls based on outside air temperature or line 
temperature.  Ensure the set point is no higher than 40oF and ensure they are working 
properly.

A touch and feel method for determining if the heat trace is on, when it should not be, is 
the quickest for this recommendation (be careful!) or use an infrared camera to validate 
during warmer weather.

Check for other plug loads on the exterior building that might be legacy or left over from 
other activities (lighting, construction, etc.). 

63
Building envelope Walkdown: Insulation

• Use a temperature gun (or infrared

camera) and take temperature readings
of the walls and the ceiling

• Look for missing insulation on any Heat loss in thermal envelope

piping that carries heated or chilled
water or steam

• Missing insulation will contribute to

energy costs and is a low cost fix

Use a temperature gun or thermal imaging camera and take temperature readings of the 
walls, ceilings and exterior doors. This will give you an idea of the insulation integrity of the 
structure. You need to have a good temperature difference between the outdoor and 
indoor temperature for a good thermal analysis.

64
Building envelope Walkdown: Insulation

This wall is 87°

This wall is 75°

Use temperature gun to take
readings around the room

What could be causing the differences?

If the perimeter wall temperature of a perimeter office/space is significantly different from 
the other interior wall temperatures of the same space, the perimeter wall may not have 
adequate insulation or it has been compromised at strategic locations that should be 
further evaluated for potential improvements.   

A well‐ insulated wall should show a large temperature difference between the outdoor 
and indoor temperature

65
Building envelope Walkdown: Insulation

• Lack of insulation for pipes

• Suction line needs to be properly insulated

Check for missing insulation on any piping that carries heated water, chilled water, steam 
condensate steam or refrigerant. Missing insulation will contribute to energy costs and is a 
low‐cost fix. 
Check for un‐heated parking garages under buildings or buildings with overhangs – the 
occupied spaces directly above these spaces should be checked.
Often, construction or maintenance related activities (or both) result in the removal of 
insulation from piping and wall/attic spaces. It is not uncommon to find that insulation that 
was removed was never replaced. 

Asbestos containing material (ACM) is commonly found in older buildings or older 
insulating systems.  If the building is suspected of having ACM on the piping or other 
building insulation systems, it is recommended that students have their responsible safety 
organization inspect and approve any activity prior to disturbing areas with possible 
asbestos.

66
Building envelope Walkdown:
Roof

• Is the roof white?

• Is it clean and no debris?

• A white membrane roof needs to

be clean; it has its best insulating
properties when the roof is clean

• As much as 3 degrees of
improvement in surface
Source:
temperature (better heat http://www.daisygreenmagazine.co.uk/lifestyl
rejection) versus a dirty roof e‐main/features‐ living/paint‐the‐town‐white/
Dec. 11, 2012

Not all roofs are white, but if they are a white membrane roof needs to be clean.  When 
clean, a white roof  has its best solar reflective properties. 

There can be as much as 3 degrees of improvement in heat rejection for a clean roof, 
compared to a dirty roof.

67
Building envelope Walkdown:
Roof

• Small leaks can lead to significant water infiltration and damage

A section of the roof was pulled up to reveal the wet

insulation, which is approximately 1” thick

Roofs are an extremely important part of the building envelope. Look for indications of 
ponding water, clogged roof drains, shrinking membranes or damaged flashings.

A leaking roof membrane may, or may not, be evident from inside the building. Walk the 
roof looking for squishy spots or bubbles coming up through the roof as you add pressure 
to the membrane. 

Again, roofs are not no cost/low cost replacements or repairs, but if you find a leaky roof it 
needs to be identified. 

In many cases the building’s insulation is directly below the roof membrane. If the roof 
leaks, the insulation is wet. Wet insulation is no insulation, thus a leaky roof is a huge waste 
of energy.

68
Building envelope Walkdown:
Roof

• Small leaks can lead to significant water infiltration and damage

Infiltration of water suspected to have corroded steel reinforcement,

which in turn compromised the bond between the concrete and steel
reinforcement, and led to failure of the concrete canopy

Look for any means that water could be getting into the envelope;
• Missing or damaged siding
• Cracks in building masonry walls
• Effervescence on masonry walls
• Expansion joints that have shrinking and cracked caulking
• Damaged facia

Water intrusion damage to the building envelope can take years to appear and create 
extensive damage.

69
Building envelope Walkdown:
Attic and Crawl Spaces
• Ventilation of attic and crawl spaces
• Look for crawl space vents and attic vents
that are closed or plugged
• Look for powered exhaust in attics
• Do they have backdraft dampers?
• Check if the temperature controls for the fan
are working
• Look for missing or damaged insulation
in attic or crawl spaces
• Damaged by water or animals?
• Hanging loose from roof deck?
• Look for abandoned vents in lunchrooms
(that were used to exhaust stove heat)
• These abandoned legacy vents can let
outdoor air into the building if not properly
sealed.

Check for attics without adequate insulation.

Check for insulation that has dropped or fallen out of place in attics (this is a common 
problem).

Check for louvers and grills for the attic and/or crawl spaces.  These louvers and grills 
need to be clean and free of debris. They should have trees and bushes trimmed away 
from the louvers and grills.

Check for attic spaces with powered exhaust fans.  They should be verified to activate 
from a thermostat control (generally set to activate when the attic space temperature is > 
100oF).  If backdraft dampers are part of the exhaust fan design, they should be verified 
(closed when the exhaust fan is off, open when the exhaust fan is on).

Check that crawl spaces (generally in cold climate zones) with vents are sealed to prevent 
excessively cold air from infiltrating under the building, where water lines, ductwork or 
other un‐insulated systems may be located. 

Attics and crawl spaces are rarely visited due to their location and “hazards”, so they 
often are “hiding” problems.

Abandoned or disconnected equipment (exhaust fans, ductwork) and failed insulation 
(insulation which has fallen from roof or floor joist spaces, etc) is not uncommon to find 
in these spaces. 

70
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems and Controls

HVAC
• Systems
• Economizers
• Air distribution
systems
• Air handling units
• Pumps
• Plant area
• Thermostats

Of course building’s HVAC system can be a major waste of energy, but only when it is not 
running as efficiently as it should. When HVAC is running correctly, the building’s occupants 
should be happy and the HVAC system should only be using the energy it needs to meet 
this goal.

71
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems and Controls
• Small/medium-sized buildings typically have
packaged air conditioners with gas furnaces
or heat pumps with either gas furnace or
auxiliary electric strip heating
• Gas-Fired Equipment
• Verify that the combustion-air intake is properly
configured with no blockages

• Verify that the gas pressure regulator is set correctly

(trained technician)

• Packaged units are typically controlled by wall

mounted thermostats with varying
functionality
• Many of these units are not properly maintained

73

A New Buildings Institute (NBI) PIER project identified a number of problems with HVAC 
systems as they are installed and operated in the field.

Checks for problems should include looking for broken economizers, improper refrigerant 
charge, fans running during unoccupied periods, fans cycling on and off with a call for 
heating and cooling (short cycling), rather than providing continuous ventilation air during 
occupied periods, low air flow, inadequate ventilation air, and simultaneous heating and 
cooling.

If low air flow is observed check for dirty filters, dirty intake screens, dirty coils, slipping 
belts, weak motors, or other mechanical problems.

Checks for design problems should also be observed and noted.  Design problems can 
include under‐sized ductwork, under‐sized capacity, installed equipment without access 
doors for maintenance or poorly located access doors.  It can also include walls that have 
been moved, resulting in improper airflow or zoning issues. 

72
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems and Controls

While walking down, count how many units

are serving the building

Note the type of units:

• Split or packaged? Source: 

http://www.achrnews.com/articles/rooftop‐
maintenance‐checked Dec. 11, 2012

• Air conditioners with gas furnace or heat

pumps with auxiliary electric heating?

• Tonnage of the units?

74

While counting the units, also note how many serve the perimeter spaces of the building 
and how many serve the interior spaces.

Later, when asking the occupants for indications of complaints, their location (perimeter or 
interior space) will be relevant to the units noted.

Split systems have the condenser coil and compressor (outdoor unit) remotely located from 
the indoor fan and evaporator section.  The outdoor unit will either be on the roof or 
located at ground level.

Is the gas isolation valve turned on for gas‐fired heating systems?

Is there an outside thermostat that locks out the gas or auxiliary electric heat?  What 
temperature is it set at?  It should be set at the vendor’s recommended set point to allow 
the compressor heat to be used for maximum energy efficiency. 

73
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems and Controls

While examining the HVAC equipment, look for:

• Missing panels/access doors or leaking panels/access doors

• Outdoor-air dampers wide open or fully closed

• Missing condenser fans

• Poor maintenance (oil leakage at refrigerant connections, etc.)

• Other conditions that might affect performance

75

Missing components can include condenser fans, belts, panel doors, dampers, actuators, 
etc.

Poor maintenance can be indicated by signs of oil on refrigerant piping connections at coils 
and compressors (indicating refrigerant leakage), loud humming or vibration from rotating 
equipment and other equipment degradation are audible indicators. 

74
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems – Visual Inspection

What to look for:

• Missing or damaged panels/access

doors or seals for them

• Damaged/Dirty indoor or outdoor coils

• Missing or damaged mechanical items

(fan motors/blades/belts)

• Use cogged V-belts & high-efficiency

motors for better performance
1 or 2% efficiency
improvement by tightening belt

Be observant! Most problems are found with a good visual inspection.

When you see a bunch of sheet metal screws lying on the roof or near the HVAC system, 
this usually indicates that the last maintenance effort that removed the screws, did not 
replace them.  Make sure enough screws are adequately installed to keep panels securely 
in place. Remove any remaining screws or sharp objects before the puncture the roof 
membrane.

When you see components lying on the roof or ground that are indicative of failed 
equipment (broken belts, busted fans, failed motors, etc.), this may be an indication that 
the unit is not operating or not operating at full capacity as designed.

Some roof top units have built‐in exhaust (relief) fans.  When they operate, they should 
blow open a gravity weighted louver which should close when the exhaust/relief fan is not 
running.  If this louver does not fully close, it may allow cold or hot air to infiltrate into the 
supply fan intake, via the return damper.  This will cause the mixed air sensor to read colder 
in the winter and warmer in the summer, but ultimately result in higher energy costs to 
temper the airstream. 

75
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems–Visual, Audible & Sensory Inspection

What to look, listen and feel for:

• Oil leaks or drips from the refrigeration system or
components of the unit. This type of problem may
require training on how to properly handle refrigerant &
should be done by an authorized person

• Coil condition – deteriorating due to corrosive air (salt

water, etc)

• Feel and listen for air leaks around exposed ductwork

or the roof curb for a rooftop unit. This may be hard to
fix, but it is wasting energy and should be identified

• Refrigerant line sets should be adequately protected on

split systems and packaged rooftop units

• Low pressure suction lines should be adequately

insulated for efficiency

TOUCH AND FEEL
LISTEN AND HEAR
SNIFF AND SMELL

Condensing coil surfaces that are white or scaled or covered with dust and oil or bird 
feathers or vegetative debris, are all signs of a system that has not been properly 
maintained. 

Check to see if the outdoor coil is clean.  It is easy to see debris against the outdoor coil 
and to clean. Accessing the indoor coil (and cleaning) may be harder.

