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This article was published in ASHRAE Journal, January 2015. Copyright 2015 ASHRAE. Posted at www.ashrae.org. This article may not be copied and/or
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Measurement
Of Commercial Building
Performance
BY BRUCE D. HUNN, PH.D., FELLOW ASHRAE; AND JIM BOCHAT, MEMBER ASHRAE
Bruce D. Hunn, Ph.D., is retired director of technology, ASHRAE, and an energy consultant in Raleigh, N.C. Jim Bochat is president of Commissioning Concepts in Phoenix.
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TECHNICAL FEATURE
FIGURE 1
Steps in the Best Practices Guide performance measurement process as
Building Performance
Measurement
1. Develop Performance
Measurement Plan
TABLE 1
Basic evaluation best practice procedure.
Collect
Basic Data
Existing Building
Commissioning
Planning and Assessment
Phases
Evaluate
Energy and
Water Use
and Cost
Compare Utility Use Data and Costs to Past Use Data and Costs
Using the Energy and Water Spreadsheet Tools
Compare Energy and Water Utility use Data for Typical Facility
Baselines
Investigation Phase
3. Conduct Performance
Observation, Measurement
and Analysis
Investigation Phase
4. Conduct Performance
Comparison (Benchmarking)
Investigation Phase
Implementation Phase
6. Re-Measure Performance
Implementation Phase
Implementation Phase
8. Report Results
Hand-Off Phase
Make Corrections
12
13
14
Report 15
Basic Evaluation
At this initial level, observational tasks, including utility
bill analysis, building walkthroughs and occupant surveys, are conducted without the use of physical measurements; professional assistance is generally not needed
(Table 1). Checklists and recommended corrective actions
in Appendix A of the guide provide a highly useful tool.
JAN UARY 2015 ashrae.org A S H R A E J O U R N A L
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TECHNICAL FEATURE
Energy
For energy, the goal is to reduce energy consumption
and cost through the elimination of wasted energy and
the improvement of system and equipment operation.
Measurement focuses on whole-building, monthly energy
bill use and cost analysis, determination of annual Energy
Use and Energy Cost Indices, and a facility walkthrough
inspection (ASHRAE Level I energy audit6) to identify
low- or no-cost improvements. Benchmarking is against
historical energy use and/or ENERGY STAR Portfolio
Manager7 or European databases.
Advice provided for commissioning during energy
analysis and benchmarking is illustrated in the sidebar
To the Commissioning Team.
Water
At this level, water performance is improved by
eliminating leaks or wasted usage and by reducing the
water use of plumbing fixtures and landscaping. Utility
water meters verify whole-building, monthly and
annual water use and cost. Benchmarking is against
historical water use and/or peer buildings based on
U.S. Federal Energy Management Program or European
indices.
IEQ
Basic Evaluation provides a non-specialist with
advice and tools for determining whether perceived
IEQ is adequate or whether deficiencies can be corrected without physical measurements. Evaluation
includes occupant surveys, review of maintenance
FIGURE 2
IAQ survey results for the question How satisfied are you with the air quality in your workspace (i.e., stuffy/stale air, cleanliness, odors)? FIGURE 2A 2005 (prerenovation) vs. FIGURE 2B 2010 (post-renovation) and FIGURE 2C 2013 (post-renovation).
Mean 0.65
50%
40%
40%
30%
30%
22% 22%
20%
12%
10%
18%
15%
N=82
2005
68
10%
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
56% 18% 26%
Very Dissatisfied Neutral
Very Satisfied
15% 15%
N=73
2010
0%
3%
Very Satisfied
34%
20%
0%
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
8% 15% 77%
30%
10%
5%
Mean 1.23
50%
40%
26%
10%
0%
36%
20%
1%
0%
Mean 1.53
50%
N=61
2013
16% 15%
3%
5%
21%
5%
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
13% 16% 70%
Very Dissatisfied Neutral Very Satisfied
TECHNICAL FEATURE
IAQ
Ventilation
Moisture management
HVAC systems
Building envelope/pressurization
Dirt or Contamination
Lighting/Daylighting
Quantity/quality of light
Glare
Controls
Lamps and ballasts
Maintenance
Acoustics
Background noise
Noise intrusion
Acoustic privacy
Speech communication
Diagnostic Measurement
The checklist in Appendix A of
Best Practices is a useful for all measure categories at the Diagnostic
Measurement level.
Energy measurements include
submetering of major end uses,
along with the equivalent of an
ASHRAE Level II energy audit.6 The
audit uses physical measurement,
augmented by calculations, by a
person experienced in energy use
and cost analysis. An example is the
use of infrared thermography to
determine steam trap performance
during a Level II audit. Figure 3 shows
a thermal image that indicates the
primary steam trap is functioning
FIGURE 3
Infrared thermographic image of a steam
FIGURE 4
Daily average electricity use vs. daily cooling degree-days, pre- and post-retrofit.
Thermal Comfort
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Base Year
Post Retrofit Y1
Post Retrofit Y2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
CDD/Day
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TECHNICAL FEATURE
Analysis phase is recommended. If there are no perceived problems, the building should be benchmarked
against the ventilation criteria in ASHRAE Standard
62.1-2013.11 Outside air rates should be measured for
each ventilation system and room humidity measured in
representative spaces. Filter pressure drop is measured
and filters are changed as necessary.
For lighting/daylighting, more detailed building
space data are gathered, a lighting audit is conducted,
and illuminance measurements are made. These
activities can be conducted by properly trained, inhouse personnel or may require the use of an outside
professional. Spaces are identified that need pointby-point illuminance measurements. The results are
compared against lighting recommendations in the IES
Handbook.12
For acoustics measurements are taken to diagnose the extent of dissatisfaction identified in Basic
Evaluation. If building personnel are not skilled in
sound level measurements they should proceed to
the Advanced Analysis level. Dissatisfaction related
to background and intruding noise typically requires
measurements of A-weighted, equivalent sound pressure levels. If speech intelligibility is an issue, measuring room reverberation time is best conducted by a
skilled professional.
Advanced Analysis
At this level the services of a professional, with expertise specific to the measure category under consideration, is necessary.
Here, the energy performance evaluation focuses
on selected systems and equipment at higher levels of
granularity (i.e., hourly or 15 minute interval data),
using an energy analysis consultant, to determine the
location and cause of energy inefficiency. Detailed
interval data (operating temperatures and setpoints,
airflows, equipment status, valve and/or damper positions, etc.) is collected, typically using the EMCS/BAS,
and is compared to self-reference benchmarks that
indicate how the systems and equipment should be
operating.
An Advanced Analysis water assessment involves
detailed water use readings and advanced usage
analysis. Submeters improve the granularity of the
readings by measuring and normalizing items such as
HVAC and process water uses, subdivided landscape
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Dead Band
Radiant
Free Running
Ceiling Fans
TECHNICAL FEATURE
Conclusions
ASHRAEs Performance Measurement Protocols for
Commercial Building: Best Practices Guide is a useful how-to
guide that provides detailed, systematic and practical procedures for implementing the protocols, in the
context of existing building commissioning. The procedures presented here give continuing guidance for the
reduction of operating costs and improvement in IEQ
throughout the life of the building.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the U.S.
National Institute of Standards and Technology under NIST Grant
Award # 60NANB10D279 for the development of the commissioning
criteria in the Best Practices Guide.
References
1. ASHRAE. 2010. Performance Measurement Protocols for Commercial
Buildings.
2. Hunn, B., et al. 2012. Measuring Commercial Building
Performance: Protocols for Energy, Water, and Indoor Environmental
Quality. ASHRAE Journal 54(7):4859.
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