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New buildings can fall short of designed performance

Codes and Standards

New buildings can fall short of designed performance

Similar structures can produce different energy usage results.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | June 29, 2020

Courtesy Pixabay

Using modern building materials and a new building management system or control system doesn’t always produce a highly efficient building, a systems engineer tells GlobeSt.

New buildings don’t always perform as designed due to many variables. Energy loads and when the loads peak can vary no matter the design, and similar buildings can produce far different energy usage outcomes.

How the building is commissioned can impact energy efficiency, and different tenants can use energy differently. Building systems need to be fine-tuned, and controls have to be adapted for the specific building. You can’t “copy and paste” from another building even if it has nearly identical characteristics.

Newer technology can identify inaccurate readings in building management systems, and identify problems or savings opportunities in the building. That goes for new buildings as well as old structures.

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