Bulls-Eye Commissioning: Using Interval Data as a Diagnostic Tool

Will Price and Reid Hart, Eugene Water & Electric Board

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Abstract

Building system commissioning comes highly recommended by energy efficiency experts; however, it is rarely undertaken due to the cost and care needed to do a comprehensive job. A Northwest utility recently installed interval meters to develop a cross sectional load study. Once installed, energy conservation staff used collected interval data for building load analysis.

During the course of investigating the disappointing savings from a recent control upgrade (funded primarily through utility incentives), staff used whole-building 15-minute interval data in conjunction with outside air temperature to pinpoint control problems in the economizer and fan schedule controls. The effort added about 15% to building energy savings, without the wait and expense of full commissioning services.

Since this initial effort, bulls-eye commissioning has been applied to over a dozen buildings. Bulls-eye commissioning can be applied on its own or can be coordinated with traditional commissioning. In either case, the main meter profile shows what will directly impact total energy use and the customer’s bill. Evaluation of main meter profiles allows detailed commissioning work to be better focused and more effective. Main meter profiles are also useful in evaluating the effectiveness of control changes and other energy measures. This paper documents the techniques and benefits of using bulls-eye commissioning.