New CCC Handbook Helps Buildings Work Smarter, Not Harder

Building owners and managers hoping to reduce energy costs by increasing the efficiency of their buildings are getting some help, in the form of a free, downloadable handbook from the California Commissioning Collaborative (CCC). The Building Performance Tracking Handbook (http://www.cacx.org/PIER/handbook.html) introduces the basic concepts of commercial building performance tracking. This process allows building owners and managers to: monitor their building’s efficiency, gather and analyze data to diagnose problems, and identify solutions. The result: lower operating costs, enhanced property value and increased net income.

In conjunction, the CCC has also published four “success stories” of commercial buildings currently showcasing some of the best practices described in The Building Performance Tracking Handbook. Those stories are also available at http://www.cacx.org/PIER/handbook.html.

With so many varied and interconnected systems, ascertaining a building’s mechanical and electrical performance can be a challenge. Still, to building owners and managers, the information is of vital bottom-line importance: a more efficient building, of any type or size, will cost less (energy and money) to operate. Leading building owners and managers understand the importance of tracking a building’s performance and have taken steps to develop a strategy around it.

However, in conversations with building owners and managers, the CCC found much remaining uncertainty in tracking strategies. Performance tracking is still practiced relatively informally, with individual strategies and tactics varying widely from business to business. Also, even though sophisticated hardware and software tools are readily available, many people aren’t sure how to compare them, or which tools best fit their particular needs.

From the confusion, the CCC saw an opportunity to create clarity. Over the course of four easy-to-navigate sections, The Building Performance Tracking Handbook describes how to continually manage building performance, introduces the complex array of available tracking tools and offers guidance for choosing the right strategy based on individual business needs and resources. Zooming out, the handbook also helps the bigger picture become clearer by informing a high-level strategy for using performance tracking as a core business function.

While not intended to be a comprehensive consumer report-type comparison or technical manual, The Building Performance Tracking Handbook does provide a basic but excellent education in commercial building performance tracking. Building owners and managers who are new to performance tracking - or who have mastered the basics and want to reach even higher – will find immense value in these pages.

About the California Commissioning Collaborative
The CCC is a non-profit organization committed to improving the performance of buildings and their systems. The CCC is made up of utility, building owners, building services organizations and professionals who have come together to create a viable market for building commissioning in California. For more information, visit www.cacx.org.