Blog - Smart Buildings Center

Fall is Boiler Tune-Up Time

September 21, 2017 By SBC

Leaves are changing color, evenings are getting cooler and fall is just around the corner. As we enter the building heating season, now is a good time to “tune-up” your fuel fired boilers to ensure they are operating at peak efficiency this winter. A boiler tune-up is the process of measuring the combustion efficiency of the boiler and if required, adjusting the fuel/air ratio to optimize efficiency. The instrument used to measure combustion efficiency is called a Combustion Analyzer. This diagnostic tool measures the chemical composition of the flue gases and calculates combustion efficiency based on the fuel type and the entering and leaving combustion air temperatures. Combustion efficiency readings are compared to manufacturer specifications and adjustments are made to the fuel/air ratio as required. It is important to measure combustion efficiency across the entire range of boiler operation. For example, if a boiler is over-sized and rarely operates at peak capacity then you would want to optimize combustion efficiency at part-load firing conditions. In addition to the boiler tune up, Fall is also a great time to complete your boiler preventative maintenance tasks before we get into the full heating season.

BACHARACH PCA³PORTABLE COMBUSTION ANALYZER

The Bacharach PCA³ is a commercial grade hand-held combustion and emmissions analyzer designed for on-dedmand sampling of light industrial, institutional commercial, and residential furnaces, appliances, and boilers. The PCA³ can measure up to four gasses simultaneously so it is the perfect tool for building operators, boiler contractors and service technicians who need to determine combustion efficiency, excess air, stack gas O₂ and CO levels, stack temperature, draft, and differential pressure. Combustion efficiency calculations can be conducted for a variety of fuel types.

Advanced data storage and communication features allow the operator to store up to 500 individual combustion test records which can later be recalled for viewing, printing, or download to a personal computer. The AC power adapter allows the analyzer to run for extended periods of time while data logging.

Over 85 different types of building diagnostic tools and meters are available for loan from the Tool Lending Library at the Smart Buildings Center located in Seattle, Washington. For more information visit our website at www.smartbuildingscenter.org

Lighting Maintenance 101

September 21, 2017 By SBC

Easy Best Practices

Maintaining a lighting system can be labor intensive, especially when it comes to spot re-lamping of failed fluorescent lamps. To help improve your next maintenance cycle, keep these best practices from the Northwest Lighting Network in mind so you can save energy and extend operational hours. Download the full pdf here: LowWatt T8 Best Practices One-Pager

Help Your Customers Meet the New Seattle Building Tune-Ups Mandate

September 21, 2017 By SBC

Seattle Building Tune-Ups is a progressive energy efficiency policy that helps building owners identify smart, responsible ways to reduce energy and water costs. Like cars and bikes, all buildings need to be tuned regularly to keep them running as efficiently as possible. Through Tune-Ups, building owners find operational efficiencies and low- and no-cost fixes that improve building performance and on average reduce building energy use 10- 15%.

Building Tune-Ups are required every five years for buildings with 50,000 square feet or more of non-residential space (excluding parking). All work associated with a Building Tune-Up must be done by a qualified Tune-Up Specialist, experienced professionals who are responsible for conducting the building assessment, identifying required Tune-Up actions, performing those actions, verifying the work is done correctly, and submitting a report to the City.

As a certified Level II Building Operator (BOC), you’re well on your way to qualifying as a Tune-Up Specialist. Tune-Up Specialists must have least seven years of experience, including educational and/or professional experience, with commercial building operations and/or building energy management AND have one of the following certifications:

Professional Engineer (PE) in mechanical or architectural engineering
Building Operator Certification (BOC) Level II
Certified Energy Manager (CEM)
Certified Commissioning Professional (CCP)
Commissioning Authority (CxA)
Existing Building Commissioning Professional (EBCP)
Sustainable Building Science Technology Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS)

Although the City of Seattle cannot make any recommendations or referrals to a Tune-Up Specialist, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) has a directory of qualified Tune-Ups Specialists. If you meet the qualifications of a Tune-Up Specialist and would like to be a part of this list, please contact Brittany Quigley, Project Director at [email protected].

To learn more about Seattle Building Tune-Ups visit www.seattle.gov/buildingtuneups.

