Retrotec USACE - Manual (Page 92)

70 ENERGY & PROCESS ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL
If the energy costs are too high, there may be two alternatives: 2.
One may reduce energy costs without changing the processes, the build- a.
ing, or the equipment. This corresponds to adapting the consumption to
the energy demand and requires long-term measurements and analyses
(Level II assessment) to become sustainable.
Alternatively, one may identify possibilities to reduce demand. These
b.
include redesign of processes, retrofi tting of the building envelope,
or replacing HVAC components with more energy-effi cient ones.
1.2 Special Features of Nonindustrial Sites
The most typical nonindustrial target facilities are
Offi ce buildings ■
Business and commercial buildings (shopping malls, hotels, shops) ■
Schools and university buildings, laboratories, kindergartens ■
Hospitals, homes for the elderly, health care centers ■
Dormitories and barracks ■
Sport facilities ■
Computer/data centers and virtual training facilities ■
In most nonindustrial buildings, the HVAC systems are fairly simple and
the energy use consists mainly of space heating, air handling units, air condi-
tioning, and domestic hot water heating. Electricity use is mainly limited to
lighting, socket loads, and HVAC systems. In hospitals, laboratories, computer
centers, swimming halls, and ice arenas, the energy-using systems are more
complex, and there are more cross-acting energy fl ows to take into account.
In cold climate conditions, space heating (to compensate for heat losses through
the building envelope); and ventilation are the main energy consumers. In a hot and
humid climate, air conditioning with dehumidifi cation may be the main consumer.
1.3 Typical Areas in Which to Look for Improvement
Analysis of energy fl ows and balances is a useful tool to identify energy waste and
ineffi ciencies, which are potential areas of energy conservation. A convenient way
to present energy fl ows is a Sankey diagram. Figures 21 and 22 show examples of
the energy fl ow into a site and building electrical energy and heat fl owcharts.
It can be easily seen from these fi gures that the analysis of energy fl ows and
balances is quite complex; therefore, it needs tools and models consistent with
the selected tool and the adjustment of these models to the actual case.