Retrocommissioning & Retrofits

QuEST has identified numerous low-cost and cost-effective opportunities that our customers have implemented to save energy, improve comfort, and reduce unnecessary operations and maintenance burdens.

Many buildings use more energy than necessary. These inefficiencies result from myriad sources like building controls losing calibration, and changes in space usage or operations. In many cases buildings were never properly commissioned after construction to meet design requirements. The excessive energy usage resulting from poorly functioning systems often goes unnoticed as long as the occupied spaces are comfortable.

The existing building commissioning, often called retrocommissioning (RCx) process assesses building operations systematically to expose inefficiencies in the performance of its HVAC, lighting, and controls systems. QuEST uses a data-driven RCx approach that provides rigorous engineering analysis of how the major building systems use energy to reliably deliver indoor comfort, proper ventilation, and good air quality. Our process includes verification that the claimed energy reductions actually occur after implementation is complete, and provides informational tools to help insure that the resulting good energy performance persists, and is maintained over time.

Some of the RCx services that QuEST provides:

• Site investigation to assess the potential for a retrocommissioning project
• Assistance with application for utility incentives and rebates
• Pre-functional tests: inspection of systems, equipment, and controls
• Functional tests: investigation of building operation using on-site testing, control system trends, and monitored data
• Data monitoring: use of multiple loggers to provide data to assist with analysis of equipment and to identify energy conservation opportunities and ensure the persistence of savings
• Reporting of findings and recommendations and assistance with implementation when requested
• Measurement and verification analysis of energy usage before and after project to determine savings
• Training of facility staff in commissioning process, tools, and how to ensure persistence of energy savings

Let us deliver turnkey energy efficiency projects for your building. Our engineers are experts in investigating the installation and operational performance of systems such as:

• Chilled water systems including air and water-cooled chillers, cooling towers, chilled and condenser water pumps, and evaporative coolers
• Hot water systems including boilers, hot water pumps, and piping configurations
• Steam systems including boilers, heat exchangers, coils and valves, steam traps and condensate lines
• Air handling units
• Packaged HVAC units and integrated rooftop units
• Heat recovery systems including co-generation
• Domestic water heating systems
• Building control systems