Building Systems Upgrades

Guidance by Project Type

Electrical
Mechanical (HVAC and HVAC Controls)
Plumbing
Acoustic Systems

Follow these sustainable strategies as your space undergoes a building system upgrade to improve energy or water use and occupant comfort. Federal projects should meet or exceed the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings. Refer to the Apply Section of SFTool for representative project case studies to discover key practices, benefits, results and checklists.

For sustainable strategies specific to non-office workspaces, such as cafeterias and labs, refer to the Explore Section.

Need more ideas? Use our tool to identify potential upgrades and energy conservation measures.

Cost-Effective Upgrades Tool

When considering upgrading building systems, such as lighting, HVAC, or plumbing, calculating cost savings associated with different products can help you make the best choice. The Department of Energy’s Cost Savings Calculator opens in new window compares products based on relevant specifications and compares the savings to both the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) baseline and top-of-the-line models.

Also consider predictive maintenance technologies, an emerging systems upgrade. Read about some of the most useful types, such as thermography and ultrasonic analysis, in the Operations and Maintenance Guide opens in new window released by DoE.

Electrical

Optimize energy performance

Include electrical loads and controls in commissioning plan
Implement an energy management information system (EMIS) to monitor, analyze, and control metered building energy use and system performance
Implement an energy management system (EnMS) to codify energy goals and policies and execute on EMIS outcomes to improve energy performance
Provide ENERGY STAR labeled equipment and appliances
Enable power management features on computer, monitor, printer, and copier equipment that turn the device off, or switch the system to a low-power state, when it is inactive
Deploy advanced power strips (APS) to control the power supplied to plug-in devices during unoccupied periods
Deploy manual-on, vacancy-off control devices for plug loads such as task lighting and monitors
Deploy scheduled timer control devices to power down printers, copiers, and kitchen appliances during nonbusiness hours

Lighting and Lighting Controls

Follow federal environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
Optimize energy performance
- Specify LED lighting from the DesignLights Consortium Qualified Products List
- Install lighting system-level metering to track and continuously optimize energy performance
- Install occupancy sensors to control dedicated power receptacles for task lighting in offices and workstations
Maximize access to daylight and views
- Locate interior offices and enclosed shared spaces away from exterior glazing, use interior glazing on interior offices and enclosed shared spaces, and provide privacy with opaque glazing or applied polyester opaque film
- Implement passive daylighting strategies such as light shelves and light color finishes to reflect light while avoiding the negative effects of glare
- Implement active daylighting strategies such as daylight photo-sensors, dimming electronic ballasts, occupancy sensors and automatic shades
- Consider low height workstation panels in open office environments, allowing for views from all locations while still providing visual and acoustical privacy
- Install dynamic window treatment systems such as automatic shades to avoid the negative effects of glare
- Install light fixtures that are either indirect, direct-indirect pendant lighting, or indirect lay-in
Enable occupant control
- Install task lights or individual controls
- Educate occupants about lighting, controls, and energy savings strategies
- Provide feedback to occupants on energy use and light levels through the use of a dashboard or other display methods
Minimize waste and manage pollutants
- Consider lighting systems that can accommodate private office, conference room, and open office arrangements without modification
- Ensure the recycling or proper disposal of lamps, such as fluorescent, classified as hazardous waste, when replacing lighting

Submetering

Enable optimized performance, energy efficiency and improved decision-making for O&M activities
- Define submetering objectives and how the data generated will be used to meet those objectives
- Focus submeters on targeted or high-use consumption areas, such as chiller plants, renewable energy systems, and detailed plug-load levels
- Evaluate metered data to recognize system inefficiencies and energy anomalies
Ensure metered data supports verification of utility accuracy, accurate allocation of energy costs, and identification of energy-consuming loads
- Select revenue grade electric meters with web integration functionality
- Integrate submeters with building automation system
- Consolidate and standardize data in one place or platform
- Reconcile front-end metering and monitoring system with manual readings
Enable the effective and reliable operation of submetering systems
- Size submetering equipment based on actual design loads instead of switch gear outputs
- Ensure supplemental submetering added to existing buildings systems is brand compatible with existing equipment and network platforms
- Tailor submetering information and feedback mechanisms to intended users, focusing on breakdown of resource use and historical data
- Ensure that building managers, system operators and vendors/contractors are trained and up to date on building technologies and cost-effective meter and invertor maintenance
- Conduct continuous performance evaluations
Enable metered data to influence occupant energy- and water-use behavior
- Educate occupants about systems, controls, and energy and water savings strategies
- Provide feedback to occupants on energy and water use through the use of a dashboard or other display methods
- Document energy reduction efforts

