California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE)

The University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Investor-Owned Energy Utilities are collaborating in an innovative new program to retro-commission campus facilities with the assistance of permanently installed energy monitoring equipment and trending capability. This monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx) effort spans 25 campuses, with nine projects for plant systems and 37 projects for buildings. Half of the buildings include laboratory or other energy-intensive space. The program is a part of the implementation of the UC Green Building and Clean Energy Policy, the similar CSU policy, and the California Investor Owned Utility (IOU) customer funded Energy Efficiency Program.

Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) employs remote energy system metering with trend log capability to identify previously unrecognized inefficiencies in energy system operations, facilitate the application of diagnostic protocols, document energy savings from operationalimprovements, and ensure persistence of savings through ongoing recommissioning. The program emphasizes training of campus staff in commissioning techniques includingmonitoring and diagnostic protocols. The program is also demonstrating the potential for MBCx to identify previously unrecognized cost-effective retrofit opportunities. In addition, the monitoring equipment will provide enhanced benchmarking capability for campuses—aiding in overall energy management efforts, as wells as design of new buildings and infrastructure.

Based on the success of preceding efforts on university campuses and supported by research and development efforts, this synergy of retro commissioning practices and enhanced permanent monitoring results in a robust energy efficiency program. The monitoring supports persistence of savings for the commissioning effort, while the commissioning makes the monitoring action-oriented with energy savings the end-result.

The first project results indicate more energy use reduction than expected, making this a promising approach for California universities and indicating potential for other programs as well. The 2004-05 effort is serving as a pilot —with the identification of best practices to form the basis for an expansion of the program to a large portion of the 160 million gross square feet of floor area in the two university systems.