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