Check to see if the refrigerant charge is correct. Coils and filters should be cleaned to 
ensure proper air flows before taking temperature readings. Generally, most split systems 
that are properly charged are designed for a 20oF delta T.  If the leaving air temperature is 
55oF, the return air temperature should be 75oF, but this is not always the case. The split 
may or may not be the same for packaged systems, and when the packaged design is more 
than one compressor/coil, this is probably not the case.

Check the vendor’s manuals for proper (design) air flow/pressure drops and required 
refrigerant charge (don’t guess).  A trained, EPA‐certified HVAC technician should be used 
to correct refrigerant charge issues (adding or removing refrigerants) and comply with EPA 
requirements when working with ozone‐depleting substances.

76
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems – Visual Inspection

Check the P-trap on the cooling coil

• P-trap should have water in it if

the equipment is located in a
mechanical space that does not
freeze

• P-traps that are located outside

need to have water in them when
the cooling is running and emptied
when the weather changes to fall
or winter
For good drainage of the evaporator cabinet
(negative pressure across evap. coils)

78

Check the P‐trap on the cooling coil drain pan. The P‐trap should have water in it. Put your 
finger on the outlet of the P‐trap, even if the fan is running, you should not feel any air 
moving in or out of the P‐trap. If you feel air moving in or out of the P‐trap, then the P‐trap 
is dry. Remove the coil section cover and pour water into the P‐trap. Ensure trap drain lines 
are adequately sized, if multiple RTUs are connected to a common header and not double 
trapped. 

Additionally, look for water coming out of the equipment anywhere other than the drain 
from the evaporator section.. Water dripping out of the unit could be a sign that water is 
condensing where it should not be (under the insulation of duct work or piping. This is a 
common waste of energy. 970 btus wasted per pint of condensation. Look at the integrity 
of the vapor barrier on the insulation.

77
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems – Visual Electrical Inspection
• Burnt or disconnected wiring/electrical components. Smell for
burning wires or burning oil
• Burnt wires are a sign that the connection is loose or the wire
was undersized for the load
• Tightening of electrical connections is something that should be
done during regular maintenance
• These connections are generally a screw/lug type of connection
that can be tightened with a screwdriver, or Allen head wrench
• ALWAYS FOLLOW ALL SAFETY RULES WHEN WORKING
WITH ENERGIZED, ROTATING EQUIPMENT!
• LOCK-OUT TAG-OUT (LOTO) SHOULD ALWAYS BE
FOLLOWED!

79

Some units may have individual breakers for the compressors and fans.  Make sure all 
breakers are turned on.  Tripped breakers could be indicative of equipment problems, or 
may be the result of recent maintenance where the breakers were not re‐energized 
following completion of maintenance activities.

Jumpers put in place to bypass equipment sequencing (activate electric heat instead of 
heat pump compressor heat) could be indicative of compressor failure(s) that were 
performed in the middle of the winter.  Once the compressor was fixed, the jumper was 
never removed resulting in electric heat still activating when a call for heating occurs.

Look for burnt or disconnected wiring/electrical components. Smell for burning wires or 
burning oil. Burnt wires are a sign that the connection is loose or the wire was undersized 
for the load.

Check for loose electrical wiring.  Tightening of electrical connections is something that 
should be done during regular maintenance. These connections are generally a screw/lug 
type of connection that can be tightened with a screwdriver, or Allen head wrench. 

78
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems – Visual Electrical System

What is wrong in this picture of a Unit Heater

Burner?

Gas-fired unit heater burners that

some of the flames were yellow
which can cause soot to build up.

Generally, yellow flames in a gas fueled system indicate incomplete combustion. This could 
be caused by dirty, corroded or clogged orifices in the burners.

79
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems – Visual Inspection of Fan

• Note what type of fan is installed

• Is the fan direct drive, or is the fan

driven with belts?

• Direct drive fans will have the motor

mounted in the fan housing

• Belt-driven fans will have the motor

mounted outside of the fan housing on
a base that is near the fan housing

81

Is it an axial fan or a radial fan?

Is it on a variable frequency drive?

Is the motor internal or external?

Are the connections to ductwork, especially flexible connections, leaking?

80
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems – Visual Inspection of Fan

• Look for debris in the fan wheel and

in the fan section
• Look for insulation that has come
loose and is hanging or fallen down
inside the fan housing or ductwork
• If there are signs of belt debris, the
belt is failing!
• Loose screws, bolts, etc.

Floor mounted fan-coil unit has a broken drive

belt: motor is running at full speed with no load.

82

Correct belts, fans and other components should be verified with the vendor’s manuals for 
the HVAC system (don’t guess).

Check for insulation that has come loose and is hanging or fallen down inside the fan 
housing or ductwork.

Check for signs of belt debris indicating that the belt is failing.

Check for loose screws or bolts.  If screws are found lying on the roof or next to the unit or 
on top of the unit, this indicate a loose access panel, allowing unwanted air to infiltrate into 
the unit adding to the cost to provide conditioned air in the heating or cooling/de‐
humidification seasons.

81
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems – Visual Inspection of Driven Fan Motors

Visually Inspect:
• Fan motor
• Fan Wheel
• Fan Housing
• Fan Belts
• Pulley/sheave are in good condition

• Check fan mounts

• Check fan bearings for tightness
• Ensure that the fan is rotating in the correct direction
• Check pulley alignment
• Listen for unusual noises or vibrations

83

Loose motor mounts can cause excessive noise and vibration that may be heard in office 
spaces via the diffuser/ductwork.
3‐phase powered motors can change rotation by swapping any (2) wires of the 3‐phase 
wiring.
Some fans and motors have self‐lubricating bearings, but others will require periodic 
lubrication per the vendor’s instructions.
Debris under the fan or motor pulley/sheave indicates a problem with the belt or 
adjustment issues.  
A belt guard should be in place to protect loose clothing from being entangled in the 
rotating belt and pulley.  Be careful if this condition is not true!
Different belts can be used on belt‐driven equipment.  Some have energy advantages over 
others, but also require greater care when installing.  Poor alignment may result in 
excessive noise and other problems. 

Look for special‐purpose exhaust fans.  If not controlled properly, these can increase the 
heating or cooling load on a building, especially if they run all night or all weekend, while 
the building is unoccupied.  If an exhaust fan is running when not required, there may not 
be any makeup air to accommodate the air being exhausted and this will result in air 
infiltrating into the building.  This can bring in dust, humidity and also cause temperature 
problems, that result in the HVAC systems running more often than would be required if 
the exhaust systems were automatically turned off at night, when the building becomes 
unoccupied. 

82
Building Walkdown:
HVAC Systems – Visual Inspection of Coil Section

• Are the indoor/outdoor coils and fins

dirty? Is the coil damaged or leaking?
• Is the drain pan and drain line clean
and clear of debris?
• In cooling mode, measure the Clean any coils that are dirty to increase 
efficiency of the unit
temperature difference across the
evaporator coil when the compressor
is on
• Should be 18 to 22°F for a single
compressor unit or multi-compressor
unit that is fully loaded
ΔT

Follow vendor recommendations for cleaning agent(s) and application for evaporator coil 
and condenser coil cleaning.  Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for 
eye, skin protection.  Also beware of any fumes that could be generated and ventilation 
requirements.
Be careful to not damage coil fins when spraying down with water solution and always be 
sure water is draining out the drain pan and connecting P‐trap (previously discussed), 
otherwise water may back up or find its way into the building, possibly causing water 
damage, etc.
A dirty filter and/or dirty coil can cause the evaporator coil to freeze, and this can lead to 
compressor damage (flood back of liquid).  Clean coils and filters are critical to safe, 
efficient equipment operation.
Coils should be rinsed with a spray application in the opposite direction of normal airflow.
Drain pans should be checked to ensure they are not clogged with debris and water is able 
to flow freely.  Traps should be primed with water and installed correctly.  Drain lines 
should be pitched correctly.
NOTE: Take precaution and care when cleaning with caustic or strong cleaning agents. 

83
HVAC Economizer Fundamentals:
The Basics of Air-side Economizers

Air‐side Economizer: “A duct‐and‐damper arrangement and automatic control system that, 

together, allow a cooling system to supply outdoor air to reduce or eliminate the need for 
mechanical cooling during mild or cold weather.” (ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004)

Air‐side economizers simply utilize outdoor air to cool the building or to supplement the 
mechanical cooling system when outdoor conditions are favorable.  

Air side economizers are typically prepackaged into roof top units by the manufacturer and 
are commonly incorporated into indoor air handling systems.

The relief damper can be problematic because they can provide another path for outside 
air to enter the mixing plenum if the relief damper fails.

Typically automatic controls will operate the economizer cycle automatically, based upon a 
dry bulb (sensible) or enthalpy (sensible + latent) control scheme comparison between 
outdoor air and building air to determine if the conditions are favorable to economizer 
cooling.

84
HVAC Economizer Fundamentals:
Rooftop Unit – Major Components

Notice dampers are either normally open (N.O.) or normally closed (N.C.)
Outdoor
Return Air Air Intake
(N.O.) Damper
(N.C.)

Source: York
International
Exhaust Air
Corp.
June 3, 2013 Damper (N.C.)

Become familiar with the system and its the sequence of operations. Know the 
approximate location of the components before you open up the doors on the unit. 
Inspect the filter banks for excessively dirty filters, missing filters or the wrong type of 
filters.
Inspect the coils for debris, corrosion and cleanliness  It will also be necessary to locate the 
modulating dampers and associated controls. 
(Typical Sequence of Operation for a Rooftop AHU Unit)
Fan Off – The outdoor air dampers closed, return dampers open 100%, exhaust dampers 
closed.
Fan On – Outdoor air dampers open to min position (min position was set by design 
engineers and may/may not have changed over the years), return air damper closes slightly, 
exhaust air dampers open slightly to relieve building pressure.
Heat Mode – Thermostat cycles the heat valve/gas furnace to maintain space temperature.
Cool Mode – Thermostat cycles the cool valve/DX to maintain space temperature.
Economizer Mode – The mixed air sensor controls the outdoor air and return dampers to 
maintain a set‐point, taking advantage of free outdoor air cooling. 
How is the economizer controlled? Is it a stand‐alone controller or is it integrated into the 
thermostat or Building Automation System?

85
HVAC Economizer Fundamentals:
Common Component Problems

Jammed/Frozen Damper Disconnected Damper Wired poorly

Common Economizer problems
• Jammed or frozen outdoor‐air damper
• Broken and/or disconnected linkages
• Nonfunctioning actuator or disconnected wires
• Malfunctioning outdoor‐air/return‐air temperature sensors
• Malfunctioning controller
• Faulty control settings
• Installed wrong or wired incorrectly

86
Building Walkdown: Air-Handling Units

• Record type of unit—Variable air

volume, constant air volume, single
zone, multiple zone

• Variable frequency drives (VFD)

• Current speed on drive display and current
time

• Watch speed variation

• Should see some variation
• No variation indicates that it may be overridden
• Check position of inlet vanes

Source:http://www.geindustrial.com/produc
ts/drives/af-600-fp-fan-pump-drives

Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems are common in modern buildings. 

