36E77618R0005-00001020.pdf

TASK 2

ENERGY & WATER AUDIT REPORT

Orlando VA Medical Center

Orlando, Florida

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, VISN 8

Task Order: VA701-14-F-0148

Submitted to:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Attn: Gerardo S. Salazar, VISN 8 Energy Manager

140 Fountain Parkway, Suite 600 St. Petersburg, Florida 33716

(727) 575-8065

Submitted by:

2230 Longport Court, Suite 130 Elk Grove, CA 95758

(916) 226-6415

January 7, 2015

F a c i l i t y A u d i t R e p o r t – O r l a n d o V A M C

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 i Task Order No. VA701-14-F-0148

PREFACE

This Energy Assessment project was conducted by RetroCom Energy Strategies, Inc.

under Task Order No. VA701-14-F-0148 and issued to RetroCom under our GSA Contract No. GS-21F-0214W. The work associated with this Task Order was awarded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pursuant to a competitive proposal process.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

1.0 Executive Summary

Maintenance & Operations Enhancements Renewable Energy Applications Building Envelope Corrective Measures Previous Energy Assessments General Comments & Observations

2.0 Facility Characteristics

Operating Hours Central Energy Plant HVAC Systems HVAC Control Systems Lighting Water/Wastewater Renewable Energy Building Envelope Maintenance & Operations Improvements

3.0 Utility Analysis & Measure Calculations

4.0 Energy Conservation Measures

5.0 Water/Wastewater Conservation Measures

6.0 Maintenance & Operations Improvements

7.0 Renewable Energy Systems

8.0 Building Envelope Systems

9.0 Audit Team Participants

Appendices

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 iii

List of Figures

Figure 1 – Energy & Water Conservation Measure Summary Figure 2 – Orlando VAMC Site Plan Figure 3 – Energy and Water/Sewer Rates Figure 4 – VA Recommended Lighting Levels Figure 5 – Lighting in Entry to CLC Figure 6 – U-Tube Fixture in the Canteen Figure 7 – Hallway Lighting in Main Hospital Figure 8 –Stairwell Lighting Figure 9 – Metal Halide Shoebox Figure 10 – Ornamental Pole Lamp on Raymond Street Figure 11 - Screenshot of Constant Supply Air Temperature Setpoint Figure 12 – Screenshot of Constant Chilled Water Temperature Setpoint Figure 13 – Screenshot of Areas Served by AHU 10 Figure 14 – Screenshot of Constant Chilled Water Temperature Setpoint Figure 15 – Screenshot of Improper Cooling Tower Fan Speed Sequencing Figure 16 – Improper Economizer Damper Positions Figure 17 – 3-D Load Profile of Summer Months Figure 18 – Uninsulated Boilers Figure 19 – Exhaust Fans on Roof of M-Deck Figure 20 – AHUs on Roof of M-Deck Figure 21– Cooling Tower Figure 22 – Generator Block Heater Figure 23 – Solar Powered Trash Compactor Figure 24 – Roof Space for Solar Installation Figure 25 – Temperature Differential Between Inside & Outside of Window Figure 26 – Roof of M-Deck Figure 27 – Infrared Scan of an Exterior Door

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Abbreviations/Acronyms

AC Air conditioning AH/AHU Air handler / Air handling unit BAS Building automation system BTU British Thermal unit CBECS Commercial building energy consumption survey CCF Hundred cubic feet (measure of natural gas usage) CFM Cubic feet per minute CFR Current facility requirements CHW Chilled water CHWS/CHWR Chilled water supply / Chilled water return CO2 Carbon dioxide COV Change of value CV Constant volume CW Condenser water CWS/CWR Condenser water supply / condenser water return DA/DAT Discharge air / Discharge air temperature DDC Direct digital control DHW Domestic hot water DX Direct expansion EA/EAT Exhaust air / Exhaust air temperature EF Exhaust fan EUI Energy utilization index F Fahrenheit FCU Fan coil unit FY Fiscal year GHG Green House Gas GPM Gallons per minute HP Horsepower HVAC Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning HV Heating ventilating unit HW Hot water HWS/HWR Hot water supply / Hot water return HX Heat exchanger kBtu Thousands of British Thermal units kW Thousand watts kWh Thousand watt-hours MA/MAT Mixed air / Mixed air temperature MAU Makeup air unit MW Mega watt OA/OSA Outside air OAT Outside air temperature PTAC Packaged terminal air conditioner RA/RAT Return air / Return air temperature RCx Retro-Commissioning RF Return fan

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RH Relative humidity RTU Rooftop (packaged HVAC) unit SA/SAT Supply air / Supply air temperature SF Supply fan SP Static pressure SPD Supply processing and distribution Sq. Ft Square Foot TAB Test, adjust and balance Therms Heat equal to 100,000 British Thermal units (BTU) TU Terminal unit VAV Variable air volume VFD Variable frequency drive

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 1

1.0 Executive Summary

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contracted with RetroCom Energy Strategies Inc.

(RetroCom) to conduct Energy, Water and Renewable Energy Assessments at 9 VA Medical Centers located in VISN 8 covering mainland Florida and Puerto Rico. This Task 2 – Energy & Water Audit Report covers Orlando VAMC in Orlando, Florida.

This audit report provides details and recommendations concerning Energy and Water efficiency measures, and Renewable Energy opportunities. These measures and opportunities are the result of a site audit conducted between November 10 and November 14, 2014.

