Energy Management of Public Buildings

Thomas Dahms and Wilfried Zrner

Energy Management of Public Buildings
Thomas Dahms, Wilfried Zrner
f
10
ForschungsZentrum fr Erneuerbare Energien Neuburg an der Donau
Nrdliche Grnauer Strasse 21, D-86633 Neuburg an der Donau, E-Mail: zoerner@f10-energie.de
f
10
Research Centre for Renewable Energies in Neuburg an der Donau
The f
10
, founded in 2005, is a research institute with the legal form of a non-profit company. The city of
Neuburg an der Donau (D), where the institute is located, is its only shareholder and supplies the basic
funding. f
10
-research combines all renewable energy sources into integrated energy supply systems. Its
activities are focussed on three areas:
Energy Efficiency, i.e. management of reasonable use of energy in private, public and industrial
sectors;
Energy Systems, i.e. development of integrated energy systems on local and regional scale based
on locally or regionally available renewable energy sources;
Energy Technology, i.e. development of systems and components of renewable energy technology.
All f
10
-activites are organised in projects. Usually, projects are carried out in cooperation with
companies supplying renewable energy technology, with communities and also with energy consumers
such as the industry or a building society. Naturally, the search for private or public project funding is
part of the daily business of the research institute.
Energy Management of Public Buildings
Communities spend a notable part (up to 20 % [1]) of their budgets for operation and maintenance of
their real estate. These expenses can be controlled and even considerably reduced as soon as the
cost origins become transparent. In many cases, however, reliable data are not available to the
decision-makers. To achieve these data, efficient data acquisition and evaluation are required. Many
communities are yet facing deficits regarding the organisation and operation of this.
Energy management of public buildings, in this respect, forms part of the communities real estate
management. It starts with the energy controlling of the buildings, i.e.
the analysis of the buildings,
the energy consumption control,
the optimisation of the users behaviour regarding energy,
and the optimisation of the operation management of all energy relevant installations.
It ends with the planning and realisation of measures to reduce the buildings energy consumption as
well as with the integration of the public into this process in order to achieve increased sensibility
concerning any buildings energy balance.
The motivation to introduce effective energy management for public buildings is to
achieve transparency regarding the public buildings energy consumption and costs,
have a basis for decision-making regarding structural measures,
reduce the costs for operation and maintenance of the buildings.


Development of an Energy Management Methodology
The f
10
develops a methodology for the energy management of public buildings exemplified by the city
of Neuburg. This methodology consists of 4 phases as shown in figure 1.
Figure 1: 4 Phases of the Energy Management Methodology
These 4 phases include a number of tasks to be performed:
Phase I Analysis of the Buildings
This phase includes the classification of the buildings regarding their energy consumption, the
selection of the first objects to be pursued and the data collection for theses buildings.
Phase II Energy Consumption Analysis
The energy consumption analysis deals with energy data acquisition and processing to achieve
specific consumption values suitable to be benchmarked. The analysis also identifies the buildings
with the highest consumption. This task is supported by a specific energy management software.
Phase III Energy Controlling and Measures
This phase starts with a diagnosis of the energy inefficient buildings. The step-by-step diagnosis
eventually includes a detailed inspection of the building.
The measures derived from this step are then classified with respect to the investments necessary:
without investment, requires low investment and requires high investment. This is necessary to
enable the authorities to reach decisions.
Phase IV Establish an Energy Management System
The intention of this phase is to automatise the energy controlling process and optimise the relevant
municipal organisation.
Benchmarks with comparable communities will eventually show the energy managements
effectiveness.
Situation in Neuburg an der Donau
Neuburg is situated on the river Danube right in the centre of Bavaria in southern Germany and has
about 28.500 inhabitants. It is a city with 3.000 years of history and a period of prosperity in the
renaissance and baroque era. Resulting from its long history is a high number of historic buildings.
Today it represents a regional centre for administration and economy as typical for Germany.
The city runs 94 public buildings (schools, kindergartens, administrative buildings, theatre and libraries,
residences for senior citizens and homeless persons, nursery, storehouse, fire brigade stations, etc.) of
which 4 schools were surveyed from 1995 until 2003 regarding their consumption of electric energy,
heat and water. Because of a lack of personnel, any related activities were stopped then.
Energy Management of Public Buildings in Comparable Communities
As a first step of the research project, the energy management activities of medium sized cities in
Germany were analysed. Interesting results were derived from Aalen (70.000 inhabitants, in the south-
Phase II
Energy Consumption
Phase III
Energy Controlling
Phase IV
Energy Management
Phase I
Building Analysis

