The Governor’s Executive Order calls for the development of procedures to measure the reductions in state energy usage and to monitor compliance with the Executive Order. Once these procedures are implemented, information about the state’s efforts toward achieving the 10 percent reduction goal will be reported here.

State Building Operators and Managers Energy Conservation Action Plan

Immediate implementation

 

General

1. Keep an ongoing record of daily energy consumption. Recordkeeping will increase energy awareness, help identify high usage periods and allow measuring the effectiveness of any energy conservation procedures that are implemented.

2. Assign a facility operating staff person the responsibility of reviewing and approving monthly utility bills.

3. Involve building tenants in energy conservation efforts. Ask for their help and ideas about conserving energy.

4. Try to schedule group activities in the area with the least energy use, and schedule evening meetings in areas that can be heated and cooled individually. This may include offering a work station for staff people working after hours so they do not need to heat or cool the entire floor or building for one person on a weekend.

5. Schedule teleconferencing whenever possible. Teleconferencing can reduce energy use and save travel costs.

HVAC

6. Set heating temperatures at the following maximum temperatures:
· 68° F to 70° F for all occupied areas and cafeterias;
· 65° F to 67° F for all lobby corridor and restroom areas;
· 60° F to 62° F for all building entrances, storage areas and tunnels;
· Temperature settings for all of the above referenced spaces must be lowered to 60° F to 62° F during non-working hours;
· 55° F for all unoccupied spaces;
· 55° F for all vacated spaces.

7. Set cooling temperatures at the following minimum temperatures:
· 76° F to 78° F for all occupied space excluding reheat systems;
· Temperatures settings for air-conditioning turned off or raised to 85° F during nights and weekends.

Computer rooms, research facilities and special care facilities are exempted from the heating and cooling set points given above. Additional building spaces may be exempted from all or part of these requirements, pursuant to the approval of the Commissioner of Administration.

8. Heating and cooling should start no sooner than 30 minutes before the scheduled building opening time.

9. Heating and cooling may be set back 30 minutes before the scheduled building closing time.

10. Clean or replace air handling unit filters regularly. Keep outside units free from leaves or debris that may clog the vent. Dust or vacuum radiator surfaces frequently to insure a free flow of heat. Make sure that indoor heating and cooling coils are kept clean.

11. Verify that the outside air (OSA) dampers are closed during unoccupied hours, including during morning warm-up periods. Fresh air is critical while the building is occupied, but heating OSA when it is not needed increases energy costs.

12. Be sure motor-operated dampers are operating properly.

13. Confirm that the adjustable speed drives (ASD) are running properly. If they are operating constantly at maximum speed, they use more energy than the directly connected motor. Most ASD’s have an output monitor to report percentage of operation. A motor running at 50 percent speed uses 1/8 the energy of a motor running at 100 percent speed.

14. In the winter, close window coverings at the end of the day to cut down on heat loss. In the summer, close window coverings during the day to avoid the heat gain of direct sunlight, except for conflicts with day lighting.

15. Don’t set a higher temperature to “warm up faster,” or a lower temperature to cool quickly. It only wastes energy.

16. Check to make sure that exhaust fans operate only during occupied periods unless required to operate continuously.

17. Check that dampers on exhaust fans close when the fan is not operating.

18. Adjust fan belt tension if necessary.

19. Inspect control schedules and zones so that only the occupied sections of the building are heated.

20. Keep drafts away from thermostat to prevent an inaccurate reading.

21. Confirm that outside air economizers are functioning properly to take advantage of free cooling. Most office buildings are in cooling mode when the outside air temperature is above 55 degrees F.

22. Make sure simultaneous heating and cooling does not occur. Verify proper operation of valves, dampers and controls.

23. Monitor boiler stack temperatures on fossil fuel boilers. If the stack temperature is more than 400 degrees above the boiler room temperature, schedule the boiler for a tune-up. Check with your utility provider if any rebate (incentive) money is available to pay for the cost of the service.

24. Turn off circulation pumps during unoccupied times if no freeze conditions exist.

25. Check control sequencing for multiple chillers and boilers. For light load operation, use the smallest and most efficient chiller or boiler available and avoid frequent equipment cycling.

26. Check the duct work for air leaks about once a year if you have a forced-air heating system. To do this, feel around the duct joints for escaping air when the fan is on. Small leaks can be repaired with appropriate tape. Larger leaks may require caulking.

Lighting

27. Turn off all lights in unoccupied areas, excluding emergency lights.

28. Use natural light whenever possible. Turn off lights near windows when daylight is adequate.

29. Make sure photocells (light sensors that turn on electric lights after dark) are clean.

30. Use lower wattage bulbs in non-critical areas.

31. Use the appropriate size wattage for the application. A 50-watt reflector floodlight provides the same amount of light as a standard 100-watt bulb.

32. Use one large bulb instead of several small bulbs that add up to higher wattage.

33. Many areas have more lighting than is required for current tasks. Measure current lighting levels and reduce excess lighting by using power reducers, multi-level switching, or simple removal of lamps and ballasts. Note that some ballasts continue to use energy even when lamps are not operating.

34. Ask janitorial services to only light the area of the building they are working, rather than having the entire building brightly lit until midnight.

35. Ask janitorial services to take advantage of partial switching (such as turning on only one lamp of a three-lamp fixture, when wired to allow this) to further reduce energy use during building cleaning.

36. Avoid using incandescent task light (desk lamps). Ask your building manager for a compact fluorescent lamp to replace the incandescent lamp in your task light.

Water

37. Watering your landscape wastes electricity along with water. The water in your home or office gets there with the use of large electric pumps. Make sure you follow local watering guidelines for proper landscape care.

Future implementation

1. For comprehensive energy efficiency improvements in existing buildings, agencies can utilize the Department of Administration’s Guaranteed Energy Savings program. The program pays for itself from utility cost savings. Improvements include:

· Building automation systems
· Carbon dioxide sensors
· Lighting upgrades
· Lighting controls – photocells, occupancy sensors
· HVAC upgrades
· Water conservation
· Energy efficient windows

2. If your agency operating budget permits:

· Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, which can last up to nine times longer.
· Replace the T-12 bulbs with T-8 bulbs with electronic ballasts.
· Replace incandescent lights in exit signs with LED fixtures, which can reduce costs of these signs by up to 95 percent.
· Evaluate water conservation opportunities such as low flow faucets, low flow toilets and an evaluation of hand drying methods.
· Install variable speed drives on air handlers.

3. Consider high efficiency equipment for all new construction and remodeling upgrades. Most utilities offer rebate (incentive) programs to pay for the increased cost of energy efficient equipment.

4. Confirm that the amount of outside air (OSA) matches the occupant load. One improvement to consider is adding carbon dioxide monitors along with controls that will only bring in as much OSA as necessary for the current occupant load.

5. Keep your HVAC systems well tuned with periodic maintenance. At least once a year have a service technician measure the carbon dioxide in your gas burner. The higher the carbon dioxide the greater the efficiency of the unit. 9% is a good level.

6. Evaluate central heating and cooling systems for new and remodel projects. A central heating and cooling system will use less energy than individual heat-cool units for most work environments.

7. Replace failed standard electric motors with higher efficiency motors. Most electric utilities offer rebate money to pay for the increased cost of a higher efficiency motor. Check with your local utility for requirements.

8. Installing renewable energy systems in buildings may be cost effective for some buildings and will reduce the demand on the electric energy system.

9. Work with utility representatives on energy conservations measures. Utilize utility programs where applicable.