City Center West – Duluth, Minnesota

Forensic Investigation, Continuous Commissioning and Airtightness

Duluth, Minnesota.

CR-BPS first completed a Facility & Site Asset Management (FSAM) Program for the Arrowhead Juvenile Correctional Facility in Duluth, Minnesota. The City then hired CR-BPS to conduct a follow-up forensic investigation of the City Center West (CCW) building.

The investigation aimed to help the City achieve lasting energy savings at a low cost. It also served as a pilot project to develop an easy-to-use, affordable Energy Efficient Protocol (EEP). The City of Duluth Property and Facility Department could then apply this protocol to other managed properties.

Developing a Low-Cost Energy Efficient Protocol

The CR-BPS team identified seven strategies for developing and implementing the EEP:

1. Use facility asset management software: Use VFA Facility Asset Management Software to collect key system requirements and energy data for the CCW pilot project.
2. Identify energy efficiency opportunities: Use Minnesota's Buildings, Benchmark, and Beyond Energy Efficient Operations (B3 EEO) program to identify opportunities for low-cost energy improvements. Research from the University of Minnesota's Center for Sustainable Building Research identified operating schedules, air handling units, and airtightness as the three main sources of energy waste in similar buildings.
3. Apply retro-commissioning strategies: Use energy efficiency opportunities identified through the retro-commissioning (RCx) process to achieve low-cost energy savings.
4. Monitor energy consumption: Install low-cost devices to measure energy use at the component and system levels.
5. Integrate energy efficiency into routine maintenance: Incorporate the EEP into the City's regular facility management practices using its work order system.
6. Identify funding sources: Use conventional funding sources to support EEP implementation at each facility.
7. Track energy performance: Use the Energy Tracking Tool to compare energy consumption and costs for the CCW pilot project.

Supporting Ongoing Building Performance

The City Center West project combined forensic investigation, energy benchmarking and practical operational strategies. These efforts helped the City identify opportunities for low-cost energy savings.

The pilot EEP was designed to provide a repeatable approach for improving energy efficiency across other city-managed facilities.