LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATION
Encourage Ongoing Commercial Building Energy Audits and/or Recommissioning
Projected GHG Reduction: Unknown
Implementation Year(s): 2015
Commissioning is a process that verifies that a building’s systems are all functioning properly. When they are sold, existing buildings are often re-commissioned. However, many Pittsburgh buildings have not changed hands for many years and have not been re-commissioned or audited for energy efficiency.
Re-commissioning involves enhancing lighting, building envelope, and heating and cooling systems. The energy savings from re-commissioning is typically 5-15%, and about 80% of these savings result from optimizing building control systems. While purchasing new equipment is not usually necessary to reap cost savings, re-commissioning can still have high upfront costs in staff time or consultant fees.
The Business Climate Coalition should work with the City of Pittsburgh to develop a mandate that buildings over a certain size be re-commissioned at regular intervals, and encourage all buildings to seek re-commissioning every five years, or whenever major energy systems or controls are replaced.
