in building technology and tighter building standards, the
Department of Energy estimates that buildings still consume one
third of all U.S. energy, at a cost of $200 billion per year, with
$85 billion used in commercial buildings. A large portion of this
energy is probably wasted, and with the current situation in Califo
rnia where a few megawatts of demand can push the electricity grid
into rolling blackouts, our commercial building stock can't afford
to waste any electricity.
The most efficiently designed building still needs fine tuning to
create and maintain a comfo rt able, energy - e fficient, and cost
- effective indoor environment. A recent survey published by the
Testing, Adjusting,and Balancing Journal showed that tenant
dissatisfaction over operational problems has surfaced in up to 70
percent of new building systems that undergo start-up procedures.
Building owners are increasingly unwilling to accept these kinds of
flaws that should have been corrected during construction, which
has led to a growing interest in building commissioning.
ASHRAE Guidelines define building commissioning as "the process of
ensuring that systems are designed, installed, functionally tested,
and capable of being operated and maintained to perform in
conformity with the design intent." But building developers may see
commissioning as an added cost with unknown benefits, whereas
private owner/operators may be more in tune with all the
performance and cost benefits of the commissioning process-They can
reap those benefits over the life of the building.
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e-News is published by Energy Design
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an online resource center for information on energy efficiency design practices in
California.
Savings By Design (www.savingsbydesign.com)
offers design assistance and incentives to design teams and building owners in California
to encourage high-performance nonresidential building design and construction.
Energy Design Resources and Savings By Design are funded by California utility customers
and administered by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Sacramento Municipal Utility
District, San Diego Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and Southern California
Gas Company, under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
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