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Technical Research
PECI’s technical research influences market transformation. We develop, test and implement energy performance tools and strategies for owners, commissioning providers, energy efficiency experts, and utility program managers, such as:
- Protocols for verifying system performance
- Code language for ensure that energy-efficient systems are installed and operating correctly
- Costs, benefits, and persistence of benefits of commissioning and diagnostic systems
Acceptance Testing
California's building code includes a host of energy-saving measures, and has recently been expanded to include an additional measure: acceptance testing of key energy-using systems. This testing confirms that the equipment is installed and programmed correctly—important factors to actually ensuring performance of the required energy-saving strategies.
In 2006 and 2007, we served as primary contractor for a project with the California Commissioning Collaborative and California Energy Commission to improve and expand the Acceptance Testing Requirements of California’s Title 24, Energy Efficiency Standards. We researched and developed requirements for testing of manufacturer-installed economizers, drafted revisions to the Acceptance Testing Non-Residential Compliance Forms and Manual, and reviewed proposed modifications related to Acceptance Testing of Fenestration Systems and Outdoor Lighting Controls.
Advanced HVAC Fault Detection and Diagnostics
Funded by the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program, this project aimed to identify features of an “Advanced” Packaged Rooftop Unit (RTU) that would solve problems relating to poor economizer operation, improper refrigerant charge, low air flow, high fan power and cycling fans, and other control issues.
The project identified over 60 features of RTUs that address the four main goals of the project:
- Improved outdoor air control;
- Improved economizer reliability;
- On-board self-diagnostics and troubleshooting capability;
- Fault-tolerant design.
The features were then incorporated into a final Product Definition document that was used to guide the assembly of a prototype ARTU. The unit was then tested to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the incorporated features.
Persistence Strategies
Funded by PIER, PECI studied persistence of the benefits of commissioning in ten buildings between two and seven years old that had been commissioned as new buildings, as well as ten buildings that had been retrocommissioned two years prior. The findings reveal that for new building commissioning, a majority of the “fixes” continued to show benefits many years after commissioning. The most problematic and least durable fixes were control strategies like schedules, and setpoints that can be modified using a workstation interface.
The retrocommissioning portion of the study (performed by Texas A&M University) found that energy savings that averaged 41% of total energy usage decreased by 17% over two years. Even with this decrease, the facilities still saved about 34%, compared to total energy usage before retrocommissioning.
Out of this research, we wrote Strategies for Improving Persistence of Commissioning Benefits, which was published under PIER’s High Performance Commercial Building Systems Program. The guide highlighted seven key methods for improving persistence:
- Incorporate design review into your commissioning project to avoid problems that can hinder building performance throughout its life.
- Document building systems to aid operators in correctly operating and maintaining them.
- Provide thorough training for building operators on how to effectively and efficiently operate the building.
- Benchmark energy use as compared to other, similar buildings to identify need for improvement.
- Track energy use to monitor changes over time.
- Analyze trend data from key system parameters to detect problems early and assess system performance.
- Consider ongoing recommissioning activities to ensure that the building continues to perform as intended.