EP Engineering has provided a comprehensive “Energy Efficiency Report” (EER) for this 18-story, 54,000 square foot, building. The EER documented the building’s current energy usage and areas for improvement & energy savings. The 9-month process included inspecting the condition and performance of all, building maintained, HVAC, Plumbing and Lighting systems, as well as all the perimeter windows and doors. Since the building is well maintained, only minor deficiencies existed, which were identified and rectified for compliance. The building now uses 5% less energy thanks to the retro-commissioning and possibly more depending on energy audit conservation measures being implemented.
590 5th Avenue Local Law 87 – Energy Audits & Retro Commissioning
Engineering challenges
- Scheduling inspections to coincide with different seasons/weather conditions, in order to witness the operation of all heating and cooling systems.
- Compiling all current building energy usage data (electricity and steam) to develop a baseline for energy saving measures.
- Extensive survey time was needed using data loggers to model the operation of the building equipment, especially the cooling tower.
Engineering outcomes
- System deficiencies were identified and corrected, resulting in 5% annual savings (approx.) and an estimated payback of less than 1-year.
- As part of the energy audit, Low Cost Measures and Capital Improvements were developed and presented with another 10% in estimated annual savings.