final bank of america case study lr_072610.pdf

7/30/2019 FINAL Bank of America case study lr_072610.pdf

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Case study

Bank of America PlazaColumbia, South Carolina

Commitment to increase energy efciency,building performance paves way to LEED GoldThe Bank of America Plaza anchors an entire city block at the north end of downtownColumbia, South Carolina. Since taking ownership in 2006, Cooper Realty Investments hasbeen increasing the energy efciency and performance of the building with the help ofJohnson Controls and NAI Avant, the property management company. With their sights seton LEED certication, the team leveraged the improvements they made and took them tothe next level. As a result, the Plaza is the rst building in the state to achieve LEED Goldcertication for existing buildings.

The Plaza is a 17-story ofce complex housing 302,340 square feet of Class A+ commercial

ofce space. Major tenants include banking, commercial real estate, investment securities andinsurance companies, law and accounting ofces, and a State Senator.

Cooper rst considered pursuing LEED certication at another building within its portfolio.The company wanted to be a pioneer in the region and we knew that a LEED rating can bean inuencer for prospective tenants. As we started the process at that facility, we quicklylearned that we were much further along at the Plaza because of the work weve done therewith Johnson Controls, says Allen Stewart, chief engineer. We already had many of thesystems in place and were doing a lot of the required tracking and recording, adds AmyMarthers, property manager. It was time to put the necessary policies and procedures intoplace and document them.


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The path to LEED

Johnson Controls has been servicingbuilding controls at the Plaza since itopened in 1989. After taking ownershipin May of 2006, Cooper challenged

Johnson Controls to provide a solution forimproving the performance and energyefciency of the building, and achievinglong-term savings wherever possible.

Within six months, Johnson Controlsproposed and initiated a retro-commissioning study to identify potentialenergy conservation measures withinthe building. Over the course of thenext year and a half Johnson Controlsimplemented a variety of approved

energy conservation measures resultingin an annual utility cost savings of over$43,000. These measures includedupgrading variable air volume controlsfrom pneumatic to digital, installationof variable-speed drives on all coolingequipment, building-wide lighting controlretrots, and upgrading the buildingcontrols to a Johnson Controls Metasysbuilding management system.

The Metasys system communicates

using standard web browsers andmaximizes monitoring and control ofall mechanical and electrical systemsthroughout the building. Controlsequencing enhancements were doneon equipment throughout the building.New controls on water heaters and unitheaters allow for off-hour schedulingand control sequencing to reduce energyconsumption. Power monitoring initiativesincluded sub-metering of individual oorsand select equipment.

In the past, our buildings HVAC and lightsbasically ran 24/7. We are now able tobetter program equipment based on whenthe building is actually in use. And, wereable to give tenants some control of theirown space during off-hours, which theylike, says Marthers.

A keypad on each oor allows tenants tooverride the preset schedule for HVAC andlighting. Because those billable hours canbe tracked and reported, it helps Marthersbetter manage energy costs and justifytenant charge-backs when appropriate.

These capabilities have a positive impacton leasing and tenant retention whenour building is compared to others in thearea, adds Marthers.

The ENERGY STAR rating system wasused to benchmark building performanceat the beginning and end of the retro-commissioning process. The ratingsystem accounts for the impacts ofyear-to-year weather variations, as wellas building size, location and severaloperating characteristics.

Training of building management andfacility operators on how to updateENERGY STAR data and effectiveutilization of the Metasys systemwas provided as part of the retro-commissioning process. This helps ensurethe long-lasting benets of the process.An ongoing controls-based serviceagreement with Johnson Controls ensuressystem performance and optimization.

From where I sit, Johnson Controlsprofessionalism and willingness to clearlyexplain things helps us work efciently,without a lot of back and forth, on aday-to-day basis, says Marthers.Stewart adds, the Johnson Controlsservice team in Columbia is one of thebest Ive worked with. I feel like were allon the same page and theyre looking atthe big picture like we do.

The buildings ENERGY STAR rating in

April 2008 was 84 after some of theenergy conservation measures had beencompleted, and the building received theENERGY STAR award. For Cooper, NAIAvant and Johnson Controls, the ratingserved as a key indicator of their potentialto obtain the Gold rating.

Were very proud of what weve

accomplished with our building. We dohave prospects looking at us from cities

like New York and Atlanta where LEED is

more common, so our certication sets

us apart from our competition.