Although relevant portions of the Task 1 - Energy Baseline and Benchmark Report for the Orlando VAMC are contained within this Site Audit Report, Baseline and Benchmarking information found in the Task 1 Report for this site should be reviewed to provide greater context for the recommendations found here.

This report provides recommendations for energy & water conservation measures, renewable energy applications, building envelope corrective measures, and maintenance & operations enhancements. Recommendations found in this report provide:

• Measure or enhancement description

• Cost of implementation

• Annual measure cost savings

• Annual measure consumption/demand savings

• Annual maintenance cost savings (where applicable)

• Simple payback duration

• GHG savings

The ECMs outlined in this report have been calculated using a variety of accepted energy efficiency calculation methodologies. This includes EQuest Modelling, Hand Calculations, standard Deemed Savings Calculations, Extrapolation Methodologies and Simple Prescriptive Measure comparative analysis.

A summary of the energy & water conservations measures (ECMs) discovered during the audit of this VAMC are summarized in Figure 1 below.

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Figure 1 – Energy & Water Conservation Measure Summary

ECM # ECM

Description

Cost of Installation kWh Saved Therms

Saved

Water Saved (1000 gal)

Utility Savings ($)

GHG

Savings (tons)

Simple Payback

(yrs)

IL-ECM # 1

Hallway Lighting Retrofits in the

CLC $4,428 22,573 61.55 - $1,967 13.03 2.3

IL-ECM # 2

Lighting Retrofits- Kitchen & Canteen $5,072 22,573 86.53 - $1,993 13.16 2.5

IL-ECM # 3

Lighting Retrofits- Hallways of the Main Hospital $12,560 45,877 208 - $4,084 26.92 3.1

IL- ECM # 4 Blinky System in the Stairwells $7,100 17,798 - - $1,502 10.01 4.7

EL-ECM # 1

Metal Halide Shoebox Retrofits $39,200 61,152 - - $5,161 34.39 7.6

EL-ECM # 2

Ornamental Metal Halide Fixture Retrofits $25,790 39,356 - - $3,321 22.13 7.8

HVAC-ECM

# 1

Supply Air Temperature Reset $5,000 226,666 87,300 - $107,740 598.87 0.05

HVAC-ECM

# 2

Chilled Water Reset $5,000 190,000 - - $16,036 106.84 0.3

HVAC-ECM

# 3

Unoccupied Temperature Setbacks in the Domiciliary $25,000 140,460 50,000 - $62,604 348.98 0.4

HVAC- ECM

# 4

AHU 10 & 11

Setbacks For Main Hospital 3rd & 4th Floor $5,000 30,000 6,700 - $9,332 53.05 0.5

HVAC-ECM

# 5

Condenser Water Reset $5,000 66,666 - - $5,626 37.49 0.9

HVAC-ECM

# 6

Setback Areas B & C of the CLC

$5,000 11,900 4,055 - $5,120 28.59 0.98

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ECM # ECM

Description

Cost of Installation kWh Saved Therms

Saved

Water Saved (1000 gal)

Utility Savings ($)

GHG

Savings (tons)

Simple Payback

(yrs)

HVAC-ECM

# 7

Cooling Tower Fan Optimization $5,000 60,000 - - $5,064 33.74 1.0

HVAC-ECM

# 8

AHU Economizer Repair $36,480 210,000 (400.00) - $17,318 115.92 2.1

HVAC-ECM

# 9

Electronically Commutated Mors in Walk-in Coolers $1,920 7,744 - - $653 4.35 2.9

HVAC-ECM

# 10

Conduct and Implement Retro- Commissioning $393,802 1,150,000 29,500 - $127,002 805.95 3.1

HVAC-ECM

# 11 Insulate Boilers $4,926 1,477 $1,499 7.98 3.3

HVAC-ECM

# 12

Automate Exhaust Fans

$25,000 72,197 - - $6,093 40.60 4.1

HVAC-ECM

# 13

Replace Air Handling Units on M-Deck & Bldg 503 $1,920,000 480,000 65,200 $106,690 621.98 18.0

HVAC-ECM

# 14

Waterside Economizer for Tower “Free- Cooling” $70,600 43,333 - - $3,657 24.37 19.3

OE-ECM # 1

Generator Block Heater Heat Pumps $19,434 93,440 - - $7,886 52.54 2.5

OE-ECM # 2

Solar Powered Trash Compactors $33,000 - - - $7,238 - 4.6

OE-ECM # 3

Install Solar on Roof of CLC and Domiciliary $1,240,000 663,712 - - $56,017 373.21 22.1

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In some cases, the above listed energy conservation measures are inter-dependent and as such they cannot be considered additive. For example, if a Retro-Commissioning investigation and implementation took place as recommended, then it would be typical that Chilled Water and Supply Air Reset would be included in that effort. Adding those ECMs together would misrepresent the total energy saving available from these recommendations.

Energy savings in general are also contingent on the amount of time between ECM discovery (this report date) and ECM implementation. For example, the energy or water savings calculated against the site’s current utility rates will improve if the cost of energy increases, or degrade if the cost of energy decreases. These conditions are equally true when considering the cost of implementation. Increases or decreases in labor or material costs associated with an ECM will naturally impact the cost of implementation, simple payback and return on investment.

Maintenance & Operations Enhancements

In general, the energy consuming systems at Orlando VAMC are reasonably well cared for.

