Cleary Zimmermann Engineers has been working with the City of San Antonio to perform a series of energy audits on a variety of City facilities ranging from offices to fire stations to public buildings. Though initially seeking only energy audit services, the City has since expanded the scope of work to include the implementation of the proposed Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) highlighted in our Building Analytics Division’s reports, bringing our MEP and Commissioning Divisions into the fold.
Our Building Analytics team members conducted ASHRAE Level 1 energy audits, auditing systems including building envelope, lighting, cooling, heating, domestic hot water, and operational and maintenance procedures. Prior to each facility walk through, pre-audit meetings were conducted in order to understand the building, including operations and maintenance history. These Level 1 audits included an analysis of existing utility data after compiling available energy bills. A brief on-site survey of each building was conducted to identify low-cost/no-cost measures for improving energy efficiency as well as more capital intensive improvements that merit further consideration. In addition to the walk-through audit, we performed an energy modeling analysis to further identify, document and understand the facility systems energy use and determine monthly energy expenditures. The data was used to benchmark each facility against other like facilities and assist in developing the potential energy saving measures.
Our team examined many metrics associated with the the implementation of the ECMs including:
- Installed Cost
- Estimated Utility Incentives (Rebate)
- Total Annual Savings
- Payback Period
- Annual Electricity Savings
- Annual Natural Gas Savings
- Total CO2e Reduction
- Total Energy Reduction
By implementing the suggested ECMs, the City of San Antonio has the potential to save tens of thousands of dollars annually across multiple facilities.
By Joyce Fienman