There are two ways to vary the volume of air that the system is moving;
• Inlet vanes control the amount of air at the intake of the fan itself
• Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), an electronic component previous to the motor, that
controls the speed at which the motor, and thus fan, is spinning.

VFD control is much more energy efficient than inlet vane control.

Older buildings may have constant volume systems where the volume of air is constant and 
the discharge air temperature is modulated. 

Common constant volume system types are;
• Single zone
• Multizone
• Dual duct
• Face and bypass

87
Why do we use Variable Frequency Drives?

Fan Curve

5,592 watts

3,728 watts

2,237 watts
1,491 watts
1,118 watts
559 watts
372 watts

Fans and centrifugal pumps have a performance curve associated with them. This curve is 
created by the manufacturer, by model number, to aid the engineer in selecting to correct 
unit for the application. The curve denotes how much power it will take to spin the pump 
or fan at a particular speed, creating a certain amount of flow at a certain pressure. The 
engineer would try to select a pump that would run at its peak efficiency in the system 
being designed; about where the red line is in this illustration.

The point of this illustration is to show that slowing a fan or pump down by using a VFD, to 
cut the flow rate will save a great deal of energy. 

In the above case, 
• Slowing the fan down from 600 RPM to 285 RPM cuts the air flow by 50%, but only uses
about 10% of the energy.
• Cutting the air flow by only 20% saves over 50% of the energy.

This is called the Affinity Laws

88
Building Walkdown: Pumps

• Determine and record whether each

pump is running, leaking, hot, or
vibrating unusually
• If you can’t hold your hand on the pump, it’s
too hot

• Isolation valves on running pumps and pumps

that are in service should be wide open

• Record temperature and pressure of the

water loops
• Pressure differences of more than 40 psi
should be noted and investigated later

89
Building Walkdown: Plant Area

• Inspect the chillers, boilers, and cooling

towers
• Note chillers and boiler running at the same
time
• Record load on each unit running
• Record temperature difference across unit

• Inspect valves and record:

• Alignment (fully open, partially open or closed)
• Water flowing when not needed

90
Building Walkdown:
HVAC System Controls - Thermostats

What is wrong in this picture of a boiler stack?

Boiler stack and cap should be

replaced with stainless steel or
galvanized boiler vent piping and
guy-wired braced as needed for
proper support.

91
Building Walkdown:
HVAC System Controls - Thermostats

• Small/medium-sized commercial buildings

typically lack central controls
• Typically have wall mounted thermostats to
control both heating and cooling systems
• While surveying the thermostats and their
capabilities, check:
• Type of thermostat?

• Mechanical or digital?

• If digital, is it programmable?

• If mechanical, replacing it with a programmable

digital thermostat will save energy, if it is properly
programmed

93

Note all types of thermostats and document them for the report.

If they are mechanical thermostats, replacement with a digital thermostat will save money if 
properly configured.

Is it a digital programmable thermostat?  

Does it have optimal start? 

92
Building Walkdown:
HVAC System Controls - Thermostats

What is wrong in this picture with the thermostat?

Thermostat too close to window and on an exterior wall

Where are the thermostats located? Thermostats need to be located on interior walls, not 
on exterior walls, nor in direct sunlight.

Make sure that the thermostat is not placed close to a heat source or behind things that 
will impede their ability to sense the room temperature.

Are the thermostats sensing the temperature of the area they serve, and are they 
controlling the right piece of equipment in the area they serve?

Is there a draft of air coming from behind the thermostat that will affect the temperature 
that the thermostat is sensing?

Make sure there are no overrides on the thermostat that prevent setback actions from 
occurring.

93
Building Walkdown:
HVAC System Controls – Thermostats Schedules

• What type scheduling capabilities does the thermostat have?
• 5+2, 5+1+1, or 7 Day type of day schedule?
• Is it different for the weekends or the same?
• Note the weekend schedules for the report.
• Does it match when the building is truly occupied?
• What are the set points for occupied and unoccupied?

94
Building Walkdown:
HVAC System Controls – Learning Activity

If available, it might be useful to looks at past

trends/temperature data to ensure thermostats are properly
programmed and system is performing as intended.
Assumptions: Space is Heated and Cooled by a packaged
rooftop A/C unit with natural gas heat.
The Building Operations Plan calls for:
• Heating Setpoints: 70F while occupied
55F while unoccupied.

• Cooling Setpoints: 72F while Occupied

80F while Unoccupied
• Space is Occupied: M-F from 7 AM to 5 PM
Unoccupied all other times

Why might looking at historical trend charts be useful?
• A quick look at a week’s worth of data can provide insight into how the system is
operating.
• Is the system programed to operate according to the occupancy schedule?

95
Building Walkdown:
HVAC System Controls – Thermostats Optimal Start
• Optimal Start (OS) is a feature that can save energy over
traditional scheduling programs
• Most schedules are configured to start the HVAC system at the
time it would take to heat or cool the space under worst case
conditions
• OS will automatically “learn” over time, the optimum time to start
the HVAC system to bring space temperatures within 1 to 2oF of
occupied requirements at the start of the occupied time period
Potential Savings

Early Start Time Normal Start Time Early Vacancy Time

=  5 AM = 7:45 AM = 5:30 PM

97

Check the thermostats programmed weekday and weekend schedules ‐ weekend schedules 
should be tighter or non‐existent.

Check the occupied and unoccupied heating and cooling set points ‐ set points should 
widen at night and stay that way on weekends, if possible

What are the set points for occupied and unoccupied? There should a minimum 5oF (or 
greater) difference between occupied and unoccupied temperature set points. Occupied 
set points should have a 2oF or more dead band between heating and cooling temperature 
set points. 

For example: Heating set points = 72oF, (occupied) and 65oF (unoccupied), and cooling set 
points = 75oF (occupied and 82oF (unoccupied). This equates to a 3oF occupied dead band 
during occupied periods and a 7oF difference between the occupied and unoccupied 
temperature set points.

Optimal Start (Adaptive Recovery) should allow for schedules to be tightened up so HVAC 
systems start just prior to occupancy (maybe 30 minutes earlier) to ensure some fresh air is 
introduced into the space. 

96
Building Walkdown:
HVAC System Controls – Thermostats Fan Control

• Is the programmable thermostat in “Fan- Auto,”

which means that the fan is cycling with the cooling
compressor and/or furnace?

• If the thermostat is in “Auto” (instead of “On” or “Run”

in Occupied Mode) it can lead to lower ventilation
rates than required, especially during spring and fall
seasons, when cooling/heating needs are at a
minimum

• Commercial building codes may require the RTU

supply fans be running continuously to provide
adequate ventilation during occupied modes

For energy savings you would want the fan to be cycling on and off so that the fan is only 
running at times when you need heating or cooling.  Unless that fan is being used to bring 
in outside air for ventilation in which case it is required to be running when the building is 
occupied.  

97
Building Walkdown: Lighting

Lighting
• Interior Lighting
Systems and Controls
• Exterior Lighting
Systems and Controls

Lighting is the low hanging fruit. It is the easiest energy using item in the building, but it 
consumes about 35% of the electricity in the average commercial building. 

98
Building Walkdown:
Interior Lighting Systems and Controls
Interior Lighting Details
• Do they have any lighting controls – manual
switches, dimmers or time clocks?
• Type of lights (Fluorescent [T12, T8, T5], CFL,
LED, Incandescent?)
• Are proper light levels being maintained
or over lighted? Is there opportunity to re-evaluate?
• Use light meter to verify that light levels meet
IES (Illuminating Engineer Society of North America)
recommendations and/or user needs for the spaces. Take
many measurements around the space.

• Day lighting opportunities?

• Are lamps and fixtures clean?

Things to consider:
• Are proper light levels being maintained. Use a light level meter, to ensure that the light
fixtures are not over lighting the building.
• Replace T12 lamps with T8s. T12 lamps consume significantly more energy to provide
the same light output as T8 or T5 lamps. Group re‐lamping may be the most efficient
and economical way to undertake this effort.
• Consider LEDs for applications where total cost is considered.  LEDs can last significantly
longer than any other lighting technology. Tubular LED (TLED) lamps might seem
desirable, but exercise extreme caution and do your research.
• Clean light fixtures. If the light fixture is dirty then there is a reduction in the light output
effectiveness.
• Reduce exterior lighting and parking area lighting. Do you need all of the lights on the
outside of a building on? There is usually an opportunity to reduce this lighting or turn it
off, since this lighting may only be needed for a small part of the night. In many cases
the lights are used for employee safety and building security.
• Use CFLs in place of incandescent bulbs in places where it makes sense. They do not
have the same lighting output as incandescent bulbs.
• Are there occupancy sensors in conference rooms, bathrooms and offices. Bathroom
occupancy sensors can also control the bathroom exhaust fans. Make sure they are
working properly and turn off lighting as intended.
• Signs at all switches that promote saving energy by turning off lights. This is a very
effective way to promote energy awareness.

99
Building Walkdown:
Interior Lighting Recommended Illumination
Recommended
Activity Space Types Foot Candles (FC)
Illumination (lux)
Public areas with dark
Parking garage 20 - 50 2-5
surroundings
Simple orientation for Lobbies, storage
50 - 100 5-10
short visits areas, corridors

Working areas where

Waiting areas,
visual tasks are only 50 - 150 5-15
auditoriums
occasionally performed

Certain offices and

Easy Office Work, Classes 200-300 20-30
classrooms

Normal Office Work, PC

Certain offices,
Work, Study Library,
classrooms, 350-500 35-50
Groceries, Show Rooms,
libraries
Laboratories

Supermarkets,
Retail Mechanical 300-800 30-80
Workshops

101

All of the values in this table are averages and are close to what the IES recommends. There 
are always caveats where more light might be necessary.

Retail light levels are changing, no longer is brighter is better for all retail. Many retailers 
are embracing variations in light. By varying the light, the eye can actually be directed 
where to look.

Consider the task and materials rather than just the values. Place light where it is needed, 
not just across the space.

For basic conversions, a lux is 10x a foot‐candle because it is based on square meters, 
rather than square feet. 

100
Building Walkdown:
Exterior Lighting Systems and Controls
Exterior lighting details:
• What type of lights are used outside the building
in parking lots and other places?
• Are they controlled with photo sensor or
any other time-of-day control system
(time clock)?
• Is the photo sensor working correctly (location)?
Exterior lights on during the day or coming on too
early or staying on too late?
• Do all of the lights need to operate all night long?
• Although replacing exterior lighting can be a
Light left on during
larger cost than retuning, it quickly pays because daylight hours
of reduced maintenance.

The most common oversight: Outside lights on during the day…all day! 

101
Lighting Systems: Discussion Question

True or False:
1. Posting signs to promote turning lights off
helps lower energy usage.
2. T-5 lamps use the most power.
3. When replacing T-12 lamps with T-8 lamps,
the existing ballast can be left in place.
4. Dirty fixtures reduce the effectiveness of the
light fixtures.

There is no larger energy conservation measure than changing the behavior of the 
building’s occupants!

