Commissioning in public sector building – Non-Energy Benefits (NEBs), not savings, are the selling point

Elle McClain and Lisa A. Skumatz, Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc. (SERA)
John Jennings, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Keywords

commissioning, public sector buildings, driving participation, NEBs, non-energy benefits, upgrading buildings, evaluation performance, program performance

Abstract

As part of a broader study to examine the cost-effectiveness of commissioning public buildings, the authors examined the non-energy benefits (NEBs) (or non-energy impacts) from commissioning efforts in a sample of public buildings, including schools, offices, prisons, and other buildings. Phone surveys were used to gather data to measure “hard to measure” NEBs (both positive and negative), and values were computed based on multiple measurement methods. Results showed the highest-valued (positive and negative) NEBs for key stakeholders, included:

For occupants: changes in comfort, indoor air quality, productivity, light quality, safety,.
For facility operations: changes in tenant complaints, operational deficiencies, system documentation, knowledge for O&M staff, equipment lifetime, equipment O&M,
During design and construction: changes in contractor call-backs, change orders or warranty claims, time to optimize systems, project schedule, coordination between team members.

Interviewees were generally pleased with the commissioning process and results, and we also found patterns based on interviewee roles, building and business type, systems commissioned, new vs. retrofit commissioning, and other subgroups. Disconnects in perceptions between groups provide intriguing results for program design, outreach, and education.

The analysis showed that non-energy benefits can be measured and attributed for commissioning / retro-commissioning projects, and priority benefits for decision makers, building staff, and occupants can be used for program promotion, targeting, design, and barriers analysis. Non-energy benefits add significant value above and beyond the direct (energy & cost) benefits, often more than offset the commissioning costs, and lead to strong benefit cost ratios for commissioning projects. NEBs delivered are stronger selling points than energy savings, and incorporating NEB values into case studies on commissioning may improve outreach materials and attract additional buildings to commissioning programs because they speak to participants in terms they value most highly.