The journey to energy efficiency in institutional and commercial facilities can seem never-ending. As a result, maintenance and engineering managers can become distracted or frustrated trying to locate energy-saving opportunities and find ways to enhance their facilities’ energy efficiency. To help with these efforts, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings program recently offered three resources designed to enhance organizational efficiency in facilities.
Commercial heat pumps. Replacing outdated or inefficient rooftop units (RTU) with modern, energy-efficient models is a strategic move in helping organizations accelerate efficiency. The document provides best practices for adopting RTUs and highlights key considerations for building owners for heat pump RTU installations.
Onsite renewable energy generation and storage. When onsite generation and storage are combined, known as behind-the-meter systems, facilities can maximize the benefits of onsite renewables. The fact sheet includes technical recommendations for onsite renewables and storage systems to support organizations’ energy independence and the ability to meet future energy demands.
Renewable energy operations and maintenance (O&M). A standardized O&M approach for onsite renewable energy systems can decrease organizational costs, create a predictable understanding of those costs over time, and increase system performance. The fact sheet provides guidance for an effective O&M program, outlining strategies for implementing O&M practices throughout design, construction, and operations to improve organizational energy production.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.?