Many of the older Air Handling Units have been replaced with systems that are considerably more energy efficient than the systems they have replaced. Although most Air Handling Units are old and reaching the end of their useful life, maintenance staff have done a good job keeping them in working order.

The age of the equipment is not entirely responsible for a lack of control of energy consuming components associated with air distribution. Very few variable frequency drives appear to be operating per their design, leading to questions regarding the status of downstream ductwork.

Poor ductwork renovation in the past has led to challenges when spaces are remodeled. For instance, repurposing of a space to convert it to an infusion lab has caused the need for 3 DX units to be installed in the ceiling of this area in order to meet load. Economizer linkage has been disconnected in many Air Handling Units and outside air dampers have been locked into position.

As is normal for almost all of the buildings we evaluate, knowledge and expertise relative to HVAC control system operation is not optimal amongst the maintenance staff. Given that advanced control of typical HVAC systems is critical to energy efficiency in general, investments in training in this area will pay long-term dividends. This can be easily accomplished by altering the tasks within an existing control system service contract to allow for one-on-one training with site staff responsible for the system. By educating the maintenance staff as to the energy implications related to the control of equipment on the Building Automation System, further emphasis may be placed on the importance of maintaining control components at the site.

Per facility staff, steam traps are internally audited on an annual basis and repairs and replacements are made as needed. Few steam leaks were witnessed during RetroCom’s audit of this site. However because of the tremendous impact that steam leaks and failures can have on energy use, more effort should be focused on maintaining steam traps.

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Renewable Energy Applications

There is currently no solar photovoltaic installation on site or any other source of renewable energy. This study recommends installing solar on the Domiciliary and Community Living Center buildings.

Building Envelope Corrective Measures

Building envelope efficiency opportunities have consistently long simple paybacks and as such should be considered at a time when structural or other types of major renovations are already in the planning phase.

Orlando VAMC campus contains buildings that date back to the 1940’s though the main hospital was built in 1981. Many areas have been repurposed to accommodate current occupancies and uses. Orlando VAMC is currently replacing most of the existing windows with more efficient models that meet Florida’s Hurricane preparedness standards. No excessive heat losses or gains were noted in the building envelopes. It should be noted that temperatures were unseasonably mild during this site assessment.

Previous Energy Assessments

At least two previous Energy Assessments and one Retro-Commissioning (RCx) Investigation have been conducted at this campus since 2009. Each Energy Assessment, one by Teng & Associates and the other conducted by Alares LLC, have provided common energy and water efficiency recommendations and ECM selections.

According to the Orlando VAMC General Engineer and assistant Energy Manager, Hector Vargas, none of the recommendations contained in the most recent Energy Assessment from 2012 have been implemented. It is understood that this site’s future has been questionable and as such funding for implementation was at least temporarily unavailable.

This is not to say that a significant amount of energy efficiency work has not taken place at this site. There is ample evidence of that across the campus. Lighting systems have been upgraded to T8 lamp and ballast combinations; HVAC systems, particularly AHUs, have received considerable attention. Simply, the measures suggested in the last Energy Assessment have yet to be funded.

In terms of the Retro-Commissioning Investigation that was conducted by Alares LLC during 2012, we were not provided with copies of that report so we are unable to comment on the specific findings of that investigation. Regardless, our assessment of the operating characteristics of Air Handling Units, the condition of the steam system, terminal HVAC units, pumping systems, central plant equipment (chillers, cooling towers & boilers) and in particular the strategies used to control the operation of this equipment, indicates that the Orlando VAMC is a good candidate for implementation of common RCx Investigation findings. We strongly recommend that RCx findings implementation be the primary and first strategy for reducing energy costs and improving indoor environmental quality at this site.

General Comments & Observations

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• Since the Orlando VAMC is a building type that is not contained in the Energy Star database, it is not eligible for an actual score. However, Energy Star analysis of the site did generate a site EUI of 177.5 kbtu/sqft and a Source EUI of 395.4 kbtu/sqft. This analysis used data from the most recent three year period, FY2012 to FY2014. The previous Energy Star report, generated in 2013 by the VAMC, produced a site EUI of 140 kbtu/sqft. The current EUI of 177.5 kbtu/sqft represents an increase of 21 percent over the 2013 EUI

• An overall lack of control exists at most of the Air Handling Units. Economizers are incorrectly sequenced, or locked out, and VFD control logic is inappropriate for the application. Simply addressing these issues would provide significant improvement in energy efficiency and occupant comfort conditions.

• Control components on Air Handling Units need to be repaired or replaced. Actuator linkage is broken or missing in many units, dampers are locked into position, and sensors are out of calibration. Variable frequency drives are turned off, placed in hand, or not fluctuating in frequency to control fan speeds based on demand.

• Major energy consuming systems and equipment like chillers, pumps and air-handling units are not well controlled or simply run 24/7. This challenge includes a combination of improper scheduling, inefficient sequences of operation and a lack of operator training.

Optimizing control of large energy consuming systems will provide improvement in efficiency and reductions in energy consumption and demand. Implementation of Retro- Commissioning recommendations would provide huge improvements in this area.

• Given the number of ECMs available to the site as a result of this and past energy assessments and RCx investigations, and with sufficient access to ECM implementation funding, the Orlando VAMC should have little difficulty meeting the requirements of Federal Mandates regarding energy & GHG reduction and water conservation.

• It is important to note that the Orlando VAMC has been a state of uncertainty concerning the future use of the facility. This is due to the construction of a replacement facility nearby and a lack of a clear mandate on whether this site would continue to operate once the new facility was operational.

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2.0 Facility Characteristics

The future use of the Orlando VAMC is currently in a state of uncertainty. A new full-service hospital is being built at Lake Nona, Florida and the ongoing use of this existing facility is not yet known. While there are expectations that it will continue to function, a final decree, according to site staff, has not been received. Because of this, RetroCom has approached the investigation of this site as if it was going to continue to function. Outpatient services continue to be provided in the main building and the Community Living Center has been converted to offices.

Figure 2 – Orlando VAMC Site Plan

According to the VA CAI inventory of buildings, the Orlando campus encompasses 653,214 square feet. This does not include the square footage associated with the new Lake Nona VA Medical Center. Benchmarking and Baseline information for this facility was based on the Orlando campus square footage and energy costs alone.

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Operating Hours

With the exception of purely administrative areas within the Main Hospital and most of the support buildings scattered around the campus that serve out-patient and other needs, this site operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Calculations for ECMs are based on the estimated operating hours for individual equipment, systems and spaces. These vary according to building use.

Central Energy Plant

The Orlando VAMC Central Energy Plant (CEP) provides chilled water for cooling from 3-350 ton and 1-450 ton centrifugal chillers. Chilled water for space cooling is delivered at 42 degrees and is circulated by four-variable speed primary pumps and four-variable speed secondary pumps. Three cooling towers provide heat rejection to the water cooled chillers, each with variable speed fans. Steam for heating, zone re-heat, domestic water and sterilization, is produced by 2 older – 800 lb/hr steam boilers.

HVAC Systems

Building-occupied spaces on this site are provided with HVAC services from a variety of system types and configurations. Most of the stand-alone buildings are served by steam, converted to hot water at the building, and chilled water, from the Central Energy Plant. Larger or standalone packaged DX systems, air-cooled condensers and a few small split systems exist to serve buildings that are not connected to Central Plant services. The Main Hospital building is served by the Central Plant with DX units serving some supplementary cooling.

Many of the older Air Handling Units are maintained for functionality, but do not operate well from an energy perspective. Most Air Handling Unit fans have VFDs, and in some cases economizers exist, but components are broken or they are not operating in an efficient manner. For the most part, the VFDs on these units are used as soft start controllers rather than controlling fan speeds. During our site investigation many of the VFDs we inspected were running near 100 percent capacity. This generally means that fan speeds are constant. This defeats the purpose of having VFDs controlling fan speeds based on demand and actually increases energy use because of the inherent inefficiencies of VFDs. Other issues with VFDs are that many are either turned off or locked in at a given value.

Steam trap failures, steam losses and the resulting condensate return at Orlando VAMC is potentially significant. A steam trap maintenance program is currently in place, but should be improved upon. Facility maintenance personnel manually inspect steam traps annually, but the infrequency of the inspection leads to many leaks going unnoticed for a significant period of time. This contributes to condensate losses, the need for additional make-up water and increased water treatment costs.

HVAC Control Systems

Orlando VAMC operations and maintenance personnel are making progress in understanding how equipment is operating, and they have a control system in place that will help them to improve equipment efficiency across the campus. However, an analysis of demand data for

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 9 the winter and summer seasons, indicates that improvement in scheduling and operational sequences has yet to take place.

As seen in Figure 6 of the Task 1- Baseline and Benchmark report for Orlando, electrical demand generally follows a bell curve one would expect throughout the day. However, a large base load persists even during unoccupied periods; leading to the conclusion that equipment is operating more than is required.

While some areas are occupied 24/7, these areas can be setback when occupancy is at a minimum. Overcooling, simultaneous heating and cooling, constant chilled water supply temperature, and faulty re-heat valves in VAV boxes were observed. These conditions also contribute to a higher than necessary base load.

Demand curves are created by plotting the 15-minute demand data available from the utility’s electrical meter. The utility uses this information to bill the Kilowatt, or Load portion of the electrical bill. Tracking this information tells the utility how much electricity will be needed to meet the worst case scenario at the site. The customer pays for this portion of their bill by setting demand peaks through a given billing period.

Peak demand reduction can be achieved by improving the schedules and the control associated with large energy consuming systems. This will normally include chillers, large pumps, large fans motors in AHUs, and cooling towers. By controlling peak demand more diligently, through optimized control strategies, Orlando VAMC will see a reduction in electrical demand and subsequently, related costs.

Lighting

Lighting systems at the Orlando VAMC have been upgraded to efficient T-8 lamp and ballast combinations. With the exception of mechanical rooms and a few specialty areas, this is consistent across the campus. During our site visit we were unable to identify any areas in the building that contained older generation, T-12 lamp and ballast combinations.

Overall, our general impression of interior lighting was that the Main buildings were appropriately lit in hallways, offices and clinical spaces. Lighting level measurements did reveal a few areas where de-lamping would be appropriate, but these areas are not abundant enough for us to recommend a wholesale de-lamping program. Rather we are recommending that the site begin to replace T-8 lamps with LED lamps as T-8 lamp failures occur. New generation LED lamps can replace existing T-8 lamps without the need to retrofit the fixture or replace the ballast. This is a simple one for one change out that could be accomplished economically by existing maintenance staff over time.

In terms of lighting control, there are many areas across the site where the application of Occupancy Sensors would be valuable. Conference and meeting rooms, locker rooms and storage rooms would all benefit from the application of this type of control.

The exterior lighting has generally not been upgraded to current technologies. There are three types of outside lights, which include ornamental pole lamps in some areas of the parking lots, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 10 different style ornamental lights along Raymond Street and standard shoe box style pole lamps.

In terms of exterior lighting schedules, we did not witness any areas on the campus where fixtures were operating during daylight hours.

Water/Wastewater

Domestic water systems at Orlando, like toilets and sink faucets, were evaluated for conservations opportunities. Toilets were, with very few exceptions, manual flush models rated at 1.6 gallons per flush. Although toilet fixtures are available with lower flush rates, the difference in consumption is not significant between the two models and the costs of replacement are generally prohibitive.

Faucets across the campus have not been converted to automatic flow and because of uncertainty about future use of the facility we do not recommend any conversions, at this time.

An evaluation of the rate structure and billing practices associated with water and wastewater was conducted. This evaluation revealed that the site has two 2.5-inch and two 8-inch meters.

One of the 8-inch meters is dedicated to fire flow, but the purpose of the second 8 inch meter is unknown. We suggest that the facilities staff investigate this second 8-inch pipe and determine its usefulness.

Renewable Energy

Currently, the Orlando VAMC has no solar photovoltaic or other renewable energy systems installed on the campus. RetroCom has recommended that the VAMC consider installing solar photovoltaic panels on the roof at the Domiciliary and the old CLC buildings. The size of this possible array will not however, meet the requirements for VAMCs to provide at least 30% of their power from renewable or clean resources.

Building Envelope

Building envelope systems across the campus differ according to the year of construction.

Older buildings have been constructed of materials that have naturally greater mass and as such outside air temperatures are considerably slower to impact conditions in the occupied spaces.

Windows in the Main Hospital and in many areas around the campus are currently being replaced in order to meet Florida’s Hurricane risk management policies. Thermal scans of many those glazing and door surfaces reveal little to no significant leakage or heat transfer.

Certainly additional insulation would improve the R-value of any building on this campus, but the cost of doing so would not provide a reasonable return on investment. Rather, we recommend that improvement in building envelope insulation take place when renovations to spaces occur. The additional costs of doing so would be much reduced by approaching these sorts of improvements in this manner.

Maintenance & Operation Improvements

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Equipment found in the CEP is in good condition and it is well maintained. Many Air Handling Units are at the end of their useful life and much attention should be made regarding their control logic and the functionality of controlled components. Further investigation should be conducted during a Retro-Commissioning investigation regarding functionality of terminal devices because simultaneous heating and cooling was witnessed in neighboring VAV boxes in many areas in the main hospital building. Furthermore, patchwork ducting has created a nightmare for VAV systems operation. Developing Air Handling Unit zone maps to show what units distribute air to each area will allow for temperature setbacks in non-critical zones.

As mentioned earlier, steam distribution systems are in need of maintenance attention.

Condensate loss appears to be low, but steam traps are unreliable and actual makeup water has not been consistently documented. Significant manpower is required for a thorough survey of steam traps, and continuous monitoring will ensure minimal steam loss.

Training in control systems operations would be valuable for site maintenance and operations staff. As mentioned earlier, this can be accomplished under an existing control system maintenance contract. Specialized training available from the Association of Energy Engineers would also be helpful. Either of these improvements would reap long-term energy efficiency benefits.

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3.0 Utility Analysis & Measure Calculations

The Energy Assessment for the Orlando VAMC was conducted in accordance with the Statement of Work (SOW) provided at the time of proposal submission. Preliminary work after receiving the Notice to Proceed included requests for information concerning site utility costs, previous reports and assessments, and other site information required to commence the project. A site visit was conducted to gather detailed information about site utility infrastructure and utility history, to inspect the condition and operating characteristics of building systems and equipment, and to discuss past audit measures implementation and priorities with the site Energy Manager, Hector Vargas. Facility maintenance personnel were extremely helpful in assisting us to understand the unique characteristics of this campus.

The site investigation for this project was conducted according to industry standard procedures for evaluating opportunities for Energy and Water conservation measures, building envelope conditions, renewable energy applications and maintenance and operations procedures.

RetroCom conducted a visual inspection of the condition and operating characteristics of major energy consuming equipment, collected information concerning the control of that equipment, requested trending information concerning equipment operation, reviewed existing lighting conditions, existing water & wastewater systems, existing building envelope conditions, and evaluated renewable energy applications.

After first conducting a preliminary walk through with the facilities staff in order to familiarize ourselves with site conditions and layout, the RetroCom team conducted a more detailed evaluation of energy and water consuming systems at the Orlando VAMC. Major energy consuming systems were assessed for their present operating schedules and sequences of operation. Maintenance staff were interviewed and queried regarding methods used to operate and maintain equipment contained in the CEP and in building mechanical spaces. Information was gathered to determine the scope of existing outside vendor services contracts. In conjunction with the CEP evaluation, trending information that would confirm the current operating schedules and sequences of operation of major systems was requested and provided.

Water and Wastewater systems were inventoried and their operation was evaluated for efficiency. Interior and exterior lighting systems were inspected for potential retrofit or de-lamping opportunities. Selected infrared photographs and temperatures were recorded to assess the general condition of building envelope systems. A review of the existing Solar PV system was conducted and opportunities for additional renewable energy system application were conducted.

In addition to the above, RetroCom completed a review of the previous Energy Assessment report for this site. This report was discussed with the site Energy Manager in an effort to understand what measures previously recommended had actually been completed. At this time, none of the measures from that report have been acted upon.

A variety of Energy & Water Conservation opportunities were discovered as a result of the information collected during the site investigation phase of this project. Calculations used to

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 13 arrive at conservative ECM implementation costs, energy cost savings and consumption savings were arrived at using industry standard methodologies. This includes modeling using EQuest software, common hand calculations using weather normalization, and extrapolations based on known conditions. For lighting systems, where retrofits are easily predictable, prescriptive measure calculations were used to arrive at conservative implementation costs and deemed energy savings.

The costs of implementation, for individual ECMs, were arrived at using “RS Means" data and/or historical costs sourced from RetroCom’s database of previous projects. In general, implementation costs were arrived at using outside contractor costs and not internal labor. The use of internal labor to complete this work would naturally reduce the overall implementation cost for any ECM.

Energy savings calculations for this report where based on the blended costs for electricity and natural gas as shown in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3 – Energy and Water/Sewer Rates

Blended costs shown above contain all charges associated with a given utility costs. For example, Electricity Costs are arrived at by adding consumption costs (kWh), demand costs (KW) and additional costs like taxes, transportation fees, base meter charges, etc.

It is important to note that funding for the implementation of ECMs by the VA is always dependent upon available and often limited funding. Therefore, we recommend that if long delays occur between the date of this report and actual implementation, that the individual projects contained in this report be re-evaluated from both a cost and savings perspective at that time. Energy, material and labor costs can fluctuate over time and these conditions may change the economics of any given measure.

Electricity ($/kWh)

$ 0.0844

Natural Gas ($/Therm)

$ 1.015

Water & Sewer ($/Kilo Gallon)

$14.40

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4.0 Energy Conservation Measures

Energy Conservation Measures listed in this section provide a summary of discovered opportunities that directly impact electrical and/or natural consumption and cost. These include lighting, HVAC, building system controls and other measures.

Individual Energy Conservation Measure identification is segregated by measure type and ranked within each category by simple payback, using the following descriptors:

• Interior Lighting Measures – IL-ECM #

• Exterior Lighting Measures – EL-ECM #

• HVAC System Measures – HVAC-ECM #

Other Energy Measures – OE-ECM #

Interior Lighting Measures

The Figure below provides guidance on lighting levels for differing areas within a VA facility.

Lighting retrofit ECMs contained in this section meet or exceed these guidelines.

Figure 4 – VA Recommended Lighting Levels

Appendix A: Illumination Levels Area Description Lighting Levels (fc)

ACTIVITIES ROOM AND DINING SPACE 50

ASSEMBLY 30

BATHROOM 20 (Note: b) BOILER ROOM 20; Burner Platforms 30

CONSULTATION 50

CORRIDORS SURGICAL SUITE 50

FOOD SERVICE: DINING ROOM/AREA/SPACE 30

FOOD PROCESS AND PREPARATION 50

LABORATORIES; GENERAL 50

OFFICES; GENERAL 50

PATIENT ROOMS (VARIES) 10FC - 50FC

PHARMACY (VARIES) 70FC - 100FC

RECEPTION AND WAITING 20

SURGICAL SUITE: OPERATING ROOMS 300FC - 1000FC

TOILETS 30

WAITING ROOMS 30

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 15

INTERIOR LIGHTING

IL-ECM #1- Hallway Lighting Retrofits in the CLC

Issue: A combination of 2 foot U-tube and 4 foot linear fluorescent fixtures are used as area lighting in the Hallways of the CLC.

Recommendation: Tubular LEDs offer the same light output at less than 50% of the energy use. As compared to the 20,000 hour life of fluorescent lamps, LEDs last upwards and exceeding 60,000 hours. Most current tubular LEDs can be driven by electronic ballasts currently used in the Hallway fixtures of the CLC. Replace the U-tube fluorescent fixtures with 2- 8.5 watt, 2 foot LEDs. Replace the 4 foot linear fluorescent fixtures with 17 watt, 4 foot LEDs.

Estimated Installation Costs: $4,428

Annual Energy Savings: 22,573 kWh; 61.55 Therms

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $1,967

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 13.03 Tons

Simple Payback: 2.3 years

Method of Calculation: Yearly energy and cost analysis

Figure 5 – Lighting in Entry to CLC

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 16

IL-ECM #2- Lighting Retrofits- Kitchen & Canteen

Issue: A combination of 2 foot U-tube and 4 foot linear fluorescent fixtures are used as area lighting in the Canteen and Kitchen.

Recommendation: Tubular LEDs offer the same light output at less than 50% of the energy use. As compared to the 20,000 hour life of fluorescent lamps, LEDs last upwards and exceeding 60,000 hours. Most current tubular LEDs can be driven by electronic ballasts currently used in the Hallway fixtures of the CLC. Replace the U-tube fluorescent fixtures with 2- 8.5 watt, 2 foot LEDs. Replace the 4 foot linear fluorescent fixtures with 17 watt, 4 foot LEDs.

Estimated Installation Costs: $5,075

Annual Energy Savings: 22,570 kWh; 86.53 Therms

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $1,990

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 13.16 Tons

Simple Payback: 2.5 years

Figure 6 – U-Tube Fixture in the Canteen

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 17

IL-ECM #3- Lighting Retrofits- Hallways of the Main Hospital

Issue: A combination of 2 foot U-tube and 4 foot linear fluorescent fixtures are used as area lighting in the Hallways of the Main Building.