AmyMarthers

PropertyManager

NAIAvant

Bank of America Plaza.Bank Lobby.

Bank of America PlazaColumbia, SC

Averaging 120 pounds of recyclablematerial and 160 bags of shreddedpaper monthly.

Grass clippings are mulched andrecycled back into the soil.

Composting of annual plantingsand leaves.

Use of Green Seal Certiedcleaning agents.

Energy reduction 15%

Water reduction 40%

At a Glance


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Going for Gold

The Plaza is the rst existing buildingin the state to achieve a LEED Goldrating and the energy conservationmeasures implemented early-on set that

course. When Coopers CEO decided topursue LEED certication at a buildingwithin the companys portfolio in 2008,Johnson Controls brought its energy andsustainability champions into play. Theteam quickly determined that the Bank ofAmerica Plaza was already well positionedto achieve LEED Gold and initiated thecertication process in Octoberof that year.

As the LEED consultant, Johnson Controls

facilitated the process by providingdirection through the procurement trackingprocess and helping collect informationfrom personnel and tenants. Cleaningand recycling practices along with basiceveryday operations were identied toassist in writing internal policies andprocedures. Green cleaning practicesimplemented require the use of GreenSeal Certied cleaning agents, whichimprove the environment by reducingtoxins and waste, conserving natural

resources and minimizing ozone depletion.Environmentally friendly practices extendoutside too, where lawnmowers withmulching decks are used, and annualplantings are composted and used for soilenhancement.

Johnson Controls identied andimplemented additional upgrades toachieve certication, including installationof fresh air measurement and CO

2

monitors to better control indoor airquality. Additional power monitors wereinstalled to allow for sub-metering ofchillers and lighting control panels.Metasys system trending was writtento sub-meter all variable-speed drivesand generate reports. As a result, nearly80 percent of the energy in the building

is sub-metered, allowing energy insmaller areas to be tracked and furtherenhancements to be made.

In April 2009 the building achieved anENERGY STAR rating of 87, once again

receiving the ENERGY STAR award.Johnson Controls also managed thecertication process including thecompletion of all necessary documentsand submittal to the USGBC for review.As a result of the cooperative efforts ofCooper, NAI Avant and Johnson Controls,the Plaza was awarded Gold certicationin March 2010.

A signicant part of the project andGold rating is tied to building controlsand the resulting savings. For example,an Innovation in Operations credit wasreceived for the occupancy overridekeypads used on individual oors.A total of 56 points were earned in sixcredit categories on the LEED scorecard.Most notable was Energy & Atmosphereat 21 of 30 possible points, IndoorEnvironmental Quality at 15 of 19 possiblepoints, and Innovation in Operations at 5of 7 possible points.

Energy use was reduced by 15 percent

and water by 40 percent at the Plaza,as a result of the sustainability initiativesthat have been put in place. Recyclingprograms have led to the collection of120 pounds of recyclable material and 160bags of shredded paper monthly.

Were very proud of what weveaccomplished with our building. We dohave prospects looking at us from citieslike New York and Atlanta where LEED ismore common, so our certication sets

us apart from our competition, statesMarthers. This really was a team effort,which is important for anyone consideringthis process to understand. Knowledge,commitment and follow through are keyand as a team, we had that.

The Johnson Controls service team

in Columbia is one of the best Iveworked with. I feel like were all on

the same page and theyre looking at

the big picture like we do.

AllenStewart

ChiefEngineer

NAIAvant

Lindsay Copelin, Allen Stewart, Amy Marthers and MichaeMoore make up the Cooper, NAI Avant team involved withthe LEED project.

Sustainable Sites

Water Efciency

Energy & Atmosphere

Materials & Resources

Indoor Environmental Quality

Innovation in Operations

LEED FactsBank of America Plaza

Columbia, SC

5/12

3/10

21/30

7/14

15/19

5/7

*Out of a possible 92 points

Gold 56*

LEED or Existing Building Operations & Maintenance

Certifcation awarded June 2009


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The LEED Certication Mark is a registered trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used with permission.ENERGY STAR is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE).Metasys is a registered trademark of Johnson Controls, Inc.

Printed on recycled paper.

2010 Johnson Controls, Inc. Printed in USA CSST-10-126

www.johnsoncontrols.com

final bank of america case study lr_072610.pdf

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