west of Germany, member of the Climate Alliance since 1995), Immenstadt (14.000 inhabitants, in the
far-south of Germany), Nrdlingen (20.000 inhabitants, approx. 60 km west of Neuburg) and Lauf an
der Pegnitz (27.000 inhabitants, approx. 105 km northeast of Neuburg, member of the Climate Alliance
since 1995). Table 1 demonstrates the wide variety of approaches to energy management.
Table 1: Approaches to Energy Management Exemplified by 4 German Cities
Data Acquisition
Aalen manual meter reading of 60 major/minor buildings (weakly /monthly) by caretakers
Immenstadt
manual meter reading of 20 major buildings (monthly) plus 13 minor buildings (yearly) by
caretakers plus yearly record of power authorities invoices for other public utilities
Nrdlingen
manual meter reading of 6 8 major buildings (monthly) by caretakers plus yearly record of
power authorities invoices for minor buildings
Lauf
monthly record of city works invoices for major objects plus monthly manual meter reading of
minor objects by responsible on-site staff; data monthly documented and transmitted to energy
contractor

Data Evaluation
Aalen
manual input, automatic evaluation by software; check by Office for the Environment, Real
Estate Office is informed in case of irregularity
Immenstadt manual input, automatic evaluation by software
Nrdlingen
independent evaluation by caretakers; no regular overall data evaluation; no software available;
data evaluation only in case of reconstruction activities
Lauf data evaluation by energy contractor

Measures
Aalen
Office for the Environment introduces energy budget in 1995 (refinanced by cost savings) and
supports for investments; special trainings for caretakers and consumers
Immenstadt
regular feedback to the caretakers; caretakers are informed in case of irregularity (then act self
dependent); yearly energy report from external; yearly budget of 10.000 15.000 available;
special trainings for caretakers; information sessions open to public
Nrdlingen
participation in benchmark project; noticeable buildings analysed by engineering company; mid-
term plan for structural measures
Lauf
without energy contracting: small structural measures (improved insulation, exchange of
windows, up-grade of heating systems, ); with energy contracting: replacement of lighting
installations, new heating systems including control, introduction of building control systems

Organisation
Aalen
Office for the Environment responsible for data acquisition/evaluation and financially supports
measures, Real Estate Office effects measures within the buildings
Immenstadt
several offices included (city works, building authority, ); long-term target: Office for Real
Estate Management
Nrdlingen mainly Real Estate Office involved
Lauf energy consumption information transmitted to Real Estate Office and building authority

Status Quo
Aalen
all public real estate are monitored (200 meters plus street lighting); 60 buildings are evaluated
since 2001; total cost savings of approx. 900.000 since 1995
Immenstadt
data recording starting as early as 1990; introduction of municipal energy controlling in 1995
(test period with 3 major buildings); all major and minor buildings inspected; total cost savings of
approx. 320.000 since 1995
Nrdlingen
all public real estate are monitored (110 meters plus 50 street lighting); no cost saving data
available
Lauf
energy consumption analysis of public buildings for several years; decision to go for energy
contracting (13 major and minor buildings); contractor guarantees 18 % cost saving (50.000 )
as compared with year 2000; no feedback yet for first year operation



Status Quo and Next Steps of Energy Management in Neuburg an der Donau
After the analysis of other communities approaches, phase I was effected. By means of an ABC
analysis, Neuburgs 94 public buildings were classified regarding the criteria total energy
consumption, public circulation (number of users) and public significance. 7 Buildings were rated
A, including the town hall, the biggest administrative building, 3 complexes of school buildings, a
senior citizens residence and a kindergarten. 25 buildings (mostly schools, kindergartens, office
buildings and residences) were rated B. Subsequently, the A buildings master data were generated:
gross floor area, indispensable for the calculation of specific values ( kWh/ma),
character of the use of the buildings, especially variations in time (daytime/evenings, seasonal, ),
structure of the meters for consumption data acquisition (figure 2 and figure 3),
condition of the building and its heating system: requires a low-level inspection.
At this stage, the caretakers were integrated into the project. They must be considered the most
important operational and especially on-site technical personnel. Their response was mostly positive.
Figure 2: A Complex of School Buildings (Primary and Secondary School including Gym)
Phase II meant the acquisition of con-
sumption data regarding water,
electricity and heat. In a first step, the
data of the period of 2001 2004
were compiled to generate a mean
specific reference value to judge
future developments. Of course, all
these values were neutralised
concerning weather conditions.
Phase II will be continued with the
selection of an energy management
software and the start of this years
data acquisition in order to identify over-the-top consumers which will then be thoroughly inspected.
References
[1] REAL I.S. AG (ed.): Immobilien-Benchmarking fr Kommunen, Part 1, Munich (D), November 2004.
Figure 3: Structure of Electricity Meters of above Complex of
School Buildings