March 31, 2017
Journal Article

Success of Commercial Building Re-tuning in Federal Buildings: Results and Case Studies

Abstract

Re-tuning is a form of scaled-down retrocomissioning for commercial buildings that targets low- and no-cost control changes to building automation systems (BASs) to achieve immediate energy savings. A retrospective analysis of re-tuning for a set of 26 Federal office buildings and courthouses is presented, detailing the re-tuning process that was employed, the types of re-tuning measures that were commonly implemented, the most impactful of those measures, and an analysis of the energy and cost savings achieved as a result of the process. The portfolio of buildings that participated in these re-tuning efforts was benchmarked as having, on average, very efficient baselines. However, these buildings achieved, on average, 12.1% annual energy savings as a result of the re-tuning efforts, with an associated cost savings of $1.62/year per square meter of floor space ($0.151/year per square foot). Several key factors that are observed to promote successful re-tuning outcomes are discussed as well.

Revised: January 23, 2020 | Published: March 31, 2017

Citation

Fernandez N., D.J. Taasevigen, and R.M. Underhill. 2017. Success of Commercial Building Re-tuning in Federal Buildings: Results and Case Studies. Journal of Architectural Engineering 23, no. 1. PNNL-SA-112623. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)AE.1943-5568.0000216