Answers: 1. True 2. False 3. False 4. True

102
Building Walkdown: Hot Water Systems

Hot Water
• Hot Water Systems
and Steam
• Domestic hot water
temperature
• Insulation
• Leaks

103
Building Walkdown: Hot Water Systems

• Type of hot water system – domestic hot water or

heating hot water or both?
• Energy Star rated appliances?
• Domestic hot water temperature?
• Are the tanks insulated?
• Are the plumbing lines insulated?
• Are there any observable leaks?
• Faucets leaking?
• Relief Valves leaking?
• Zone heating controls in place and working?
• Set back controls in place and working?

Hot Water Systems:
Domestic hot water is used for washing hands and showers. What is the temperature set 
point?  Can the current set point be lowered and still meet the use’s requirement?

Heating hot water is used for perimeter (baseboard) or fan (heating coil) heating. What is 
the set point? Can the current set point be lowered and still meet the requirement for the 
use? Some boilers are not designed to operate with water temperatures below 140oF and 
this may include set back periods (check with the vendor’s startup, operations and 
maintenance instructional manual).

Determine if the hot water system appliance (tank or boiler) is gas or electric or other 
(solar, wood‐fired, etc.). If gas, is the pressure regulator set correctly? Are they “Energy‐
Star” rated?

Set back control: Some heating systems (gas‐fired) hot water cannot be turned off at night. 
If the heating system has a standing pilot (manually lit) it may fail due to cold morning 
startup problems (condensation from letting the water cool down at night may drip on the 
pilot flame, extinguishing it). If it has an automatic (direct) ignition start up system, there is 
a pretty good chance that it can be turned off at night without significant problems. 

104
Building Walkdown:
Hot Water Systems and Steam
Use Thermal Camera to Identify
Uninsulated Pipes

Pipes that aren’t insulated give off a great deal of heat, making the system less efficient

106

Do these systems have a circulating pump? 

Does the pump work and is it pumping during occupied modes? To test if the pump works 
is the return line from the building warm or cold?
• If it is cold the pump is not pumping (or the appliance has failed or is set too
low).
• If the line is warm, the pump is pumping water.
Are there any controls on the pumps or hot water system?  Do they respond to schedules, 
set points or other variables? 

Is the pump VFD‐driven?  If yes, does it vary its speed in response to load or time of use 
changes? 

105
Building Walkdown: Office Equipment

Office
Equipment
• Plug Loads
• Computer Equipment
• Energy saving mode
• ENERGY STAR rating
• Space heaters and
fans

The average office space today is full of electric and electronic devices that didn’t exist 
when the average building was built.

106
Building Walkdown: Office Equipment

• Over the past two decades use of office

equipment increased significantly and
still continues to increase

• There is not much that can be done

with the office equipment other than
inform staff to turn them off when not in
use (weeknights and weekends)

• Some computer equipment can be set up to automatically

go into an energy saving mode, if they are configured
properly

• During the walk-through, notice if computer screens are off

when the office is not occupied

• Are portable space heaters or fans running in unoccupied

spaces?

• Energy Star rated appliances and computing resources?

Office Equipment Suggestions:
• Educate occupants!
• Use Energy Star rated equipment.
• Use Occupancy Sensor Controls. There are vendors who make occupancy sensor
controlled outlets and outlet strips.
• Most computers provide for some level of energy saving when the computer is not in
use.  Are they in use?
• Portable heaters can be a fire hazard, they are energy hogs and are usually a sign of
other problems. They should be managed accordingly.
• Check to see if portable fans are being managed.
• When occupants are on vacation or business travel do they leave non‐essential loads
turned on (printers, lamps, lights, etc.)?

107
Building Walkdown: Office Equipment

Phantom load = device plugged in but not in use

BAE Systems Plug Load Example:
• 1 phantom load (2 watts) per person
• Devices are operating as phantom loads 20 hours/day, 7 days per week
• 1200 person building
• 50% of the occupants each have one device that counts as a phantom load
• Cost of electricity is $0.14/kW
= 8,760 kWh in phantom load = $1,226*
*does not include peak demand charges

$1,000 per year in one building for energy not used…

108
Building Walkdown: Office Equipment

BAE Systems Plug Load Example:

kWH Cost Consumption %

Standard Devices per Day 709.08 $78.00 68.78%

Additional Devices per Day 321.886 $35.41 31.22%

Standard Devices per Year 258814.2 $28,469.56 68.78%

Additional Devices per Year 117488.39 $12,923.72 31.22%

Total per Day 1030.966 $113.41

Total per Year 376302.59 $41,393.28

Standard – computers, pencil sharpener, monitors, etc.

Additional – cell phone chargers, coffee pots, fish tanks, microwaves, extra printers, 

personal refrigerators

Seems small but in one facility this is $12,000 for non standard devices!  Estimated at 
$41,000 per year across this BAE sector.    

109
Building Walkdown: Air Distribution Systems

Air
Distribution
• Re-Sealing Ductwork
• Access (attics and
crawl spaces)
• Support
• Duct Failure

The efficiently tempered and conditioned air is only efficient if we can get it where it is 
supposed to go.

110
Building Walkdown:
Air Distribution System - What to Look for
• Indications of a big leak:
• If both the space(s) served by the ductwork and
the area that the ductwork runs through are at or
near the same air temperature

• Access to attics and crawl spaces is necessary

to verify ducts – be careful when in these spaces
Source:http://ardenenvironmental.blogspot
.com/201 0/11/duct-blaster-testing.html
• Ductwork that is crushed or flattened Dec. 11, 2012

• Ductwork that is sagging or no longer

attached to its support hangers
• Dirt/dust trails near joints or seams in the
ductwork
• Tape or insulation that is not attached or
hanging from the ductwork

Leaking ductwork is a common problem.
• It often gets damaged while maintenance is performed on other adjacent equipment.
• Tape peals off at seams with time.
• It is often hard to get to.
• If ductwork is leaking above a drop ceiling return plenum, the air you spent energy on
never gets to the space you wanted it in.

111
Building Walkdown: Meter Profile

Meter
•
Profile
Demand for Services
• Utilities
• Smart Meters

The building’s past energy bills are a wealth of historical information that can be used to 
predict the future and show improvement over the past.

112
Building Walkdown: Meter Profile

• Meter Profiles are like a heartbeat

• Will show a variation as the building consumption
goes up and down as the demand for services
increases

• Periodic review of the meter profile will reveal inconsistent usage

• Utilities in many regions are installing interval meters that provide high
resolution interval data

• Data from the utilities can be downloaded from the utilities’ website

• Smart meters may also be installed on the building

113
Building Walkdown: Compressed Air

Compressed
Air
• Pneumatic Systems
• Air Dryers
• Pressure Regulator
Setting
• Pneumatic Devices
• Compressor Run
Time

Many buildings still have pneumatic building controls or at least the old actuators now 
being controlled by a modern BAS through the use of EP devices (EP stands for electric to 
pneumatic). Thus they may still have the compressed air systems that serve the remaining 
pneumatic controls.

114
Building Walkdown:
Compressed Air

• Provides compressed air to pneumatic

devices (thermostats, actuators,
transducers, controllers, etc.)
• Record and evaluate:
• Air dryer functioning
• Reduced pressure regulator setting
(should be between 20 and 25 psi; any
lower will affect controls).
• Compressor run (on) time versus off time Source:http://www.cham
(should be close to 30% run (on) time pionpneumatic.com
versus 70% off time).

The compressor will scare the heck out of you if you don’t know its there!

It will cycle on periodically to maintain its air pressure. The more it runs, the more air is 
being used or is leaking.

There is normally an air dryer in close proximity to the compressor. This is a refrigeration 
device that is meant to remove moisture from the compressed air before it gets into the 
field devices. Liquid in the pneumatic system is a problem that can cause erratic behavior of 
the system.

115
Building Walkdown:
Compressed Air

• Compressed Air
Leakage
• How would you
address an issue
like this?

• Listen for leaks in tubing (if bad enough)

• Soap joints to look for leaks and tighten

Leakage is always a problem with pneumatic systems.

The pneumatic tubing may be copper or it may be plastic. Normally a combination of both. 
Both will develop leaks over time due to corrosion and wear and tear.

Many leaks were man made as pieces of the pneumatic systems were replaced with 
modern BAS systems. Did they cap the tube properly? Or did they just leave it hanging in 
the wall?

116
 Documentation Phase and
Calculating Savings

Review

Remember that up to now, you haven’t actually been fixing things. You’ve only been 
identifying issues.

You should have a list of issues found that are to become Energy Conservation Measures 
(ECMs) for your building. 

Now it is time to rank and sort them to figure out where the time and effort is best spent.

The documentation phase is an important step if you have to justify the effort to 
administrators and it serves as a history as to what you have done, to compare to the 
energy savings realized.

117
Documentation Phase

• Document prescriptive re-tuning measures by cost (no/low-

medium-high)

• Select which measures are appropriate for implementation

for the building based on:
• Cost
• Ease of implementation
• Return on investment
• Indoor Environmental Improvement
• Safety and Security

• Document the selected measures so that calculation and

realization of energy savings are possible

119

Best Practices:
• Re‐tuning is an ongoing process
• Do it quarterly or at least every six months OR
• If you see an increase in energy consumption or occupant complaints
• Every set point adjustment you make will have an impact on the utility meter
• You can save energy and keep staff comfortable
• It takes time to tune a building; there are no magic set points that work all the time
(each building is unique)
• Look at the big picture when making adjustments
• Learn and know your building’s personality
• Basic Energy Management
• If you do not need it, turn it off
• If you do not need it at full power, turn it down
• Make the energy system smart when adjusting to the real needs of the building

118
 Post-Walkdown: Quantifying Energy Conservation
Measures (ECMs):
Objectives
• Overview of major BRT ECMs
• Ranking of BRT ECMs
• Effort
• Savings
• Examples of quantification of major BRT ECMs
• Tools for calculations and validation through interval utility data
• Calculators for estimating energy savings available
• Pipe insulation
• Closing gaps
• Steam traps, etc.

A ECM is any change that impacts an area of building operation or modifications that 
reduce building energy use. 

• Ideal Building Re‐Tuning (BRT) ECMs
• Low‐medium effort (required)
• A few hours to implement

• Medium‐high savings (preferred)
• At least 5‐10% savings of energy (for specific area) saved

• High‐effort ECMs identified can be implemented when a major retrofit takes place
(when later planned) or be integrated into a capital improvement plan

Ideally we would like ECMs that are low to medium effort that yield at least medium size 
savings.

119
Energy Conservation Measures:
Top Three ECMs Based on SAVINGS

ECM CATEGORY EFFORT ESTIMATE PAYBACK

Replace fluorescent 20% of
lamps with reduced Lighting Low lighting 1 year
wattage fluorescent energy
Replace fluorescent, 10-40% of
ballasts or install Lighting Medium lighting 2-6 years
TLEDs energy

Applying Low-E film / Building 10% of total

Low/Medium 2-6 years
adding Low-E panes envelope energy costs

Optimize boiler air- 1-10% of fuel

HVAC Medium 0-1 year
fuel ratio costs

These are examples of high‐savings ECMs. When it comes to retuning, any payback more 
than three years is difficult to justify. As we can see HVAC, lighting ECMs and some 
envelope ECMs can be considered during retuning.

