FMLink/BOMA Survey: Facility Managers Taking Operational Approach to Energy Savings

November 26, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

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The survey, which was sent to more than 30,000 individuals, also found that most energy savings successes were the result of aggressive low-cost operational strategies rather than major capital projects.

However, such capital projects are one of the big items scheduled for action in the coming year.

"With the ever-growing need to reduce our collective carbon footprint and deal with the skyrocketing costs of energy, it is critical that we better understand not only what our building owners and facility managers are doing about this, but also to see which actions have made the greatest impact," said Peter Kimmel, publisher of FMLink.

"I was very delighted to see that so many respondents are already doing so much to conserve energy wherever possible - there certainly are many more building professionals doing more than ever before," Kimmel said.

Survey responses indicate that more than three-quarters of the buildings greater than 50,000 square feet had building automation systems (BAS); 87% of those with more than 600,000 square feet had BAS. Most of the respondents who experienced a greater than 5% energy savings over the past two years had implemented a BAS.

Respondents who underwent building recommissioning two or more times a year had more energy savings over the past two years than those who had not.

Other findings include:

• 41% of building operating plans included a professionally developed energy strategies staff education program. Just under 12% of respondents said they plan to implement such a plan in the next 12 months.

• 59% of respondents have occupancy sensors in their general office space.

• 9% of the buildings had some form of green certification (mostly Energy Star or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design [LEED]). However, a majority said they plan to obtain some aspect of green certification in the future.

• 73% of all buildings greater than 50,000 square feet have had an energy audit. Conversely, 63% of those under 25,000 square feet did not have an audit. Eighty-six percent of the audits were done in the past five years, 64% in the past three years and 30% in the past year.

For respondents that had an energy audit, the most common recommendations to come from the audit were lighting upgrades (with more than 45% for respondents with buildings greater than 50,000 square feet), and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) upgrade/replacement (chiller, air-handling unit, boiler, pumps, outside air), which were mentioned by 34% of respondents. For those with buildings smaller than 50,000 square feet, weather stripping and insulation recommendations were mentioned.

Overall, the respondents averaged energy savings of 5% to 10% over the past two years. Of those respondents, 57% measured their savings through the money expended on utilities, energy consumed or their Energy Star score.

66% of respondents indicated that they do not have a green lease; however, 55% of respondents do provide their tenants with an operations manual that includes good energy management practices.

Most respondents showed an understanding of nearly all energy-related concepts, with a few exceptions that often fall in the bailiwick of professional engineers. According to the survey, many building professionals would benefit from general assistance in determining if their buildings are indeed green or what they have to do to make them green.

The largest differences in reported energy savings came from those who have had an energy audit over the past three years, those who recommission at least twice a year, those who have implemented Energy Star rules of procurement, those with variable frequency drives (VFDs) and those with lighting sensors.

When asked what they plan to upgrade, install or replace over the next year, respondents said:

• Minor repairs or corrective maintenance - 37%.
• HVAC equipment - 30%.
• VFDs - 23%.
• Ongoing recommissioning - 21%.

"From offering the latest industry education to implementing energy audits to applying effective low-cost operational strategies - property professionals are doing what it takes to save energy and reduce costs," said Richard D. Purtell, BOMA International chair and chief elected officer.

Source: Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International.