Renewable Energy

Reduce the consumption (and resulting greenhouse gas emissions) of fossil fuel generated energy:
- Consider lifecycle cost-effective carbon pollution-free electricity sources, including on-site renewable electric or thermal, power purchases from off-site renewable sources or renewable energy certificates (RECs), and/or partnerships such as an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) energy sales agreement (ESA)
- Consider lifecycle cost-effective alternative energy systems such as waste heat, combined heat and power (CHP), or fuel cell energy systems

Mechanical (HVAC and HVAC Controls)

Follow federal environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases

Optimize energy performance

Design HVAC systems with appropriate zoning and controls to separate space use
Consider variable air volume (VAV) over constant volume (CV) air handing units (AHUs)
Install occupancy sensors to detect movement and automatically modulate temperature in open and private offices, conference rooms, and common areas
Set greater acceptable temperature ranges in zones not continuously occupied such as corridors
Install HVAC system-level metering to track and continuously optimize energy performance
Install wireless thermostats for variable air volume (VAV) boxes allowing them to be easily relocated and managed remotely

Ensure delivery of high-quality outdoor air and adequate ventilation

Design HVAC systems, including after reconfiguration and renovation, according to the most current version of ASHRAE Standard 62.1 “Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality”
Locate outdoor air intakes away from pollutant sources, such as exhaust vents and idling vehicles
Design for, and install, filtration media with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13
Install CO₂ sensors in densely populated areas to monitor ventilation rates

Ensure occupant comfort

Design HVAC systems for acceptable temperature and relative humidity, including after reconfiguration and renovation, according to the most current version of ASHRAE Standard 55 "Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy"
Enable occupant control of ambient conditions in workspaces through individual or zone control of ventilation and temperature
Consider a raised access floor with under floor air distribution to enable user control of ventilation
Minimize obstruction to air flow by integrating the design of the air distribution system with the space and furniture layout
Educate occupants about HVAC system functionality, settings and controls
Provide feedback to occupants on energy use, temperature, relative humidity, and CO₂ concentrations through the use of a dashboard or other display methods

Minimize waste and manage pollutants

Retrofit existing cooling systems to run on low global warming potential refrigerants
Ensure the proper disposal of refrigerants when replacing HVAC systems

Plumbing

Follow federal environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases

Maximize water savings

Install high efficiency plumbing fixtures, including aerators on faucets (0.5 gpm), high efficiency showerheads (2.0 gpm), dual flush toilets (0.8/1.28 gpf) or high efficiency toilets (1.28 gpf), and high efficiency urinals (0.125 gpf)
Install automatic fixture sensors on lavatories
Avoid automatic flush sensors on toilets because they often result in double flushing
Consider waterless urinals, which demand that cleaning and maintenance staff receive training in the specific maintenance regimes required

Encourage the use of tap over bottled water

Consider high-efficiency water fountains, with a wider range of acceptable temperature
Incorporate taps into the design to make them user friendly

Acoustic Systems

Reinforce acoustically quiet areas with appropriate visual cues such as opaque walls or signage

Follow federal environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases

Manage sound to increase comfort and worker productivity

Implement a combination of absorption, blocking, and covering strategies
Select sound absorbing materials, such as carpet and acoustic ceiling tiles with a high noise reduction coefficient (NRC), to dampen sound in open office areas, as well as to ensure speech intelligibility in conference rooms and speech privacy in offices
Locate spaces where noise generating activities occur, such as conference rooms and support areas with noisy equipment, away from quiet areas
Minimize the transmission of sound from conference rooms and private offices with high sound transmission coefficient (STC) and noise isolation class (NIC) rated walls
Install sound masking – a low and uniform level of background noise – to "cover" unwanted sound

Guidance by Project Type