120
Energy Conservation Measures:
Top Three ECMs Based on EFFORT

ECM CATEGORY EFFORT HOURS LABOR COST

Keep chiller
temperature as HVAC Low 0 0
high as possible

Minimize the
hot water Water-heating Low 0 0
temperature
Use
temperature
Sensors &
setbacks for Low 0 0
Controls
programmable
thermostats

Source: Energy Efficiency Manual, Wulfinghoff

These are examples of low effort ECMs. As it can be seen in the table, they are very easy to 
implement and often result in at least medium level savings.

121
Energy Conservation Measures:
Medium Effort / High Savings ECM

ECM Category ECM Description Effort /

Savings
Domestic Hot Replace Existing DHW System with an On- Medium/High
Water ECM Demand Water Heater
Tankless natural gas or electric water heaters
typically result in energy savings on the order of 8%
to 25%. Tankless water heaters eliminate standby
energy losses associated with hot water storage
tanks.

This example is a medium effort/high savings ECM in the category of domestic hot water.

122
Energy Conservation Measures:
Low Effort / Medium Savings ECM
ECM Category ECM Description Effort /
Savings
Air Distribution Implement an HVAC System Night Setback Low/Medium
Systems Schedule
For all HVAC systems that serve intermittent-
occupancy rooms or non 24/7 areas, make sure that
night setback controls have been implemented.
Conference rooms, especially, have intermittent use.
You have only a few zones, but if managed properly,
you can realize energy savings > 10%.

Here is an example of a low effort/medium savings ECM in the area of air distribution 
systems.

123
Energy Conservation Measures:
Low Effort / Medium Savings ECM
ECM Category ECM Description Effort /
Savings
HVAC Verify Proper Operation of Air-side Economizer Low/Medium
Check the DDC system control sequence to see if the
current control system is using an air-side economizer.
Make sure the economizer is working correctly by
viewing damper positions and outside airflow rates at
different outside air temperatures.

Economizer damper closed with

65°F outside air temperature

Here is a low effort/medium savings ECM in the area of HVAC.

124
Energy Conservation Measures:
Low Effort / Medium Savings ECM

ECM Category ECM Description Effort /

Savings
envelope Seal areas of infiltration using caulk or Low/Medium
weather-stripping to reduce the thermal
exchange that takes place at openings.

This is a low effort/medium savings ECM in the area of building envelope.

125
Energy Conservation Measures:
Low Effort / Low Savings ECM

ECM Category ECM Description Effort /

Savings
envelope Seal Penetrations in Building envelope Low/Low-
Including Door Gaps Medium
Energy loss is proportional to inside/outside
temperature difference

Here is a low effort/low savings ECM in the area of building envelope. 
Assuming the conditioned air in the building should be at least 65° notice the huge 
temperature differential with the sub zero weather outside.

Taking pictures and thermal images can be helpful in proving the value and to help relocate 
the issue when it comes time to perform the ECM .

126
Energy Conservation Measures:
Low Effort / Medium Savings ECM

ECM Category ECM Description Effort /

Savings
Domestic Hot Water Insulate Hot Water Pipes Low/Medium
Pipe insulation reduces heat loss through
distribution pipes and increases overall system
efficiency. Any heated pipe with exterior
temperatures over 120°F should be insulated.

Finally, here is a low effort/medium savings ECM in the area of domestic hot water.
A thermal image would have been very valuable here.

127
 Demand Management

Demand Management Strategies

Objectives:
• Understand the impact of peak demand charges
• Understand the different demand management strategies
• Review a case study in peak demand management

128
Peak Demand

Peak Demand – highest power load measured during a segment of a hour in a billing
period which represents the highest point of customer consumption of electricity.

Graphic Source:
https://www.dom.com/residential/d
ominion-virginia-power/ways-to-
save/smart-pricing-plan/smart-
pricing-plan-home/smart-pricing-
plan-faqs-home

During certain periods of a given day, the same unit of

electricity can cost up to 100 times more!

There are two terms to understand on energy bills;
• Consumption – is the amount of energy used over a given time frame.
• In electricity, this is commonly measured in kilo‐watts per hour (kWh) or 1000
watts consumed over a one hour period of time.
• Demand – is the amount of energy being used at any given moment.
• In electricity this is measured in kilo‐watts (kW). Not over a period of time; its
what the building is ‘demanding’ right now!
The amount of energy a building demands changes constantly, dependent on the 
environment and how the building is being used.

With respect to the electric utility companies, understand that the demand on their 
systems is constantly changing as well. There are times when the demand for electricity on 
their systems is close to the capacity of their equipment. The wholesale cost of electricity is 
constantly changing also; the higher the demand for electricity the higher the wholesale 
price of electricity.

Accordingly, there is more demand for electricity during the normal business hours of a day 
than at any other time. So utilities charge a higher rate during ‘peak’ hours.

Now, understand that the highest peak of demand a facility has in a year, or 6 months, or in 
a single billing cycle, represents a certain amount of ‘capacity’ that the utility must have the 
ability to provide, even though the building may only need it once every six months. The 
facility is charged by the utility for having this capacity in reserve. This is called a ‘demand 
charge’, ‘capacity charge’ or ‘facility charge’.

129
Peak Demand

CUSTOMER BILL
Phone Inqui ries: (888) 222-3344
Power Outa ges: (888) 258-5566

Page 1 of 1
Account Numb er: 1234 56789

Sampl e Build ing Total Amount Due 8/28/08 $54,565.88

Issue Date: 8/1/08

Location: 123 Main Street Usage History Dates Days kWh/Day $/Day
My To wn, USA Billing Period 7/1/ 08 - 7/31/08 31 24,053.6 $2,521.52
Rate: GS-1 Last Year 7/1/ 07 - 7/31/07 31 23,824.8 $2,496.88
Last Month 6/1/ 07 - 6/30/07 30 24,231.9 $2,580.46

ELECTRIC SERVICE CHARGES/CREDITS USAGE TYPE RATE TOTAL

Power Fa cto r 0.878 1
Ene rgy Charge 1 94,59 8 Summer Off Peak kWh @ 0.07 7990 151 76.70
Ene rgy Charge 95,43 2 Summer On Peak kWh @ 0.10 1100 96 48.18
Ene rgy Charge 1 80,24 4 Summer Supe r Peak kWh @ 0.12 7500 229 81.11
Sub total Electricity Consumption 4 70,27 4
Facilitie s Ch arge 2,14 6 Ma xi mu m kW @ 3.15 0000 67 59.90
TOTAL ELECTRIC SER VICE CHARGES/CREDITS 545 65.88

GAS SERVICE CHARGES/CREDI TS USAGE (THERMS) RATE TOTAL

Gas C harges 563 0.7 9899 4 49.83
TOTAL GAS SERVICE CHARGES/CREDITS 4 49.83

https://www.dom.com/residential/dominion-virginia-power/ways-to-save/smart-
pricing-plan/smart-pricing-plan-home/smart-pricing-plan-faqs-home

In this example of a utility bill, notice that there are actually three different rates for 
consumption; ‘summer‐off‐peak’, ‘summer‐on‐peak’ and summer‐super‐peak’. A schedule 
of these rates will be listed in the utility’s tariff schedule. A utility’s tariff lists the rules a 
utility has for different types of customers; residential, commercial, primary metering, 
secondary metering…etc. These tariffs are adjusted periodically and approved by a state’s 
Public Utility Commission (PUC). You can usually look up your utility’s current tariff on‐line.

Also notice the “Facilities charge” on this bill: $3.15 per kW for the 2,146 kW capacity that 
this utility must have in reserve to meet this buildings maximum recorded demand in what 
ever period is listed in the tariff.

130
Demand Management Strategies

Load Shifting
Utility Bill Monitoring Rescheduling load (specific
Review utility bill and look operations) to avoid peak
for peak demand charges demand hours

Load Shedding
Reducing load (specific
operations) to avoid peak
demand hours

Demand Response Programs

Utilities and operators work
together for a common goal

Demand management review

The demand management strategies are:
• Utility bill monitoring – Review of your utility bills looking for items in the facility that are
causing demand.
• Load shifting – Moving the operation of high demand equipment in a facility to off‐peak
hours when ever possible.
• Load shedding – Reducing the amount of load and equipment that is running during
periods of high demand
• Demand response programs – Utility programs that provide financial incentives for
customers to reduce load at opportune times. Examples form PJM:
• Emergency load response – A utility will pay subscribed customers to have the
ability to shed a certain amount of load when called upon to do so. The
customer must comply if called upon. (2 hour warning/up to 6 hour duration)
• Economic load response – A utility will pay a customer an amount, based on
wholesale energy price, to shed load at an opportune time. Participation by the
customer is voluntary. (1 hour warning/duration is at the discretion of the
customer)
• Synchronized reserve market ‐ A utility will pay subscribed customers to have the
ability to shed a certain amount of load when called upon to do so. The
customer must comply if called upon. (10 minute warning/less than 30 minute
duration)

131
BAE Systems Peak Demand Management
Case Study
BAE Systems – New York Facilities

PEAK DEMAND TIMES/RATES –

YEAR-ROUND Peak rates 100
• OFF-PEAK 6 pm to 10 am @ $.11 KWH Times higher than
• PEAK 10am to 6 pm @ $10.56 KWH off peak! Significant
PEAK DEMAND TIMES/RATES –
opportunity to save
SUMMER
money if they can
use load shedding
• OFF-PEAK 10 pm to 10 am @ $.20 KWH
or load shifting
• PEAK 10 am to 10pm @ $20 KWH
strategies.
WINTER
• OFF-PEAK 10 pm to 6 am @ $.20 KWH
• PEAK 10 am to 10 pm @ $15 KWH

BAE Systems first became involved with peak demand by enrolling in demand response 
programs.  These programs offer financial incentives for reducing electrical load during 
peak hours when the grid is overloaded, typically during summer months when air 
conditioning is frequently used. Enrolling in these types of programs offer companies as 
much as $150 per kilowatt for reducing the facility demand for a specified period of time.  
Many of BAE System’s sites throughout the Electronic Solutions sector participate in 
demand response programs both for the financial incentive as well as to be socially and 
environmentally responsible. 

132
 Spray Booth Example:

• Running the HVAC system for the spray booth

is a necessity due to the fumes created while
spraying coatings and paints.
BAE SYSTEMS PEAK
DEMAND MANAGEMENT • The total load of the paint booth is 100 kW or
CASE STUDY approximately 1/3 of the total demand on the
480 V service.

• Total estimated savings of this single peak

demand management line item is between
~$52k-$74k annually.

To further understand peak demand and the additional charges, BAE Systems conducted a 
peak demand management experiment.  The experiment made use of a sophisticated 
building management system (BMS) to monitor the change in electrical demand as 
equipment is powered on and off.  This experiment in particular monitored the operation 
of a painting spray booth that requires compressed air and high powered HVAC.  Previous 
to the experiment, the spray booth would run continuously throughout the day.  The 
experiment was conducted on a weekend such that the electrical profile of the spray booth 
could be easily identified with no electrical interference from normal manufacturing 
operations.  It was discovered that the spray booth demanded a total load of 100 kW. 

133
BAE Systems Peak Demand Management
Case Study

After conducting this experiment, spray booth operations became a managed process, 
where the spray booth use was managed based on overall demand on the facility, resulting 
in a decrease of 67 kW in daily demand and a savings of $70,000 per year.  As a result of 
these findings, BAE Systems implemented peak demand management enterprise‐wide.  
The peak demand management program consists of several different components. 

