Improvements

Because commercial buildings are major energy consumers, representing 18 percent of the total energy used in the U.S., the EPA developed the Guidelines for Energy Management to help building owners and operators identify and implement cost-effective strategies and technologies to reduce energy use.

There is a huge potential for businesses to reduce their operating costs through energy management. Effective energy management starts with a commitment to continuous energy efficiency improvements. By evaluating the energy usage of business operations a baseline will be set, against which progress can be measured.

Consider a staged approach to upgrading your building. This will help increase the financial and environmental benefits realized from your energy efficient upgrade project. The EPA recommends the five stage approach to building upgrades:

Retrocommissioning will help identify improper equipment performance; equipment or systems that need to be replaced; and strategies for improving building systems performance.
Lighting upgrades should be installed early in the process since they have the biggest impact on other building systems such as heating, cooling, and power quality.
Supplemental load reductions – Supplemental load sources such as building occupants and electronic equipment can affect heating, cooling, and electric loads. By evaluating supplemental loads and their interactions with HVAC systems, equipment size and upgrade costs can be reduced.
Air distribution systems deliver conditioned air from heating and cooling equipment to the occupants. Upgrading and adjusting the fan systems to optimize the delivery of air can provide energy savings.
Heating and cooling systems – If the previous four steps have been followed the heating and cooling loads should be reduced. Since many existing HVAC systems are oversized to start with replacement of the system may prove to be a cost effective project, especially if it is near the end of its useful life 1.

You should know that certain energy and water efficiency improvements are more effective than others at cutting your energy use. Installing the most effective efficiency improvement first is referred to as “loading order” installation. An energy audit will give you a custom report specific to the loading order for your business. The following is an example of a Loading Order installation.

First, sealing drafts and improving insulation levels in attics can typically save up to 20% of heating and cooling costs by EPA estimates.
Next, installing a tankless water heater can make hot water heating with normal hot water usage 24% to 34% more efficient, according to EnergyStar®
Third, replacing an old HVAC system with an EnergyStar® rated high efficiency one can result in savings that pay for the cost of the system in just three to four years.

Alternative energy generation is most effective when other basic energy efficiency measures have been installed first. An energy efficient building requires a smaller solar system, for example, costing less and shortening the payback period.

The installation of well planned retrofit projects can lower energy bills, reduce your carbon footprint and increase the comfort of your building. Learn more about how some of these proven energy efficiency projects can benefit you:

Non-Residential Eligible Improvements

Improvements

1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency