750 College Road, PRINCETON, NJ

Facilities Services & Energy-Conservation Solutions

ENERGY SERVICES VALUE DELIVERED

Annualized energy cost reduction of 22 percent with savings exceeding $100,000 per year; improved facility productivity and comfort; greater asset profitability, marketability, and value; early return on investment; ongoing economies, efficiencies, and investment returns.

ENERGY CONSERVATION PROJECT OBJECTIVES

To provide energy conservation solutions and facilities services in improving energy efficiency in a 10-year-old, all-electric, multi-tenant office building covering 99,742 square feet.

ENERGY SOLUTIONS

Since energy is the largest cost element in commercial office space, BPG management asked Fluidics to recommend and implement measures that would reduce energy costs and consumption throughout this facility, increasing its value in the process.

According to Douglas G. Hoffman, president of BPG Management Company:

Fluidics' energy studies have been a real eye opener for us. Although we knew operational and utility costs were high, these studies crystallized our plans and gave us clear targets for fast returns on our investment.

The energy solutions project began, however, not with a study, but with Fluidics energy solutions specialists doing some little things well, such as adjusting the building energy management system's schedules and set points, modifying maintenance schedules on high-energy-consuming equipment, and improving the piping system on a large make-up air unit. These measures immediately reduced energy usage at minimal cost.

Meanwhile, Fluidics scheduled the facility for a detailed energy audit using the company's Building Assessment Monitoring System (BAMS), a web-based, real-time diagnostic tool. Over 10 days, during operating and non-operating hours, sensors placed throughout the three-story structure recorded temperature, humidity, CO2 levels, lighting performance, equipment run times, and other key factors impacting energy costs.

Fluidics then used BAMS software to compare this data with similar facilities. After the company had integrated the data with the building's electric bills, it benchmarked the facility on the Energy Star rating system. On a scale of zero to 100, 750 College Road scored 22. Fluidics also ranked the facility with its peers on an electricity cost per square foot and energy consumption basis.

The results showed that the structure was over-ventilated and under-controlled, and that BPG could dramatically reduce energy consumption and costs by upgrading the building controls, installing variable frequency drives (VFDs) on cooling tower fans and motors, and putting in CO2 sensors. Fluidics estimated that these modifications could save about $68,000 annually and pay for themselves within two years.

BPG authorized Fluidics to implement the improvements immediately. Within six months, the actual savings were on track to exceed $100,000, rather than the estimated $68,000, a year, further shortening the payback time. Perhaps most surprisingly, the owner achieved these savings even though the local utility's energy prices had gone up eight percent since the initial savings estimate.

Extending the value: Seeking to save even more, BPG authorized Fluidics to perform BAMS analyses on three other buildings. Two initial studies identified energy solutions, such as lighting retrofits, controls upgrades, and VFD installations, that would reduce costs at these facilities by more than $350,000 a year with a maximum two-year payback.

Eventually, Fluidics will use BAMS to retro-commission all of these buildings and rebenchmark them to determine whether they can be Energy Star-rated at 75 or better, making them eligible for the EPA's prestigious Energy Star designation.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING BACKGROUND

For 17 years, Fluidics has been providing BPG with on-site facilities operations, maintenance, and mechanical systems retrofit services for its portfolio of 54 buildings, covering 6-million square feet of space in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C..

CLIENT:
750 College Road Associates, L.P.

BUILDING MANAGER:
BPG Management Company, L.P.

ENERGY CONTRACTOR:
EMCOR Services Fluidics

SCHEDULE:
Ongoing

		Design/Build
		Bid Build
		New Construction
		Retrofit
		Electrical Construction
		Mechanical Construction
		Facilities Services
		Consulting Services
		HVAC Services
		Energy Services