134
 Data-driven Analysis:
Mastering BRT

Module

Objectives:
• Understand the building re‐tuning (BRT) process
• Learn how to diagnose the BRT opportunities through viewing and understanding trend
data charts
• Understand the uses of Energy Charting and Metrics (ECAM)

135
Building Automation Systems Definition

A modern Building Automation System (BAS), called a DDC

(for Direct Digital Control) system is a network of specialized
computerized controllers and sensors used to operate the
many components and systems associated with a building’s
HVAC system, as well as lighting systems, security systems
and many others.

Before we get into the Data‐driven analysis section, lets talk a minute about Building 
Automation Systems (BAS) to get everyone on the same page.

A modern building automation system, called a DDC (for Direct Digital Control) system is a 
network of specialized computerized controllers and sensors used to operate the many 
components and systems associated with a building’s HVAC system, as well as lighting 
systems, security systems and others.

These systems typically have a computer server to store its programing and data 
(sometimes enabled for the world wide web [web‐server]) and a computer monitor called 
a Human Interface Device (HID) for imputing commands and instructions as well as viewing 
what the system is doing.

There may be a controller associated with each chiller, each boiler, each air handling unit 
each VAV or there may be a controller for the entire boiler plant all networked on the same 
IT system, so they can communicate back and forth. Each controller has inputs from many 
sensors (called “data points”) which convey real time information about the building’s 
conditions; outdoor temperature, indoor temperatures, humidity, CO2 levels, flow rates, 
motor speeds, pressures and much, much, more! Each controller also has outputs (called 
“control points”) to all of the equipment needed to maintain you building in a 
healthy/comfortable environment. There can be hundreds of controllers and thousands of 
sensors and control points in one system, all working in concert to make your building run.

The question is, is it running efficiently?

136
Building Automation Systems Trend Data

A BAS has the ability for you to record and store

information about what each point (both data point and
control points) is doing, in incremental periods of time
(called “time-series data”) and view that data in a
graphical form called a trend graph.

A BAS has the ability for you to record and store information about what each point (both 
data point and control points) is doing, in incremental periods of time (called “time‐series 
data”) and view that data in a graphical form called a trend graph. It is this ability for a BAS 
to record and store this time‐series data (Trends) that we hope to export to another tool 
called ECAM (Energy Charting and Metrics) to graph out specific data sets in the Data‐
driven Analysis section.

ECAM is an MS Excel ‘plug‐in’ (or add on) that will take time series data and, after merging 
and adjustment, chart specific data sets on the same graph so that the interaction of 
related equipment can be trended and analyzed by the viewer.
Using ECAM requires some competence in MS Excel by the end user.

Analysis Process Steps:
1. Download trend log data files from BAS
2. Format data files for compatibility with the Energy Charting and Metrics (ECAM)
spreadsheet analysis tool
https://buildingretuning.pnnl.gov/documents/ECAM_v5r8.xlam
3. Open data files in the ECAM, map the data points, select the desired re‐tuning charts to
be generated
4. Review the charts to identify operational issues following PNNL guides
5. Record operational set points and issues found for each piece of equipment
6. There is a separate course module on steps 1‐3, setting up trend logs. This module
focuses on steps 4 and 5.

137
Common Re-tuning Measures:
PNNL Meta Analysis of 100 Buildings
No discharge temperature reset 65%

No static pressure reset 65%

Lack proper schedule for exhaust fans during warm-up 50%

Lack proper schedule for AHUs & lack schedules for fans 50%

No chilled water temperature reset 45%

Lack occupancy based controls for common areas 40%

No Chilled water differential pressure reset 30%

No hot water temperature reset 30%

Improper mininum outdoor air setting during warm-up 30%

Faulty sensors 30%

No photo sensors or improper location 25%

Improper dead bands 25%

Improper heating/cooling set points 25%

No night set backs 20%

Lack automatic lighting controls 15%

No hot water differential pressure reset 15%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Building [%]

As many as 50% of the buildings surveyed;

Lacked proper schedules for AHUs
Lacked schedules for exhaust fans or fans running during warm‐up mode
Over 65% of the buildings do not use static pressure or discharge temperature reset on 
AHUs
Over 30% of the buildings had;
One or more faulty sensors
Improper minimum outdoor‐air setting during morning warm‐up
Over 45% of buildings do not use chilled water temperature reset 
Over 30% of buildings do not use hot water temperature reset
Over 30% of buildings do not use chilled water differential pressure reset 
Over 15% buildings do not use hot water differential pressure reset
Over 25% of buildings have improper heating/cooling set points or dead bands
Over 20% of buildings do not use night set backs
Over 40% of buildings lack occupancy‐based controls for common areas (conference 
rooms, kitchen, etc.)
Over 25% of buildings do not use or photo sensors or place them in the wrong location
Over 15% of buildings lack automatic lighting controls

138
 BRT Categories

• Occupancy Scheduling
• AHU Discharge Air Temperature Control
• AHU Discharge Air Static Pressure Control
Single-Duct
• AHU Heating and Cooling Coils Variable Air
• AHU Outdoor Air Operation Volume (VAV)

• AHU Economizer Operation

• Zone Conditioning
• Heating Plant
• Cooling Plant

Expectations:
• Building retuning from BAS trend data is a sleuthing process!
• The software does not do it for you.
• The charts usually have two or more lines of recorded data points from the BAS.
• Sometimes it is helpful to look at two weeks of data on one chart, and other times it
helps to zoom into one or two days of data.
• The sleuthing process requires user to interpret the relationships between the trend
data lines on the chart

Limitations:
• Need to understand and know the use and intended operation of the building and the
system being charted.
• Need to know the fundamental and ideal relationships to look for with BRT with BAS.
• PNNL has a separate re‐tuning guide for each of the BRT categories listed on this page.
• Follow the PNNL re‐tuning guides!

We are about to go over some BRT charts and it’s important to understand the ground 
rules.
The focus of the BRT for AHU is for single‐duct VAV systems as these are the most common

139
 Re-tuning Control Strategies

Occupancy Scheduling

Trends to look for:
• Is there night setback for unoccupied hours?
• Is there weekend setback if the building is unoccupied on the weekends?
• Does the supply fan cycle frequently during unoccupied hours?
• Does the outdoor‐air damper open during unoccupied hours or when the building is in
warm‐up/cool‐down mode?

140
Data Points Being Used

SP
OAT DAT

OAD

http://retuningtraining.labworks.org/
Single‐Duct Variable Air Volume Unit

The data points needed and where they are taken are shown on this schematic:
• Outdoor‐air temperature (OAT)
• Outdoor‐air damper position signal (OAD)
• Supply fan status
• Discharge‐air temperature (DAT)
• Duct static pressure (SP)

Things to look for:
• Is there night setback for unoccupied hours?
• Is there weekend setback if the building is unoccupied on the weekends?
• Does the supply fan cycle frequently during unoccupied hours?
• Does the outdoor‐air damper open during unoccupied hours or when the building is in
warm‐up/cool‐down mode?

The following 7 slides are discussion opportunities for the class. 

141
Set back for Unoccupied Hours?

During unoccupied hours, the system should be set back so that the system does not 
continue to operate. In some building’s BAS, the supply fan status may not be available, but 
reviewing the plot of the duct static pressure versus time can reveal if there is night set 
back or not. 

It appears that there is no night set back for this AHU because when the building goes into 
an unoccupied mode, the duct static pressure should drop to half of the daily occupied 
static pressure or lower, but preferably to zero, if night set back is being utilized correctly. 

142
Set back for Unoccupied Hours?

This is the way it should look. Duct static pressure goes to zero (0) between approximately 
9:00 PM and 4:00 AM, which indicates that this air handle was shut off during that period. 
If this matches the building’s normal  occupancy hours, then its ok. If it doesn’t adjustment 
is needed.

143
Set back for Unoccupied Hours?

Perhaps it should look like this. The fan shuts off at 6:00 PM and comes back on at 6:00 
AM.

144
Set back for Unoccupied Hours?

Supply fan status works but not as reliable as duct static pressure

You can also look at supply fan status but it is not as reliable as the static pressure. 
It is easier to see if a static pressure sensor is giving faulty readings than an on/off 
status sensor.

145
Set back for Weekend Hours?

Is there a weekend set back? In this case the fan shut off at approximately 10:00 PM on 
Friday and came back on at 6:30 AM Monday.

146
Outdoor Air Damper during
Unoccupied Hours

This outdoor air damper stayed at 15% open during the entire 24 hour period of the trend. 
15% open does not mean 15% outdoor air! If the fan is running, it may be a lot more than 
that. The actual amount of outdoor air would depend on the difference in pressures across 
the damper, which changes with conditions. The point is, this damper never moved, but it 
should have!
The outdoor‐air damper should not open up during morning warm‐up/cool‐down (unless 
the weather is appropriate for economizing), and then it should open 30 minutes prior 
occupancy to flush the building. It should close at the end of the occupied time, and stay 
closed overnight. 

There could be a minimum air‐damper position, even in unoccupied times, because we 
might not always know the true occupancy schedule. Also damper position is often 
governed by other sensors, such as CO2, but in this case it looks like more control would be 
better for air quality and energy efficiency since the damper appears not to react to 
anything. 

147
Outdoor Air Damper during
Unoccupied Hours

This scenario is much better, Notice that the outdoor air damper opens to 15% at 8:00 AM 
as the occupants are entering the building. The supply fan comes on about an hour earlier, 
to heat the building up to the occupied temperature set point (called the “ramp up”), but 
does not have to heat the extra outdoor air as it does so.

148
 Optimal Start

• Optimal Start will automatically “learn” over time the

optimum time to start the HVAC system to bring space
temperatures within 1 to 2°F of occupied requirements at
the start of the occupied time period

Potential Savings

Early Start Time Normal Start Time Early Vacancy Time

=  5 AM = 7:45 AM = 5:30 PM

Like in the previous slight, “Optimal Start” is a capability of some building automation 
systems to learn the appropriate ramp up time for a building, dependent on outdoor 
conditions.

Other recommendations include:
• Look for re‐tuning opportunities during night, weekend, and holiday unoccupied
schedules.
• If your organization has moved to a four‐day work week, make sure systems aren't
running at full capacity on the fifth day.
• Look for re‐tuning opportunities during workday no‐ or low‐use schedules (auditorium,
classrooms, conference rooms).
• Do not restart too early ‐ use a startup schedule based on building needs (employ
optimal start, if possible).
• Do not use outside air during warmup except the last 30 minutes for flushing the
building.
• Refrain from starting up a system for the occasional nighttime or weekend user.
• Use bypass/override buttons for occasional night or weekend users (set for no
more than 2 ‐ 4 hours).
• Do not make radical changes. Instead, make small changes and observe how they work,
and then readjust as needed.
• Notify occupants that you are implementing changes and let them know who to contact
if the changes are not working for them.
• Consider switching to smaller‐capacity equipment for early evening loads.

149
 Re-tuning Control Strategies

AHU Discharge-Air Temperature Control

In this section will focus on discharge air temperature control.

