Retro-commissioning, also referred to as recommissioning, reduces energy use and cost in buildings. It is the practice of investigating a building’s operations to identify opportunities to optimize performance of energy-consuming systems. When properly executed, retro-commissioning reduces annual energy use by 5–10%, and sometimes up to 20%, with minimal expense and negligible disruption. Furthermore, many utilities offer retro-commissioning incentive programs that help underwrite project costs leading to outstanding ROI.
Although not as familiar as energy audits, retro-commissioning is a well-established and worthwhile service for many building types and sizes. Even buildings at which energy audits or assessments have been performed recently may be excellent candidates for retro-commissioning. The energy engineers at Sieben Energy Associates have earned a strong reputation for delivering results. Our portfolio of retro-commissioning projects comprises over 50 million square feet and has produced for our clients over 43.5 million kWh of annual electricity savings and over 1.1 million therms of annual natural gas savings.
What can you expect from retro-commissioning with Sieben Energy Associates?
- Assessment of baseline energy performance
- A high-level analysis of energy reduction potential from HVAC system and controls
- Focus on low-cost, rapid-payback energy-saving opportunities
- Mutual decision with client about which areas to explore in greater depth
- Thoughtful consideration of ideas and concerns raised by site engineers
- All energy-saving recommendations supported by hard data
- Detailed scopes of work for opportunities selected for implementation
- Client’s choice of vendors/contractors to complete project implementation
- Measurement of post-implementation performance to verify savings
- Comprehensive written reports
Why should you choose Sieben Energy Associates to perform retro-commissioning?
- Deep experience with buildings of all types and sizes
- Authorized service provider for utility programs across the country
- Proprietary tools and methods for accurately projecting energy savings
- Collaboration with site engineers and property managers
- Data-driven insight rather than intuition or rules-of-thumb
- Financial metrics based upon client’s actual unit cost of energy
- Maintaining comfort of building occupants is a top priority
- History of award-winning projects
Sieben Energy Associates is authorized to provide retro-commissioning services through incentive programs in the following utilities:
- ComEd – Chicago and Northern Illinois
- DTE Energy – Detroit and Southeastern Michigan
- CenterPoint Energy – Houston and Eastern Texas
- Southern California Edison (SCE) – Southern California (outside of Los Angeles)
- Focus on Energy – Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin
- Xcel Energy – Denver and throughout Colorado
- Xcel Energy – Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Southern Minnesota
- Salt River Project (SRP) – Phoenix and Central Arizona
- Ameren Missouri – St. Louis and throughout Missouri
- ConEdison – New York City
How can you get started on retro-commissioning from Sieben Energy Associates?
- Contact us to learn more about retro-commissioning and discuss your energy-related needs and goals
- Share with us two years of monthly electricity use and a recent electricity bill
- Schedule a site screening visit so that we can assess project feasibility
- If your facility may qualify for a utility incentive program, talk with us about program steps and requirements, and complete the program application
- If your facility may not qualify for a utility incentive program, talk with us about scope and schedule for a potential custom project
