Improve your facility staff’s ability to reduce energy waste and save money
As much as 20 percent of energy consumed in commercial buildings is due to inefficient operations. This is energy that can be saved with operational improvements and does not require major capital investments. Building re-tuning training is a program developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL), with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to educate building operators, facility engineers and the service personnel in commercial buildings about how to find and fix these energy-wasting practices.
Case studies of commercial building owners and the General Services Administration (GSA) tell the story of how building re-tuning training can benefit your facility and result in energy savings, extend equipment life and improve occupant comfort.
Training opportunities are available in-person and online. View the table below to find the training that best meets your organization’s needs.
Resources and online training are available at PNNL’s re-tuning website.
Building re-tuning is a systematic process to identify and correct building operational problems that lead to energy waste. It is implemented at no or low cost other than the labor required to perform the re-tuning process. Re-tuning may include adjusting thermostats for actual occupancy patterns or small, low-cost repairs such as replacing faulty sensors or caulking openings in the building envelope. By proactively utilizing the energy savings opportunities taught in the re-tuning training, operations and facilities personnel can save between 5 and 20 percent of all energy used in the building.
The Results: From late 2013 to early 2015, PNNL helped identify re-tuning measures in 20 office buildings. Many of the measures were implemented by the building operations staff. The measurement and verification process is ongoing. Preliminary results indicate the savings are between 2% and 21% in buildings that implement at least a few measures. The average savings are 14% and the median savings are 12%.
- No discharge temperature reset
- No static pressure reset
- Incorrect schedule for exhaust fans during warm-up
- Incorrect schedules for AHUs and no fan schedules set-up
In-person training: With support from DOE, CBEI is partnering with BOMA International and APPA International to bring Building Re-Tuning Training to communities around the nation. Through their local associations and regional chapters, BOMA and APPA are providing the curriculum and resources needed to qualified trainers to deliver Building Re-Tuning Training.
Buildings Workforce Initiatives: The Building Re-Tuning Training program is part of the larger DOE Better Buildings Workforce initiative. For more information, visit the Better Buildings Workforce website.
Contact: To learn more about building re-tuning training opportunities contact training providers below and/or email Lisa Shulock at CBEI.
| Training Organization | Location | Building Automation System (BAS)? | Building Type | Format and Subsidy | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APPA International | Various | BAS & non-BAS | Educational institutions | 1-2 days in-person; subsidized | Suzanne Healy |
| BOMA International | Various | Non-BAS (& BAS in 2016) | Commercial | 1-2 days in-person; subsidized | Scott Morris |
| The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence in California (Manex) | California Bay Area | BAS | Manufacturing | Multi-week training; free to PG&E manufacturing customers | Michael Shabaka |
| City University of New York (CUNY) Building Performance Lab | NYC Metro Area | BAS | Commercial Buildings | Five 3-hour classes spread over 5 weeks; subsidized by NYSERDA | Michael Bobker, or Daniella Leifer |
| Performance Systems Development (PSD) | Remote and Internet | Both BAS and non-BAS | Commercial Buildings | Remote training; subsidized by NYSERDA | Jerone Gagliano |
| PennTAP | Pennsylvania | Non-BAS | Government & schools | 1-2 days in-person; subsidized | Denise Bechdel |
| PNNL Interactive Online Course | Internet | Both BAS and non-BAS | Commercial Buildings | 6-hour online training with 3-D simulation | Srinivas Katipamula |
Case Studies
Click to download the Georgia Tech pdf
Click to download the Las Colinas pdf