Getting Beyond Widgets: Enabling Utility Incentive Programs for Commercial Building Systems

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Commercial Building Systems

Applied research to achieve efficient commercial buildings

Getting Beyond Widgets

Enabling System Retrofits in Utility Incentive Programs

Commercial building retrofits have historically focused on individual building component-level or “widget” upgrades, such as replacing equipment or light fixtures. Accessing deep energy savings in commercial buildings requires a move beyond these equipment- or component-level upgrades, as demonstrated in case studies published in the journals Energy and Buildings and Energies.

Working with utility programs, Berkeley Lab researchers have developed and validated system packages that offer a system-based approach towards energy saving retrofits in commercial buildings. These system packages combine multiple equipment and controls upgrades for energy savings that benefit from interactive effects of the different system elements. Energy savings for the system packages are modeled, and the performance of each package is validated in our FLEXLAB® test facility. 

Our team produced Program Manual documents that incorporate the system package test results, and also include system specifications, performance measurement and validation protocols, recommended operating practices, and guidelines for system implementation. This document provides our utility partners with resources to establish a rebate incentive program around the systems packages.

In phases one and two of this project, Berkeley Lab researchers worked with partner utility companies to develop and validate system packages including lighting and lighting controls, partnered with automated shading, and plug load occupancy-based controls, or HVAC controls. Phase is ongoing and involves a partnership with an additional U.S. utility program to examine the integration of HVAC and lighting energy efficiency measures.

System Retrofit Trends StudyCase Study Covers

In order to better understand how a system-based approach could benefit commercial buildings, we set out to identify to what extent system retrofits are occurring, what technologies are being used, and to what extent they correlate with deeper energy savings.  Based on the data, system retrofits are very uncommon in utility programs, but occur at a higher frequency in federal retrofits and ESCO projects.  Further, there is a noticeable correlation between projects that adopted system retrofits and those that saved more energy. 

The study analyzed data from 12,000 retrofits in commercial buildings sourced from utility custom incentive programs, federal retrofit programs, and ESCO projects.

System Retrofit Trends Study 
System Retrofit Trends Study Summary

Implementation Via Utility ProgramsAbstract blended image of power transmission line with layered stock market lines and numbers.

Overall, utility incentive programs remain one of the most significant means of deploying commercialized, but underutilized building technologies to scale. This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and aims to work with utility companies to establish streamlined specifications, assessment methods, and validated performance for integrated building systems to be implemented under Utility incentive programs nationwide. While these materials are developed for utility program managers and implementers, their content can be used by owners, operators, architects, engineers, and contractors as well.

System Packages

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System Packages Phase One - Controls for glare, daylight, and plug load operations, with LED lighting

Over the first phase of this project, Berkeley Lab researchers worked with three utility companies to identify and develop validated system packages. The selected systems were:

  • Automated shading integrated with lighting (working with ComEd in Chicago)
  • Task/ambient lighting retrofit integrated with plug load occupancy controls (working with California Publicly Owned Utilities, via the NCPA and SCPPA)
  • Workstation-specific lighting with daylight dimming systems (working with Xcel Energy in Colorado and Minnesota)

The energy savings potential of these systems were demonstrated and validated using FLEXLAB® (Facility for Low Energy Experiments in Buildings). FLEXLAB is a unique test facility that allows true comparison testing of integrated building systems, with high granularity of thermal, visual, and power measurement data.

The Program Manuals for each system are posted below, which include these deliverables along with a simplified assessment methodology in the form of an Excel spreadsheet calculator for each system. A paper comparing the energy performance and cost effectiveness of each of these systems to a relevant component based retrofit was also published.  In all cases the systems saved more energy than their component comparison case, and in some cases provided a faster payback.  

System Program Manuals and Assessment Methods

Automated shading and daylight dimmable lighting (ComEd partner)

Task/ambient lighting integrated with plug load occupancy controls (California Public Owned Utilities partner)

Workstation specific lighting with daylight dimming (Xcel MN and CO partner)

Case Studies

Papers

System Packages Phase Two - HVAC load and occupancy-based operation, leveraging LEDs with luminaire-level controls

In the second phase of this project, Berkeley Lab worked with Xcel Energy (Minnesota and Colorado) to develop and validate energy savings of a system package that comprised HVAC and lighting energy efficiency measures (EEMs). The system package:

  • LED lighting retrofit, with fixture-based occupancy and daylight dimming sensing, integrated with HVAC for demand controlled ventilation

The energy savings potential of these systems were demonstrated and validated using FLEXLAB® (Facility for Low Energy Experiments in Buildings). FLEXLAB is a unique test facility that allows true comparison testing of integrated building systems, with high granularity of thermal, visual, and power measurement data.

Following feedback on the Phase One project outputs, the Program Manual format was developed to make it more easily transferable into a Utility Technical Resource Manual or a White Paper precursor.

System Packages Phase Three - HVAC controls and equipment retrofits prioritizing indoor air quality (IAQ), with LED lighting and controls

In the third phase of this project, Berkeley Lab is working with PG&E, Duke Energy and Xcel to analyze the potential savings of systems packages that include HVAC, and lighting EEMs.  The measures also a focus on improving indoor air quality, which has recently gained attention as a result of issues around COVID-19, and increasing risk of wildfires and related smoke events. We are currently in the process of selecting the system package for FLEXLAB testing with our project partners.

Additional Resources

Papers

Presentation

Our Team

Cynthia Regnier
Project Lead
Paul Mathew
Project Co-lead