SCS Engineers
Fitchburg’s community center on the right (city hall is on the…
Six-step analysis
Wisconsin utilities have been incentivizing businesses and residents to use less energy since launching Focus on Energy in 2001. The program’s two-phase RCx incentive can lower electricity rates by 8 cents/kWh annually and natural gas rates by 80 cents/therm. annually.
When Madison Gas and Electric audited Fitchburg’s city hall, community center, and library, the investor-owned utility recommended an RCx. The Building Inspection and Public Works departments retained the Madison, Wis., office of SCS Engineers to conduct the process from April through August 2013.
- Community Center – Built in 1988, with a major addition in 2012 (20,200 square feet)
- City Hall – Built in 1999 (56,300 square feet)
- Library – Built in 2010 as a LEED Gold building (56,400 square feet)
Mechanical and controls engineers worked with maintenance staff to determine energy usage. They looked at how lighting and mechanical systems operated versus how they’re supposed to operate. Consistent with American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers recommendations, the six-step process includes:
- Energy Data. Obtain energy usage data for pre-RCx benchmarking.
- Interviews. Interview staff to identify comfort issues.
- Trending. Collect and evaluate operational data (temperature, humidity, and CO2).
- Testing. Examine mechanical systems, sensors, controls, dampers, valves, terminal units.
- Recommendations. Create a list of improvements.
- Implementation. Act on recommended improvements.
Next page: 28 of 32 recommendations implemented