NEEC Celebrates Energy Efficiency Day 2017

September 13, 2017 By SBC

Seattle, WA- In recognition of the second annual national Energy Efficiency Day (EE Day) on October 5, 2017, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council is joining regional and national organizations, businesses, utilities, and individuals working to promote energy efficiency – the cheapest, quickest way to meet our energy needs, cut consumer bills and reduce pollution. Energy efficiency is also an economic engine, supporting 2.2 million jobs nationwide in manufacturing, operations, construction and other fields – most of which can’t be outsourced overseas. This year, EE Day offers a national light bulb challenge to encourage engagement by residents and businesses alike.

“NEEC is happy to support EEDay. Energy efficiency makes economic sense. There is no better long-term strategy than eliminating waste and increasing productivity – at home and in the workplace. Energy efficiency also provides a broader stimulus across the economy when saved energy dollars are spent on more productive outcomes” said Stan Price, Executive Director, NEEC.

NEEC advocates an affordable, energy efficient future for commercial, industrial and residential customers by:

Promoting energy efficient products and services as the cleanest and lowest cost energy resource;
Serving as the voice of the industry in state and local program and policy issues;
Providing members with the most up-to-date information within the industry.

An energy-efficient economy is free to thrive and innovate. Electricity use was 5 percent lower in 2016 than in 2010, while the U.S. economy grew by almost 13 percent over those years, demonstrating that efficiency and economic growth go hand-in-hand. Reducing the energy used by manufacturers, homes and businesses benefits everyone – especially energy bill-payers. The average household, for example, saves almost $500 every year from efficiency standards for common appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators and water heaters.

About Northwest Energy Efficiency Council: NEEC is a non-profit trade association of the energy efficiency industry in the Pacific Northwest. NEEC member companies provide energy efficiency products and services and assist in the development and implementation of energy efficiency programs.

About #EEDay2017: On October 5, 2017, a growing network of advocates, companies, government agencies, utilities and others will join to showcase the benefits of energy efficiency and take the national light bulb challenge as part of the second annual national Energy Efficiency Day. Learn more at www.energyefficiencyday.org

Building Tune-Up Accelerator Now Accepting Applications

September 13, 2017 By SBC

The City of Seattle is recruiting owners of 100 mid-size buildings (100,000 SF or less excluding parking) to enroll in the new Tune-Up Accelerator Program to get a jump-start on meeting the upcoming Seattle Building Tune-Ups requirement.

Seattle City Light and Office of Sustainability and Environment have partnered to offer financial incentives of up to $0.12 per square foot. Additional technical support from Smart Buildings Center and support and UW Integrated Design Lab is also available.

The incentive is estimated to cover at least 50% of the typical cost of a tune-up. In most cases, the simple payback from the electric energy savings alone would be 1.5 years. These incentives won’t be available after the tune-up requirement is fully implemented, so enroll soon to take advantage of the incentives before they disappear.

Find the Program Application, Tune-Up Accelerator Service Provider List and additional program details on the website. Enroll by December 1, 2017. Questions? Email [email protected] or call 206-233-7184.

Smart Buildings Center – Education Program Gets 501(c)3 Designation

September 13, 2017 By SBC

As most of you know, the Smart Buildings Center, a project of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council, is a gathering spot for business and industry groups who share our passion for the built environment (if you haven’t seen it, visit). The site also houses our free Tool Lending Library, a regional resource for lending building diagnostic tools like data loggers, IR cameras, flow measuring devices, and power meters to facility professionals in Washington and Oregon – for free. In the next step to grow the programs and opportunities focused on smart and efficient building operations, a new non-profit was recently formed – the Smart Buildings Center Education Program (SBC-EP). Recently, the SBC-EP was issued the IRS final determination letter granting it 501(c)3 status. The new SBC-EP has an educational mission to increase awareness and understanding of smart building technologies and practices. As a 501(c)3, SBC-EP will be able to solicit tax deductible contributions to support the development of this type of programming. NEEC will continue to operate the facility (the box) and SBC-EP will help develop educational content (the stuff that goes into the box). If you are interested in supporting the SBC-EP through a tax deductible donation, please contact [email protected] for more information.

The SBC-EP is governed by its own Board of Directors, but will work in close coordination with the NEEC Board. The initial SBC-EP Board includes;

Ash Awad, McKinstry

Perry England, MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions

Dan McConnon, State of Washington

Chris Roe, Amazon

Bert Von Hoof, Microsoft

Phil Welker, PECI

BACHARACH PCA3 PORTABLE COMBUSTION ANALYZER

Easy Best Practices

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BACHARACH PCA³PORTABLE COMBUSTION ANALYZER