Operations and Maintenance
The Water-Energy Nexus
It takes water to make energy and it takes energy to make water. In some buildings, the cost of water is significantly greater than the cost of HVAC+DHW energy, yet we don’t address it. Simple water retrofits can greatly increase the cash flow in a building. There are also many things that we use on a day to day basis that use immense amounts of water, and controlling this use reduces local and regional water consumption.
Meeting a Building Where It's At: A Guide to Staged Electrification
In this session, we will discuss the capital plan and design of central plant upgrades at a 443,000 sqft multifamily building with over 500 apartments. The design includes chiller electrification, mechanical design to operate the chillers in heat pump mode for heating, water source heat pumps (WSHPs) that utilize condenser water from the chillers during the summer months, and a building management system (BMS) that integrates a sequence of operation (SOO) to engage gas-fired equipment only during peak periods.
Understanding VRF: Insights from Real-World Measured Performance
This session offers an opportunity for attendees to gain important insights into real-world performance of VRF systems and drivers that impact performance. Presenters will share results from two newly completed DOE-funded research studies focused on measured performance of VRF systems in cold climates. Come learn about the key findings, including VRF efficiency, refrigerant leakage, and the impacts of oversizing. Presenters will also discuss measurement methods and what the future of onboard measurement might look like.
NYS Electrification Pilot Programs: Paving the Way for Widespread Electrification
NYS and NYC have created substantial resources to stand up first-in-the-nation grant and subsidy programs aimed at deeply incentivizing beneficial electrification in retrofits of existing multifamily buildings. This session will highlight three unique strategies through case studies of committed and completed projects. This session will also delve into the design and specification of systems in electrification retrofit projects, as well as data collected throughout the program design, construction, and operation processes.
Winning Formula for LL97 Success: Adopt a Change Management Playbook!
After the euphoria of opening a new or renovated building, many institutions struggle to manage the increasing complexity and resource demands for building operations and maintenance. The City University of New York (CUNY) developed an innovative Change Management Playbook that addresses these challenges. Implementing a “Boots and Suits” approach to secure buy-in from the facility staff to Senior Leadership, this programmatic solution created a pathway to achieve decarbonization goals.
Clean Energy from Dirty Water: Wastewater Energy Transfer (WET) System Showcase
New York City's clean energy goals require deep energy retrofits and innovative technologies for compliance. Wastewater energy transfer (WET) systems, which extract thermal energy from wastewater for reuse in building systems, are one technology that is scalable for many building systems. Our discussion will utilize a real project in New York City to discuss building candidates, the benefits and challenges of design and implementation, and the difficulties encountered in planning and installing a real system.
Decarbonizing NYC Offices: Opportunities & Strategies for Success
Commercial tenant spaces are a critical component to compliance with Local Law 97. Join an insightful discussion between building owners, tenants, and legal representatives about driving decarbonization in leased office spaces by changing business-as-usual to prioritize energy savings and emissions reductions at key stages of the leasing cycle. These new practices endeavor to create more sustainable, efficient, and healthy workplaces that meet local and state regulations. The principles and strategies shared from these office examples can apply to other tenant types in mixed-use buildings.
Turning Building Supers into Energy-Saving Superheroes!
In this session we'll present the challenges and successes of the NYSERDA-funded Top Ops Program, which integrates site-based training into a Strategic Energy Management (SEM) approach, and detail the most effective interventions leading to behavior change and skills uptake. You'll come away with concrete strategies for successfully training building supers and engaging management, as well as techniques that supers can apply to increase savings.
Multifamily Central Heat Pump Water Heating Retrofits: Learning the Hard Way
We will share our experience with the design, permitting, installation, commissioning, and operation of 14 large-capacity central heat pump domestic hot water heating plants in low-income multifamily buildings (20 - 120 units) in disadvantaged communities in NYC and California. Manufacturers installed are Lync, Mitsubishi, Aermec, and Waterdrop.
What works? What does't? This talk will share the many lessons we learned the hard way, in order to help accelerate the adoption of all-electric water heating systems in New York.
Tales from the Trenches: Passive House Ventilation Commissioning Best Practices
Hear tales from the trenches regarding ventilation approaches within the context of the Passive House certification standard. This standard has set a high benchmark for low-energy buildings and is widely known as the most rigorous energy efficiency standard currently available. However, the ventilation systems and their interfacing with heat pumps are relatively new to the industry and need to be executed correctly.