Recommendation: Tubular LEDs offer the same light output at less than 50% of the energy use. As compared to the 20,000 hour life of fluorescent lamps, LEDs last upwards and exceeding 60,000 hours. Most current tubular LEDs can be driven by electronic ballasts currently used in the Hallway fixtures of the CLC. Replace the U-tube fluorescent fixtures with 2- 8.5 watt, 2 foot LEDs. Replace the 4 foot linear fluorescent fixtures with 17 watt, 4 foot LEDs.

Estimated Installation Costs: $12,560

Annual Energy Savings: 45,877 kWh; 209 Therms

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $4,084

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 26.9 Tons

Simple Payback: 3.1 years

Figure 7 – Hallway Lighting in Main Hospital

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 18

IL-ECM #4- Blinky System in the Stairwells

Issue: Lighting in stairwells throughout the campus is operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

These lights operate even when the facility or stairwell is unoccupied. All stairwells were evaluated to determine counts and fixture types.

Recommendation: Install “Blinky’s” in stairwell lighting fixtures. Blinky’s mount to existing fluorescent fixtures and run at a reduced light level and reduced wattage when the stairwell is unoccupied. An occupancy sensor detects motion and commands the existing fluorescent fixtures ON when occupancy is detected. This ensures that stairwell lighting is available when the stairwell is occupied.

Estimated Installation Costs: $7,100

Annual Energy Savings: 17,800 kWh

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $1,500

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 10.01 Tons

Simple Payback: 4.7 years

Figure 8 – Stairwell Lighting

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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EL-ECM #1- Metal Halide Shoebox Retrofits

Issue: A combination of 175 watt and 250 watt Metal Halide fixtures are used for exterior area lighting in parking lots and roadways around the campus.

Recommendation: Convert exterior lighting to LED type fixates. LED retrofit kits mount in an existing fixture making installation simple and keeping the aesthetic of the building. LED retrofit kits consume 75% less energy while lasting on average four times as long as Metal Halide lamps. Replace the 175 watt metal halides with 40 watt LED retrofit kits. Replace the 250 watt Metal Halides with 60 watt LED retrofit kits.

Estimated Installation Costs: $39,200

Annual Energy Savings: 61,150 kWh

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $5,160

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 34.39 Tons

Simple Payback: 7.6 years

Figure 9 – Metal Halide Shoebox

EL-ECM #2- Ornamental Metal Halide Fixture Retrofits

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 20

Issue: A combination of 175 watt and 250 watt Metal Halide ornamental fixtures are used for exterior area lighting.

Recommendation: Convert exterior lighting to LED type fixates. LED retrofit kits mount in an existing fixture making installation simple and keeping the aesthetic of the building. LED retrofit kits consume 75% less energy while lasting on average four times as long as Metal Halide lamps. Replace the 175 watt metal halides with 40 watt LED retrofit kits. Replace the 250 watt Metal Halides with 60 watt LED retrofit kits.

Estimated Installation Costs: $25,790

Annual Energy Savings: 39,356 kWh

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $3,322

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 22.13 Tons

Simple Payback: 8.9 years

Figure 10 – Ornamental Pole Lamp on Raymond Street

HVAC SYSTEMS

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 21

HVAC -ECM #1- Supply Air Temperature Reset

Issue: Cooling air is supplied to the VAV boxes in the occupied spaces at a constant temperature of 55°F. This results in a higher load on the chillers and additional gas use for reheating purposes at the VAV boxes.

Recommendation: Reset the supply air temperature based on the outside air temperature. At 60° outside air temperature set the cooling air supply temperature to 60°and at 80°outside air temperature set the cooling air supply temperature to 55°.

Estimated Installation Costs: $5,000

Annual Energy Savings: 226,667 kWh; 87,300 Therms

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $107,740

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 598.87 Tons

Simple Payback: 0.05 years

Method of Calculation: Yearly energy simulation

Figure 11 – Screenshot of Constant Supply Air Temperature Setpoint

HVAC -ECM #2- Chilled Water Reset

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 22

Issue: The chiller plant supplies chilled water at a constant temperature of 42°F and chillers are cycled on or off based on the chilled water supply temperature.

Recommendation: Reset the chilled water temperature based on the chiller load. At low load, set the chilled water temperature to 52 degrees and at high load, set the chilled water temperature to 42 degrees

Estimated Installation Costs: $5,000

Annual Energy Savings: 190,000 kWh

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $16,000

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 106.84 Tons

Simple Payback: 0.3 years

Figure 12 – Screenshot of Constant Chilled Water Temperature Setpoint

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 23

HVAC -ECM #3- Unoccupied Temperature Setbacks in the Domiciliary

Issue: The domiciliary is currently being converted to office spaces and woll no longer be occupied 24x7. The current system maintains a space temperature of between 70 and 74 degrees 24 hours per day.

Recommendation: Update the current facility requirements per the VA Design Guidebook to maintain a proper space temperature for the new application for this space. During unoccupied periods, program the air handling units to maintain a higher (for cooling) or lower (for heating) space temperature set point.

Estimated Installation Costs: $25,000

Annual Energy Savings: 140,450 kWh; 50,000 Therms

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $62,600

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 348.98 Tons

Simple Payback: 0.4 years

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 24

HVAC -ECM #4- AHU 10 & 11 Setbacks For Main Hospital 3rd & 4th Floor

Issue: The third and fourth floor of the hospital does not operate 24x7 nor does it contain critical zones requiring round the clock operation yet the space is maintained at a constant 72 degrees.

