New Buildings Institute (NBI) has developed the first ever set of plug load energy use metrics, which will allow commercial building owners and managers to more easily gain insight into their buildings’ energy use and become more energy efficient. Earlier this year, PECI used the NBI metrics to assess plug load energy use at PECI headquarters in the First and Main building in downtown Portland, Oregon. The study, which informed an energy-saving campaign, resulted in an 18 percent kWh reduction of PECI’s plug load.
Review New Buildings Institute Metrics, “Methodology for Reporting Commercial Office Plug Load Energy Use” and PECI case study, “Analyzing Plug Loads.”
According to the Energy Information Agency, plug load – which is defined as electricity use by equipment that plugs into a building’s electrical outlets – is one of the fastest-growing sources of energy use in commercial buildings. In typical offices, 15 to 20 percent of energy use can be attributed to the plug load of computers, monitors, printers, desk lamps, telephones, etc. In buildings with HVAC and/or lighting systems that have been upgraded or improved to be more energy-efficient, plug load can reach as high as 50 percent of total energy use.
The intent of NBI’s new metrics is to set a benchmark for plug load energy use and make it easier for building owners and managers to spot opportunities to improve energy efficiency. The methodology allows an apples-to-apples comparison of plug load energy use across commercial buildings, even if they have vastly different plug load makeups and characteristics.
PECI helped NBI test the theories behind their metrics during a study conducted in the Portland offices of PECI. PECI’s LEED Platinum office is equipped with an energy management system that allows circuit-level monitoring of energy use throughout the office space. This fact, coupled with PECI’s commitment to the study, practice and influence of responsible energy management, made the site – and the pairing – ideal.
NBI’s metrics showed that PECI’s plug load performance during business hours was already quite good, with numbers comparable to the metrics’ lowest reference value. Overnight, however, PECI’s plug load rated more poorly, with values above the metrics’ median.
“We discovered our higher overnight plug load was primarily due to people leaving their computers in ‘sleep mode’ when they left the office for the day,” said Joan Effinger, Engineering Manager at PECI. “We were excited to use the findings as an opportunity to improve.” PECI launched an internal campaign to motivate people to completely shut off their computers at the end of the day, which contributed to an 18 percent kWh reduction of plug load.
“It was very valuable to conduct such a successful test in a real-world situation,” said Cathy Higgins, Research Director of NBI. “Hopefully this is the first of many cases when people use these new metrics to improve the performance of buildings and reduce energy and cost.”
[1] Plug loads are a part of what is known as Miscellaneous Electrical Loads (MELS)
About PECI
PECI is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to creating the new energy economy. We are leaders in the field of energy resource management, with expertise in designing and implementing energy efficiency programs for utility and government agency clients. Our work helps millions of residential, commercial and industrial utility customers reliably save energy and money. We were founded in 1979 in Portland, Oregon and currently work with clients nationwide. To learn more, visit www.peci.org.
About NBI
Established in 1997, New Buildings Institute (NBI) has been a driving force in advancing energy code stringency, most notably with the adoption of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which was based largely on NBI's Core Performance Guide--a prescriptive approach to high performance commercial buildings. The organization also advocates for measuring building energy performance in occupancy rather than relying on modeled predictions to assess efficiency levels, and has become a clearinghouse on zero-net energy policies and practices. To learn more about NBI go towww.newbuildings.org or call 360.567.0950.
Related Stories
| Jan 9, 2014
How security in schools applies to other building types
Many of the principles and concepts described in our Special Report on K-12 security also apply to other building types and markets.
| Jan 9, 2014
16 recommendations on security technology to take to your K-12 clients
From facial recognition cameras to IP-based door hardware, here are key technology-related considerations you should discuss with your school district clients.
| Jan 9, 2014
Harley Ellis Devereaux, BFHL Architects announce merger
Effective January 1, 2014, Ralph Lotito and Brett Paloutzian have merged BFHL, comprising 15 healthcare architects, with Harley Ellis Devereaux. A national architecture and engineering firm in practice since 1908, Harley Ellis Devereaux has offices in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, CA.
| Jan 9, 2014
Special report: Can design prevent another Sandy Hook?
Our experts say no, but it could save lives. In this report, they offer recommendations on security design you can bring to your K-12 clients to prevent, or at least mitigate, a Sandy Hook on their turf.
| Jan 8, 2014
Dan Noble succeeds H. Ralph Hawkins as president/CEO of HKS
H. Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, FACHA, LEED AP,current chairman, president and CEO, named Dan Noble FAIA, FACHA, LEED AP, his successor as president and CEO, effective January 1, 2014. Jeff Stouffer, AIA, will succeed Craig Beale, FAIA, FACHA, FACHE, as director of the firm's healthcare practice.
| Jan 8, 2014
Architect sentenced to a year in jail for firefighter's death
Architect Gerhard Becker was sentenced to a year in LA county jail after pleading no contest to the manslaughter of a firefighter who died while trying to contain a fire in a home the architect had designed for himself.
| Jan 7, 2014
Concrete solutions: 9 innovations for a construction essential
BD+C editors offer a roundup of new products and case studies that represent the latest breakthroughs in concrete technology.
Smart Buildings | Jan 7, 2014
9 mega redevelopments poised to transform the urban landscape
Slowed by the recession—and often by protracted negotiations—some big redevelopment plans are now moving ahead. Here’s a sampling of nine major mixed-use projects throughout the country.
| Jan 6, 2014
What is value engineering?
If you had to define value engineering in a single word, you might boil it down to "efficiency." That would be one word, but it wouldn’t be accurate.
| Jan 6, 2014
Green Building Initiative names Jerry Yudelson as new President
The Green Building Initiative announced today that it has named Jerry Yudelson as its president to accelerate growth of the non-profit and further leverage its green building assessment tools, including the highly recognized Green Globes rating system.