Things to look for:
• Is reset being used to control the discharge‐air set point?
• Is the discharge‐air temperature meeting set point, or do deviations occur?
• Is the discharge‐air temperature set point too high or too low?
• Is the discharge‐air temperature too cool (<55°F) or too warm (>70°F)?  Usually too cool
• Does the discharge‐air temperature remain relatively stable?

150
Data Points Being Used

ZRV

OAT DAT

http://retuningtraining.labworks.org/
Single‐Duct Variable Air Volume Unit

Data Needed:
• Outdoor‐air temperature (OAT)
• Discharge‐air temperature set point (DATSP)
• Discharge‐air temperature (DAT)
• Zone reheat valve signal (ZRV)

Issues:
• Low discharge‐air temperature will cause;
Overcooling, reheating in cooler zones, portable heaters in offices, drafts and cold 
complaints, extra load on the cooling plant, excess discharge‐air pressure and 
excess energy in reheating the overcooled zones
• Discharge‐air temperature needs to be set low enough to handle the peak cooling load;
Summer weather peak, interior load peak, staffing peak
Maybe 1% to 2% of the operating hours are at this condition, yet most systems run 
100% of the time at this set point

The next series of slides will show the BAS charts and an animated “answer” will appear on 
click. 

151
Discharge-Air Temperature Reset Schedule

DAT Set Point constant, No Reset Schedule

152
Discharge-Air Temperature Reset Schedule

DAT SP with Reset Schedule

To get true building load conditions, base reset discharge‐air temperature on the following 
order:
1. Zone conditions (lowest, highest, average?)
2. Return‐air temperature
3. Outside‐air temperature

A few examples follow, so keep this ordering in mind as we go through them.

153
Discharge-Air Temperature Reset

Discharge-air
temperature

Discharge-air
temperature set point

DAT not meeting set point

This could indicate that the AHU cannot satisfy the building’s cooling requirements, 
bad proportional integral derivate (PID) loop control, leaking heating coil valve, or a 
bad/failing economizer control. 

154
Discharge-Air Temperature Reset

VAV's in Cooling and Heating Mode, OAT vs. Time

120 80
# In Clg Mode # In Htg Mode OAT

VAV in Cooling
100 70
Total Number of Terminal Box
OAT
80 60

OAT (degree F)
60 50

40 40
VAV in Heating

20 30

0 20
11/1/10 11/2/10 11/3/10 11/4/10 11/5/10 11/6/10 11/7/10 11/8/10

Example of Bad Operation ‐ No Reset

Opportunity to decrease the DAT

DAT No Reset Seen Through VAV Boxes

Notice the number of VAVs in cooling mode. Lowering the discharge air temperature (DAT) 
from the air‐handler will reduce the number of VAVs in the cooling mode, reducing the 
volume of air needed to satisfy the zones. This will result in a reduction of fan energy, It 
may also reduce the number of VAVs reheating the over cooled zones.

155
Discharge-Air Temperature Reset

VAV's in Cooling and Heating Mode, OAT vs. Time

120 80
# In Clg Mode # In Htg Mode OAT

100 70
OAT VAV in Heating
Terminal Box Number

80 60

OAT(degree F)
60 50

40 40

20 30

0 20
11/15/10 11/16/10 11/17/10 11/18/10 11/19/10 11/20/10 11/21/10 11/22/10

VAV in Cooling

Example of Bad Operation ‐ No Reset

Opportunity to increase the DAT when OAT lower than 50°F

DAT No Reset Seen Through VAV Boxes

Increasing the DAT from the air‐handler when the outdoor air temperature is below 50 
degrees, will minimize the number of zones needing reheat.

Reset discharge‐air temperature based on one of the following: 
• Zone conditions (preferred)
• Return‐air temperature
• Outside‐air temperature (least preferable).
If you implement changes, start with small changes and continue to adjust as needed over 
time as you learn the “personality” of the building.

156
 Re-tuning Control Strategies

AHU Static Pressure Control

Trends To Look For:
• Is there a reset‐schedule for the duct static pressure?
• Is the static pressure set point too high or too low?
• Review trends of damper position of variable air volume (VAV) boxes vs. time
• Most dampers are nearly closed during cooling ‐ static pressure too high
• Several (>25%) dampers are fully open during cooling ‐ static pressure too low
(starved boxes)
• Look for dampers that aren’t modulating with changing conditions, and VAV boxes that
are not being controlled or not responding to control signals.

This last point is critical. When dampers that should adjust to conditions are not adjusting, 
there is opportunity for savings.

157
Data Points Being Used

ZDP

SP

http://retuningtraining.labworks.org/
Single‐Duct Variable Air Volume Unit

Data points needed:
• Duct static pressure (SP)
• Duct static pressure set point
• Zone damper position signal (ZDP)

Issues:
• Like discharge‐air temperature, static pressure should follow the real load conditions
• Ideally, VAV dampers should run in the 50% to 75% range (non‐design conditions)
• When many VAV dampers are down at 20% open, the static pressure is too high

158
Big Savings Potential

• Fan Affinity Laws: reducing fan speed by 1/2 uses about 1/8th the power

Speed

Power
If your fans are using variable frequency drives (VFDs) fan savings are not linear. There is 
great savings by slowing the fan down!

Not all building operators are familiar with this concept.

159
AHU Static Pressure Control

Notice that the duct static pressure set point (DSPSP) never changes. It is fixed at 2 inches 
of water column all the time. When the fan is in occupied mode it maintains this duct static 
pressure with minimal variation.

160
AHU Static Pressure Control

Peak Demand Hours

Here we don’t have a graph of the Static Pressure set point, but we can see from the static 
pressure that the set point is changing to building conditions.

161
AHU Static Pressure Control

This is a graph of the actual damper positions of multiple VAVs served by the same air‐
handler. If there is too much static pressure, most of the VAV boxes will be less than 50% 
open. Like “Pushing the gas and the brakes at the same time”.

162
AHU Static Pressure Control

Same information, but now there is not enough static pressure, most of the VAV boxes are 
close to fully open and the VAVs that are fully open all the time might not be able to satisfy 
the zone. We refer to this as a starving VAV.

163
 AHU Static Pressure Control

Just Right When the static pressure is just right, the VAVs will operate between 50% and 
75% open the majority of the occupied hours. No zones are starving and the fan power 
required is minimized.

164
Static Pressure
Before and After Re-tuning

OAT Before re‐tuning After re‐tuning

Static Pressure

You can see how the static pressure changes dramatically before and after re‐tuning.

Recommendations and Actions:
• Ideally, VAV box dampers should run in the 50%‐75% range.
• Match the discharge static control set point to actual need ‐ an example is systems that
run at 0.5" in the morning and 2" in the afternoon when fully loaded.
• Numerous occupant complaints may indicate an improperly working discharge static
pressure control scheme. Note that hot and/or stuffy complaints occur when discharge
static pressure is too low, not when it's too high.
• Excess static pressure can cause excessive air and cold drafts as well as high noise levels
in offices from diffuser noise
• Trended data for discharge static pressure control that is working should show varied
static pressure.

Make small adjustments to the duct static pressure set points and note how the system 
reacts.

165
 Re-tuning Control Strategies

AHU Heating and Cooling Control

Trends to look for:
• Air‐handler heating and cooling coils operating simultaneously
• Heating and cooling lockouts possibly overlapping
• Unreasonable values for the heating and cooling lockouts (usually indicates failed or
leaking heating/cooling valves)
• If the VFD does not modulate, it has probably been overridden.

As is common in re‐tuning, we are trying to avoid Simultaneous Heating and Cooling with 
this type of investigation, but we are also looking for instances of inefficient or ineffective 
heating and cooling.

166
Data Points Being Used

OAT

HCV CCV

http://retuningtraining.labworks.org/
Single‐Duct Variable Air Volume Unit

Points needed:
• Outdoor‐air temperature (OAT)
• Heating‐coil‐valve signal (HCV)
• Cooling‐coil‐valve signal (CCV)

167
AHU Heating and Cooling Control

Simultaneous Heating and Cooling – the CCV (cooling coil valve) is open at 75% each hour 

and the HCV (heating control valve) has to open to meet the desired discharge air temp 
during occupied hours.  This may mean the CCV is stuck or the value has been manually 
over‐written in the BAS.

168
AHU Heating and Cooling Control

Cooling Coil Valve Lockout – set a lockout, based on outdoor air temperature, in the BAS at 

which the cooling coil valves are closed and locked.

This example shows how simultaneous heating and cooling is avoided through proper 
controls.

169
AHU Heating and Cooling Control

Heating Coil Valve Lockout – similar to the cooling coil valve lockout the valves are closed 

when outdoor air temperature is above a set temperature.

• Make sure that these lockout set points do not overlap.
• Check the heating and cooling‐coil valves for leaks.
• Coil pipes warmer/colder than room temp when outdoor air temperature is
beyond the lockout temp or system should be in economizing mode.
• Loops locked out at some outdoor‐air temperature preventing heating and cooling at
same time
• Heating locked out above 50°F or lowest temperature building can do without
heat
• Cooling locked out below 55°F or highest temperature building can do without
cooling
• Critical on dual‐duct and multi‐zone systems
• Balance point of building is critical when setting these lockouts

170
 Re-tuning Control Strategies

AHU Outdoor-Air Operation

Trends To Look For:
• Is outdoor air sufficient for ventilation or is over‐ventilation occurring?
• Does the outdoor‐air damper (OAD) close during unoccupied times?
• Does the actual outdoor‐air fraction (OAF) track with the outdoor‐air damper (OAD)
position?
• OAF should be within + 10‐15% of OAD position

Outdoor‐Air Fraction (OAF)
OAF = (MAT ‐ RAT) / (OAT ‐ RAT)
Remember that outdoor air damper percentage is not is not necessarily representative of 
actual outdoor air percentage. The outdoor air fraction calculation is a means to determine 
the actual outdoor air percentage.

The calculated OAF should only be used to investigate the true percent of outdoor‐air 
entering the AHU when the OAT is significantly different (+/‐5°F) than the RAT.

171
Data Points Being Used

Ex
RAT
Air

OAT
MAT

OAD

http://retuningtraining.labworks.org/
Single‐Duct Variable Air Volume Unit

Trend Data Needed:
• Outdoor‐air temperature (OAT)
• Outdoor‐air damper position signal (OAD)
• Mixed‐air temperature (MAT)
• Supply fan speed
• Occupancy mode
• Return‐air temperature (RAT)
• Outdoor‐air fraction (OAF) [Calculated point]

172
AHU Outdoor-Air Operation

Outdoor Air Damper open to minimum position (required for fresh air) but it should not be 
24/7. 

When this fan is off, this open damper is causing uncontrolled infiltration/exfiltration of air.

173
 AHU Outdoor-Air Operation

Minimum OA damper tracking poorly – OAD should track with the occupancy schedule

174
 AHU Outdoor-Air Operation

This is correct operation of the outdoor air damper. Notice the damper only opens to its 
minimum position when the building is occupied.

175
AHU Outdoor-Air Operation

This is good operation when not in the economizing temperature range.

The Outdoor Air Fraction (OAF) tracking well with Outdoor Air Damper (OAD) position.

OAF and OAD are shown here in %.