Recommendation: Schedule the air handling units to setback the space temperature setpoint when the space is not occupied.

Estimated Installation Costs: $5,000

Annual Energy Savings: 30,000 kWh; 6,700 Therms

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $9,332.5

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 53.05 Tons

Simple Payback: 0.5 years

Figure 13 – Screenshot of Areas Served by AHU 10

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HVAC -ECM #5- Condenser Water Reset

Issue: The cooling towers provide condenser water at a constant temperature of 73 degrees.

Recommendation: Reset the condenser water temperature based on outside air temperature.

At an outside air temperature of 50 degrees set the condenser water temperature to 75 degrees, and at 90 degrees ODA, set the water temperature to 70 degrees.

Estimated Installation Costs: $5,000

Annual Energy Savings: 66,600 kWh

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $5,620

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 37.49 Tons

Simple Payback: 0.9 years

Figure 14 – Screenshot of Constant Chilled Water Temperature Setpoint

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HVAC -ECM #6- Setback Areas B & C of the CLC

Issue: Areas B & C of the CLC are used as office space and are not occupied 24x7. The current system maintains a space temperature of between 70 and 74 degrees around the clock.

Recommendation: Update the current facility requirements per the VA Design Guidebook to maintain a proper space temperature for the new use type in this area. During unoccupied periods, program the air handling units to maintain a higher (for cooling) or lower (for heating) space temperature setpoint.

Estimated Installation Costs: $5,000

Annual Energy Savings: 11,900 kWh; 4,055 therms

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $5,120

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 28.59 Tons

Simple Payback: 1.0 years

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HVAC -ECM #7- Cooling Tower Fan Optimization

Issue: Currently the cooling towers are loaded sequentially. When the first cooling tower is loaded to 100%, the second cooling tower is started. When the second cooling tower is fully loaded, the third tower is commanded on. This sequence of operation results in higher than necessary fan energy use.

Recommendation: When the first tower is loaded more than 50%, start the second tower and use the VFD to maintain the same speed for both the towers. When both the towers are loaded more than 50%, start the third tower and maintain the same speed for all the three tower fans.

Keep loading the towers in parallel and use the maximum number of towers at the same time.

Two cooling towers running at 50% speed uses 25% less energy compared to one tower running at full speed.

Estimated Installation Costs: $5,000

Annual Energy Savings: 60,000 kWh

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $5,060

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 33.74 Tons

Simple Payback: 1.0 years

Figure 15 – Screenshot of Improper Cooling Tower Fan Speed Sequencing

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 28

HVAC -ECM #8- AHU Economizer Repair

Issue: Economizers are already installed in many air handling units, but many are non-functional or are controlled incorrectly.

Recommendation: Repair damper actuators and apply appropriate control in air handlers.

Convert minimum/ maximum outside air damper units to allow full modulation of outside air.

Update and optimize economizer sequences of operation to reduce the amount of mechanical cooling demanded by the air handling units.

Estimated Installation Costs: $36,480

Annual Energy Savings: 210,000 kWh (+400 Therms)

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $17,300

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 115.92 Tons

Simple Payback: 2.1 years

Figure 16 – Improper Economizer Damper Positions

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HVAC -ECM # 9- Electronically Commutated Motors in Walk-in Coolers

Issue: Evaporator fan motors in walk-in coolers and freezers are of the shaded-pole type.

Many evaporators cannot meet load and consequently run 24x7.

Recommendation: Install new electronically commutated motors in all walk-in coolers and freezers. The increased efficiency of these motors should help to better meet load, and the variable speed feature of the fans consumes less energy.

Estimated Installation Costs: $1,920

Annual Energy Savings: 7,740 kWh

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $650

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 4.35 Tons

Simple Payback: 2.9 years

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 8 – January 7, 2015 30

HVAC -ECM #10- Conduct and Implement Retro-Commissioning

Issue: As illustrated in the demand graph below, large energy consuming HVAC systems at the Orlando VAMC are running fairly efficiently, but not optimally. Spikes, valleys and significant variances in electrical demand throughout the day are not as a result of weather or occupancy, but rather inefficient control of that equipment. The observed high base load indicates that there are energy conservation opportunities through improved control. The process of Retro-Commissioning would help to identify those additional opportunities that are not readily identified during the Energy Assessment process.

Recommendation: All major energy consuming HVAC systems at this facility should be Retro-Commissioned. This does not simply mean performing another RCx study. Instead, the recommendations from the previous RCx study should be implemented, assuming that the study was conducted in accordance with industry standards and comprehensive findings were recorded and presented. In any event, each AHU and terminal VAV box should be inspected and receive repairs where required, and efficient control of all HVAC systems established.

Estimated Installation Costs: $393,800

Annual Energy Savings: 1,150,000 kWh; 29,500 Therms

Annual Energy Cost Savings: $127,000

Annual Greenhouse Gas Savings: 805.95 Tons

Simple Payback: 3.1 years

Method of Calculation: Past Retro-Commissioning Studies & Extrapolation

Figure 17 – 3-D Load Profile of Summer Months

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HVAC -ECM # 11- Insulate Boilers

Issue: Aside from the factory insulation beneath the jacket, the laundry boilers are not insulated on the outside.