Is your facility an apt candidate for a green retrofit?

April 16, 2015

Green building techniques are often discussed in terms of new construction projects, but similar strategies can deliver serious savings for existing facilities as well. Green retrofits are a great choice for companies facing compliance requirements or those simply interested in improving their brand's profile. One of the most attractive benefits of these upgrades is the promising energy costs savings they can deliver for companies that choose to update their facilities with more sustainable technology. Check out the benefits of green retrofits and determine if your facility is an apt candidate.

Considerations for companies thinking about retrofitting their facilities
An article from Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) outlined important factors for building owners to think over before moving forward on a green retrofit. The resource pointed out that retrofitting can often be a smarter financial decision than constructing a facility from the ground up. Retrofitting is also a green option because the process of reducing costs in an existing building requires fewer raw materials than a new project. However, careful planning must go into making sure that the strategy implemented creates a more comfortable work environment for employees, successfully reduces energy costs and can can be completely installed within a reasonable timeframe.

Heating and cooling systems are a particularly large power draw, according to the WBDG, on average accounting for 32 percent of a building's total energy costs. HVAC costs can become even more of a strain on a company's bottom line in climates with especially torrid summers. Addressing this source of inefficiency is often a first step for businesses considering a green facility retrofit.

Smaller projects represent an untapped market for green retrofit solutions
Urban Land emphasized that one market for green retrofits that has gone untouched is smaller projects, including big box retailers, grocery stores and restaurants. The owners of these facilities are often too focused on their daily agendas to spend much time considering sustainable retrofits, but a few strategic implementations could help these companies to free up space in their monthly budgets. The right upgrade of a single system, such as a restaurant's fans, lighting, refrigeration or cooling system, could make a big impact on the building's energy consumption and the business' bottom line.

The article pointed out that financing has also been a major barrier preventing facility managers of smaller buildings from investing in green retrofitting, but these businesses may soon have new options for footing the bill for sustainable upgrades. Green retrofits of federal buildings and new tax incentives and subsidies for green retrofits have been on the rise in the past few years. Additionally, more third party companies are willing to finance sustainable upgrades and share the savings for repayment. This trend represents an opportunity for businesses of all sizes to look into the financial perks of making timely, cost-cutting changes to the ways their buildings use energy.

Ice-based energy storage offers unique benefits for large buildings
Ice-based energy storage is one of many green retrofit strategies available to businesses, and an article in Retrofit Magazine emphasized how the technology is especially fitting for companies with larger facilities that are looking to significantly reduce their energy bills. Many building managers are unaware that commercial buildings are charged based on a "time of use" pricing strategy, not a "flat rate" common in residential facilities. As a result, purchasing electricity at night when demand (kW) is low is also much cheaper than consuming energy during the day.

Retrofit highlighted a service from ice-based energy storage manufacturer CALMAC that shows how to lower energy costs in large commercial buildings. The company's energy bill analysis service allows organizations to upload a copy of an electricity bill online to be analyzed by a rate specialist. The specialist will review the bill to identify savings. With this new service, CALMAC is providing companies that have more than 500,000 square feet of air-conditioned space, a first-hand look at how they can benefit significantly from reducing peak electricity demand.