Integrated Retrofits for Federal Projects

Dr. Lisa Gartland

Integrated Retrofits for Federal Projects

• Integrated retrofits are tougher to implement in federal projects than in private projects– Politics & bureaucracy

Will funding be available this year or next year?

What new processes will you need to learn?– Funding sources scattered and variable

In-house money, DOE money, other sources

Often need to finance different segments of the same project with different pots of money

• But they’re not impossible

Integrated Retrofits for Federal Projects

• Plan ahead so you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities when they arise– Understand your current loads and systems

Measure your loads & audit your systems to find comfort problems, maintenance issues, & energy saving opportunities

– Develop a wish list Research specifications and prices for the

technologies you want to incorporate

– Plan out the optimal order of attack If possible, you’ll want to reduce loads first,

improve systems second, & replace chillers last

Integrated Retrofits for Federal Projects

In This Presentation

• Federal integrated retrofit projects

– Federal Reserve Bank of BostonBusiness as usual

– Hurley BuildingDealing with catastrophe

– Lindbergh Field International AirportBuilding expansion

Federal Reserve Bank of BostonThe Business as Usual Integrated

Retrofit

• Designed & built 1972-76• 33 story tower• 5 story low-rise• 1,130,000 square feet• Steel construction with glass &

aluminum facades• Steam heating• Electric powered chiller cooling

Federal Reserve Bank of BostonProject Objectives & Logistical Issues

• Energy efficiency, utility cost reduction

• Improvement of lighting & mechanical systems

• Improved environmental management, CFC compliance

• Bank Security• On-going operations• Time constraints• Space constraints• Future flexibility• Facility location

John YahoodikFederal Reserve Bank of Boston Rick Dorricott Energy Investment, Inc.

Federal Reserve Bank of BostonBuilding Improvements

• Chiller replacement– Originally used 3 York 1200 ton, 0.82 kW/ton, R-500

refrigerant (CFC/HCFC blend)– Replaced with 3 Carrier 1200 ton, 0.56 kW/ton, HFC-134a

refrigerant

• System improvements– Automated economizers, premium efficiency motors,

VFD’s on cooling towers, various controls & automation

• Lighting upgrades– T-8 fluorescents, specular reflectors, LED exit signs,

incandescents changed to fluorescents

Federal Reserve Bank of BostonIntegrated Energy Program

• Other energy efficiency improvements help pay for chiller replacement for CFC compliance

• Shorter overall program payback period

Peak MonthlyDemand Savings

Estimated Annual Savings PaybackPeriod

summer(kW)

winter(kW)

electricenergy(kWh)

electriccost($)

maint.cost($)

total cost($)

(years)

ChillerReplacement

431.71 0.00 663,422 76,576 --- 76,576 10

HVACImprovements

191.60 14.48 1,186,272 75,760 --- 75,760 4

LightingImprovements

662.70 662.70 3,805,897 310,822 264,600 575,422 5

Total 1286.01 671.18 5,655,591 463,158 264,600 727,758 5.2

Federal Reserve Bank of BostonProject Timeline

• 8 months for engineering analysis, 18 months for project approval, 21 months to purchase, design & build

• 4 years total to carry out project!

Federal Reserve Bank of BostonProject Results

• Expect to save 5,300,000 kWh a year• Annual $730,000 savings• Switch to HFC-134a, no phaseout• Improved lighting and HVAC systems• Only a 5 year project payback period• Used the chiller replacement project as an

excuse to add new technologies

Hurley Building, Boston, MAFrom Catastrophe to Integrated

Retrofit

• Built in 1971• Poured concrete

construction• Department of Employment

& Training and Group Insurance Commission

• 6 floors office plus 2 level parking garage

• 340,000 square feet office, 15,000 square feet computer

Hurley Building Project Scenario & Challenges

• Catastrophic failure of absorption cooling plant in 1992

• Rising cost of steam/water, ~20% increase from 1989 to 1992

• Expensive maintenance contract for systems

• Computer room cooling units at end of life

• Need to restore cooling capabilities before the summer of 1993

• Fuel switch from steam to natural gas

• Need to replace heating & hot water systems

• Space, weight and routing constraints of 6th floor mechanical room

B.J. MohammadipourBureau of State Office Buildings

Hurley Building HVAC System Changes

• Chiller/heaters installed for main cooling and heating– 2 York 600 ton absorption chiller/heaters– natural gas fired – require hydronic coils to allow air handling units to use hot

water instead of steam

• Water heating– kitchen and lavatory hot water supply– converted from steam to natural gas fueled

• Computer room cooling– single DX chiller used for wintertime cooling– tied to chiller/heater to meet summer loads

Hurley Building Other Improvements

• Lighting improvements made in 1992– new reflectors, lamps and ballasts– light levels maintained or improved

