Access to services can attract more building occupants and improve occupant satisfaction with any project type—resulting in better financials and productivity.
Building within an existing urban fabric adds significant benefits for users, including lower transportation costs and healthier lifestyle. Employers may find that this helps attract and retain personnel.
There may be costs associated with developing a site in an urban setting (due to aspects such as site constraints and brownfield remediation), although there can also be savings due to reduced need to install infrastructure.
Costs will vary depending on the level of existing monitoring in your building, the number of naturally ventilated spaces, and the number of measurement devices that need to be installed. If you’re already using a BAS, costs will be limited to the parts and labor associated with installing the sensors. On the other hand, if a lot of new equipment is required, costs can be significant.
Generally, this is a low- to no-cost credit. The only requirement is the development of a curriculum that uses the building as a teaching tool. This can take quite a bit of staff time to develop, however.
Reduced energy loads can translate into lower construction costs because you might be able to get by with smaller equipment; including fans, pumps and auxiliary systems; and less ductwork.
If they haven’t done so already, have your design engineer develop a cost estimate for the additional zoning and controls required to meet the requirements. Consider whether the benefits in terms of energy savings and improved indoor air quality of the additional controls are worth the cost of installation.
Many CI projects with limited HVAC design scope find it more cost-effective to pursue Option 1. The usefulness of energy modeling as a design and optimization tool depends upon how wide the project scope is—the more systems that can be influenced in the design process, the better.
Developing a simulation model isn’t cheap—in the range of $10,000–$30,000 depending on the complexity of the project—but modeling can provide a favorable payback through design optimization and energy savings.