176
AHU Outdoor-Air Operation

The minimum OAF is too high for the non‐economizing temp range.
Also look for it being too low

177
OAF Greater than OAD Position

Outdoor‐Air Fraction (OAF) is potentially not representative of OAD, meaning there could 
be a problem with OAD or another source of outside air that needs to be sealed.

178
 Good or Bad?

The outdoor‐air temperature range is favorable for economizing, so further 
investigation is needed to determine if the minimum OAF is being supplied as 
required for ventilation (when the conditions are not favorable for economizing). 
This can be investigated by generating the same plot when the outdoor‐air 
temperatures are high (>65°F) or low (<35°F). 

Recommendations and Actions:
• Check that the outdoor‐air damper minimum position is set to 0% open during all
unoccupied periods and opens to the design minimum position (5, 10, 20%) during
occupied periods and last 30 minutes of morning startup.
• OAF should be compared to the OAD position signal in the charts. If there are major
discrepancies during times when the OAT and RAT are significantly different, then
check to make sure the outdoor‐air damper is responding to the signal from the BAS.

179
 Re-tuning Control Strategies

AHU Economizer Operation

Trends To Look For:
• Is the outdoor‐air damper open when outdoor conditions are not favorable (OAT > RAT)
• Is the outdoor‐air damper closed or at minimum position when outdoor conditions are
favorable for economizing and the AHU is in cooling mode?
• When the cooling coil is open, is the outdoor‐air damper fully open, if the conditions are
favorable for economizing?
• Do outdoor‐air dampers close to minimum position for freeze protection?
• Dampers not opening or closing (observed in the field or on trend graphs)
• Mixed air temperature colder than discharge air temperature.
• Mixed air temperature warmer than discharge air temperature, but outside air
temperature is cooler than discharge air temperature setpoint, and there is a need for
cooling in the building.

180
Data Points Being Used

Ex
RAT
Air

OAT DAT
MAT

OAD CCV

http://retuningtraining.labworks.org/
Single‐Duct Variable Air Volume Unit

Trend Data Needed:
• Outdoor‐air temperature (OAT)
• Outdoor‐air damper position signal (OAD)
• Mixed‐air temperature (MAT)
• Cooling‐coil‐valve signal (CCV)
• Discharge‐air temperature and set point (DAT and DATSP)
• Return‐air temperature (RAT)
• Outdoor‐air fraction (OAF)

181
AHU Economizer Operation

Poor Economizer Control Setting – The Outdoor Air Damper (OAD) is fully open even when 

the Outdoor Air Temperature (OAT) is warmer than the Return Air Temperature( RAT).

182
Outdoor Air Damper at Min Opening

This Figure reveals that the mixed‐air temperature (MAT) is always 3‐5F warmer than the 
discharge‐air temperature, indicating that mechanical cooling is occurring to meet the 
discharge‐air temperature set point for this AHU. Because the outdoor‐air damper is at the 
minimum position, energy is being wasted. 

It is possible that the outdoor‐air damper is overridden to the minimum position in the 
BAS, or that there is poor economizer control operation. 

If this economizer were working properly, the outdoor‐air damper would modulate 
accordingly to ensure that the mixed‐air and discharge‐air temperatures were nearly equal. 

183
 AHU Economizer Operation

Not Economizing Fully – OAD is not at 100% and yet the CCV is open

Also note, there is a constant Discharge Air Temperature Set Point (DATSP) which is not 
good, it should have a reset schedule based on zone temp (the load) or at least based on 
outside temp.

184
 AHU Economizer Operation

Fully Economizing – the OAD is open to 100% before the CCV opens.

Recommendations and Actions:
• If outside air is cooler than return‐air (most dry climates), use it, even if you have to run
some additional cooling.
• Do not use outside air when preheating or during unoccupied fan operations.
• Use of CO2 sensor control and proper maintenance of the sensor, along with correct
control sequencing, can help reduce excess outside air.
• Add and track the calculated OAF in the BAS for all AHUs.
• Set economizer operating range as wide as possible:
• For dry climates, set it between 30°F and 75°F.
• For normal climates, set it between 30°F and 68°F.
• For humid climates, set it between 30°F and 65°F.
• For outdoor‐conditions favorable for economizing, require full economizing (outdoor‐
air damper open 100%) before mechanical cooling can occur.

185
 Re-tuning Control Strategies

Zone Conditioning

Trends To Look For:
• Is there night‐time set back/unoccupied mode at the zone level?
• Is there significant reheat occurring at the zones, especially interior zones?

186
Data Points Being Used

ZT

ZRV

OAT

http://retuningtraining.labworks.org/
Single‐Duct Variable Air Volume Unit

Trend Data Needed:
• Outdoor‐air temperature (OAT)
• Zone reheat valve signal (ZRV)
• Zone temperature (ZT)
• Zone occupancy mode

187
Zone Conditioning

There is no zone occupancy schedule.

There is no night time temperature setback.

188
Zone Conditioning

Zone Occupancy Schedule Used.

There is an unoccupied temperature setback in place.

189
 Zone Conditioning

Too Much Reheat – this is apparent based on the OAT

Could be due to many factors
• No DAT reset
• Duct static pressure too high

190
 Zone Conditioning

This is good operation ‐ no reheat needed

Recommendations and Actions:
• Enable unoccupied mode and night‐time set back control, and develop a schedule for
each zone
• Reduce the interior zone terminal box heating minimum air flow setting by 5‐10% of the
heating maximum air flow set point and trend new data.
• Disable heating for interior zones in summer months (OAT >70°F, for example) to
eliminate heating leakage.
• If multiple zones are calling for reheat, increase the AHU discharge air temperature by a
few degrees and trend new data.

191
 Re-tuning Control Strategies

Heating Plant Optimization

Trends To Look For:
• Is reset utilized on the hot water supply temperature?
• Is the loop delta‐T (HWST ‐ HWRT) low?
• Is the hot water loop differential pressure constant and if so, can it be reset at partial
load conditions?

Trend Data Needed:
• Outdoor‐air temperature (OAT)
• Heating‐coil‐valve signal (HCV)
• Hot water supply temperature (HWST)
• Hot water supply temperature set point (HWSTSP)
• Hot water return temperature (HWRT)
• Hot water loop differential pressure (HWLDP)
• Hot water loop differential pressure set point (HWLDPSP)

192
Hot Water Supply Temp Reset

Notice that the outdoor air temperature (OAT) crosses a threshold of 60°F and the hot 
water supply temperature responds by increasing in temperature.

193
Boiler Heating Loop delta-T

You can see the delta‐T of the hot water supply temperature vs the hot water return 
temperature is maintained at roughly 20°F.

194
 Heating Plant Optimization

The differential pressure between the hot water supply and hot water return (HWLDP) is 
constant and too high. This causes the hot water control valves to only modulate below 
50% open, causing wasted pump energy. Again, foot on the brake and gas pedal at the 
same time.

195
 Heating Plant Optimization

Here a Hot Water DP Reset is enforce. The HWLDP here is much better and the hot water 
control valves are modulating between 50% and 100% open, satisfying the zone 
requirements while minimizing pump energy.

Recommendations and Actions:
• Reset hot water supply temperature depending on building load
• Typical control resets hot water supply temperature with outdoor‐air temperature
• Maintain 160°F – 180°F during winter season
• Maintain 120°F – 140°F during summer season
• If the hot water supply and return temperatures are within 1 or 2 degrees, consider
shutting down the boiler.
• Hot water heating boilers require reset schedules
• Zone temps will stabilize better because valves can modulate better at lower
zone loads
• Caution: for non‐condensing boilers use a bypass system to keep the boiler
warm and the loop cool
• A variable differential pressure set point should be implemented based on the
maximum heating coil valve position across all air‐handlers or terminal box reheat
valve positions in the building.

196
 Re-tuning Control Strategies

Cooling Plant Optimization

Trends To Look For:
• Is reset utilized on the chilled water supply temperature?
• Is the loop delta‐T (ChWRT ‐ ChWST) low?
• Is the loop differential pressure set point constant and if so, can it be reset at partial load
conditions?

Trend Data Needed:
• Outdoor‐air temperature (OAT)
• Cooling‐coil‐valve signal (CCV)
• Chilled water supply temperature (ChWST)
• Chilled water supply temperature set point (ChWSTSP)
• Chilled water return temperature (ChWRT)
• Chilled water loop differential pressure (ChWLDP)
• Chilled water loop differential pressure set point (ChWLDPSP)

197
Chilled Water Supply Temp Reset

The chilled water supply temperature is increased as the need for cooling is reduced (due 
to outside temperature change). 

This is often only done seasonally or not at all, but here it is done automatically through 
the BAS and a chilled water reset strategy. The real time reaction to environmental 
conditions saves energy.

198
Chilled Supply Water Reset and CCV

Energy was being used/wasted to keep chilled water supply colder than necessary as 
evidenced by the CCV at 40%. 

It is more efficient to set the CHWST to the right set point according to demand and open 
the CCV more.

199
Chilled Water Loop delta-T

In this example the chilled water loop Delta‐T is a constant 10° F as outdoor air 
temperature changes. This is good.

200
Chilled Water Loop DP based on CCV

The ChWLDP here is low and the cooling control valves (CCV) are modulating between 50% 
and 100% open, satisfying the zone requirements while minimizing pump energy.

Recommendations and Actions:
• Increase the chilled water supply temperature set point by 0.5°F at a time to prevent the
chiller from tripping off.  Also, do not increase the set point any higher than 5°F from the
design value.
• Make sure the cooling valves are fully open before the pump reaches full speed.
• Use differential pressure reset control to optimize secondary chilled water pump control.
• Chillers with VFDs should be used for load following
• Chillers without VFDs should always run close to full load
• Let the larger chiller stay fully loaded and run the smaller chiller as the lag unit
• Use a fully integrated lead/lag control scheme so chillers are not running because this
afternoon they might need it
• Reset condensing water return temperature based on wet‐bulb temperature
• Monitor kW/ton to determine the optimal control strategy between cooling
towers VFDs and chiller VFDs
• Cooling tower water return temperature should not be lower than 65°F for
chillers made before 1999 and should not be lower than 55°F for newer chillers
• Consult chiller manufacturer’s manual for more information

201
Overall Recommendations

• Enable unoccupied mode and night setback control.

• Shut off units at night and on weekends.
• Turn off heating systems (for reheat only) during the summer.
• When the reheat system is shut off, comfort may be maintained by increasing discharge air temperature (for
constant volume units).
• To avoid having to turn the heating system on and off repeatedly, do not turn off heating too early in the summer.
• Lock out cooling during the winter.
• When the cooling system is shut off, comfort may be maintained by decreasing discharge air temperature (for
constant volume units).
• To avoid having to turn the cooling system on and off repeatedly, do not turn off cooling too early in the fall or
winter.
• Turn off systems during unoccupied hours.
• Slow down systems during unoccupied and lightly occupied hours.
• Make sure there are no conditions where heating and cooling can run simultaneously.
• Make sure there are proper setpoints for locking out heating and cooling (i.e., lockouts and deadbands are correct.)

202
 Clean Energy Center at Penn College
Lindsey Harner
QUESTIONS?
(570) 327-4768
[email protected]

203