February - March 2008
state takes the green lead
By Howard C. Wiig
Thanks
to breakthrough State Government initiatives, State buildings are pulling
into front-runner spots in the Race for the Green.
The 2004 Legislature passed into law Statute 196-41, which directs the State to, “Develop a program to maximize the use of… cost-effective conservation measures by state government agencies.”
A host of green-building legislation in 2006 and 2007 gave teeth to the law and comprise the State’s “Lead by Example” program. BMH readers might look on these State initiatives as a menu of measures to choose from as they strive to reduce kilowatt-hour use and maximize occupant comfort.
The three major State programs are the Energy Star® Program, benchmarking and commissioning
1)
ENERGY STAR® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy to protect the environment
and reduce costs through energy efficient products and practices. ENERGY
STAR® certified buildings rank in the top quartile of an EPA performance
rating system calculated from actual energy use. Some of analysis cost
was borne by HECO’s efficiency analysis program. Hawaii gained EPA
recognition in 2007 for ranking fifth in the nation by saving $22 million
annually in four public and private ENERGY STAR® buildings.
2) Energy Benchmarking helps determine if buildings are ENERGY STAR®
candidates. Energy benchmarking calculates buildings’ annual energy
consumption per square foot. This results in an “energy usage index”
(EUI), allowing buildings to be quickly compared. A benchmarking study
of DAGS office buildings indicated EUIs ranging from 14.4 to 36.9 kWh
per square foot. Office buildings consuming less than 16 kWh/sq.ft/year
may qualify for Energy Star. DBEDT staff has also benchmarked schools,
libraries and other public buildings.
3)
Building Commissioning is carried out by independent specialists to optimize
the efficiency of building systems. They first examine blueprints to determine
if efficient, properly sized equipment is specified. During pre-construction,
they determine from the building drawings if efficient equipment has been
“value-engineered” out. Finally, as walls are being closed,
they test HVAC systems, lighting control and other systems to ensure that
they’re correctly installed and operating.
Retrocommissioning of existing buildings typically focuses on reducing
consumption in HVAC systems and lighting controls.
Recent studies indicate that the operating cost of commissioned buildings
ranges from 5% to 15% below that of non-commissioned buildings. Commissioning
is important in the LEED process of designing new buildings or remodeling
existing buildings. DBEDT has hired an independent commissioning consultant
to assist State agencies develop and implement a state wide commissioning
program.
DAGS has already initiated 12 retrocommissioning pilot projects including the State Capitol, Hemmeter Center, the State Office Tower and the three neighbor island State buildings. Specialized case studies are being planned for a 3,000 sq. ft. lounge in Honolulu Airport, and for renovated laboratory facilities at the marine research facility on Coconut Island.
More information about State Government energy initiatives may be obtained from: http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/energy.
Howard
Wiig is an energy analyst with the Strategic Industries Division of the
State of Hawaii. He is also president of the Illuminating Engineering
Society of Hawaii.
