In FY19, the Retrocommissioning teams addressed deferred maintanence in the following buildings. 

Noyes Chemistry Lab

The retrocommissioning team worked to replace failed transducers for VAV boxes, reduce average hours of exhaust from 84 hrs/week to 32 hrs/week, and have 2nd exhaust fans run only when needed (reducing the time from 24/7 to only 30hrs/week. This resulted in a 65% reduced exhaust leading to cooling and heating savings. Additionally, there was a 38% reduction in exhaust fan energy, by going down from two exhaust fans to one whenever possible. Energy reduction is projected to decrease by 40% with an annual savings of $300,000. Exhaust fans were turned off in vacant labs and the make-up unit was turned off during the summer. The retrocommissioning team also worked with teaching staff to get teaching lab chemicals put away nightly to reduce occupied airflow and fume hood use. There is great opportunity for energy savings as room assignments and teaching methods change. Good cooperation was achieved with the departments input.

Natural History Building

The retrocommissioning team reduced teaching lab airflow, turned off unused fume hoods, adjusted VAV minimums, and replaced broken occupancy sensors.
The biology instructors generally don’t need lab airflow or fume hoods with current teaching methods. To accommodate the occasions where fumes are present, “Lab-override” occupancy override buttons were added. During the summer break, biology staff helped to consolidate chemicals into a central storage so that fume hoods could be turned off and supply air reduced. Recirculation AHUs have energy recovery wheels but due to the large amount of exhaust in the building, building pressure doesn’t require exhaust through the AHUs and these fans are allowed to turn off and dampers close. Roughly cut energy consumption in half.

ECE Building

The retrocommissioning team identified multiple system and controls operating conditions in need of adjusting and tuning. They adjusted scheduling set-points, balanced building and space pressures, cleaned air-flow restrictions, repaired and adjusted mechanical components, evaluated building needs and installed ductwork, Commissioned all HVAC components tuning these systems for peak efficient operations, which included modifications to many of the components, programming, set points and some controls. Several commissioning items were identified, corrected and/or considered for future interventions. Post-project energy use is below the LEED energy model.