• New maintenance contract– Renegotiated scope of maintenance contract– Additional maintenance contract for new absorption

chiller/heaters– Total maintenance costs reduced by at least $126K

annually

Hurley Building Integrated Energy Program

• Lighting improvements and new maintenance contract help pay for HVAC system changes

Monetary Savings in First Year($)Purchase

&Installation

Cost

SteamSavings

SteamCondensate

Savings

ElectricSavings

Maint.Savings

GasCost($)

TotalSavings

($)

Paybackperiod(years)

NewChiller/Heaters

987,000 304,221 12,449 --- --- 170,491 146,179 6.8

Computer RoomCooling

318,000 --- --- 39,520 --- 21,528 17,992 17.7

Domestic WaterHeater

37,000 3,588 147 --- --- 1768 1,967 18.8

EMS System &Hydronic Coils

317,000 28,315 --- 1,063 --- --- 29,378 10.8

LightingImprovements

--- --- --- 100,000 --- --- 100,000 0.0

New MaintenenceContract

--- --- --- --- 140,000 --- 140,000 0.0

Total 1,659,000 336,124 12,596 140,583 140,000 193,787 435,516 3.8

Hurley BuildingFinanced by Many Sources

• Chiller/heater cost– $565,000 purchase cost paid up front– $472,000 installation costs financed over 3 years– $50,000 rebate from Boston Gas

• Computer room, water heater, EMS system, hydronic coils financed over 3 years

• Lighting improvements funded by Boston Edison Company in 1992

Hurley Building Project Results

• Chiller/heaters fit into mechanical room• Utility savings of ~ $300,000 annually• Maintenance savings of ~ $140,000 annually• Replacement of steam with natural gas• Improved building comfort from better balancing and

EMS system controls

• Potential catastrophe diverted by advance knowledge and preparation

• Creative negotiation & financing made this project come together

Kansas City International AirportThe Building Expansion Integrated

Retrofit

• Pre-cast concrete frame construction, thermal glass

• Main hours 5 am to 11 pm– 365 days a year, 24 hrs a day

• About 1 million square feet– 3 airport terminals– 1 administration office

• Built from 1969 to 1971

Airport expansion being planned

Kansas City International AirportProject Scenario & Challenges

• High electricity demand charges

• Two 2750 ton chillers, never run 2nd chiller, 1st chiller run often at low part-loads

• Chillers use CFC refrigerant• Controls shot, using manual

operation• 48-49°F discharge water

temperatures, not meeting the design 42°F temperature

• Retrofit phases in wrong order– cooling system redesigned– EMCS & heating system

installed– building retrofits & load

reductions last, if ever

• 2 month shut-down period in January & February in which to do most of phase one

• Must replace all chillers, cooling towers, pumps & piping without disrupting service

Michael Glasker, P.E.George Butler Associates, Inc.

Kansas City International Airport Cooling System Changes

• Three 1500-ton electric chillers– more flexible staging capability – R-134a refrigerant, 0.65 kW/ton at full load, saving 0.25

kW/ton!– Now meeting 42°F discharge water temperatures

• Three new 2-cell cooling towers with 2-speed fans• New primary/secondary pumping & piping for

operating flexibility• New Johnson Controls EMCS

– Remote start/stop capability, tracks temperatures on computer, alarm points built into system

– Still chose not to have automatic operation

Kansas City International Airport Upcoming Building Load Reductions

• Extensive building remodeling planned in older terminals

• Energy efficiency measures will reduce building cooling loads– new energy efficient lighting– new air handler units with economizers

• More flexible cooling plant design will operate efficiently at these lower loads

Kansas City International AirportIntegrated Economics as of Spring 98

Purchase &Installation

Cost ($)

AnnualEnergy

Savings ($)

PaybackPeriod(years)

New Chillers $800,000 $63,500 12.6New Cooling Towers $500,000 --- ---

Pumps, Piping $1,030,000 --- ---New EMCS $70,000 --- ---

First Phase Total $2,400,000 $63,500 37.8New EMCS on AHU’s $2,300,000 $500,000 4.6

Second Phase Total $2,300,000 $500,000 4.6Both Phases Total $4,700,000 $563,500 8.3

• Second phase measures reduce project payback • Third phase measures should reduce overall

payback even further

Kansas City International AirportProject Results

• No longer using CFC refrigerants• Higher efficiency chillers save ~0.3kW/ton• 3 smaller chillers, instead of 2 larger chillers

– running closer to full-load capacities for higher efficiencies– meeting 42°F design water discharge temperature

• Automatic operation using EMCS• More flexible cooling system will work more efficiently

with upcoming terminal retrofits

• Used airport expansion cash to finance extensive retrofit of cooling systems

• New cooling systems are flexible so they’ll efficiently serve future airport loads

Integrated Retrofits for Federal Projects

• You can overcome federal bureaucracy to perform an integrated retrofit!

• Start work now to:– Study your building loads & systems– Develop your wish list– Learn about financing options

• You can turn your situation - even if it’s catastrophic - into an integrated retrofit