PNNL

Abstract

Retro-commissioning studies place the potential energy savings from improved operation and maintenance of commercial buildings between 5% and 30%, with a median value of about 15%. Many of the problems that plague the commercial buildings can be identified and corrected using a systematic semi-automated approach called re-tuning, developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL has developed a Building Re-Tuning e-learning course to teach individuals how to use this approach to assess buildings’ energy needs, identify opportunities for improvement, and implement no-cost and low-cost changes to reduce overall energy consumption. This paper will describe the PNNL methodology developing the online building re-tuning training, including how interactive exercises are used to promote knowledge discovery and practice throughout the re-tuning process and how real-world contexts and challenges are designed into the instruction to provide learners meaningful, relevant activities that help them solidify the concepts and apply them in their workplaces.