Neil Wittberg
Plug Smart Energy Engineer
Rebates offered by utility companies can be a great way for clients to recoup capital expense for facility improvement. We have an excellent team of engineers at Plug Smart that have a great reputation for making sure that our clients receive the highest rebates possible. Whenever our team comes across a project or an Energy Conservation Measure (ECM) that isn’t eligible for a standard rebate, prescribed by the utility company, we look into more analytical custom methods to measure the actual savings. One of the ways that we are able to do this is through building energy modeling. Energy modeling is a technique where a building is created in a computer, using modeling software. All of the different aspects of the building are then specified (HVAC equipment, lighting, occupancy schedules, etc). Once the building is created in the computer, another identical model is created as a baseline to compare against. The only difference between the two is that the baseline model is created using minimum design elements required by ASHRAE code. Finally, the energy use of both models is simulated and compared. This methodology allows Plug Smart to deliver much larger rebates than most companies. This in depth approach has endeared us to our clients and has generated close to $200,000 in rebates in the past few months alone. We are currently working on several models, mostly for geothermal facilities.
The potential for modeling, however, isn’t limited to just rebates. We have also used models to help support some of our project proposals. Often, we find that it is difficult to calculate the actual savings from certain ECMs due to all of the complex system interactions within a modern building. In this case, having a model can be a huge benefit. In just a few minutes, virtually any ECM can be simulated and quantified, and since modeling software simulates every system in a building simultaneously it captures these interactions. This gives our proposals more credibility and helps safeguard our clients against projects with unrealistic paybacks. Looking forward, energy modeling will likely become more widespread as the standard tool for doing most building energy analysis. As improvements are made to the software, the process will become quicker, more accurate, and more cost effective.