Refrigerants are not harmful to the atmosphere until they are released into it. Comply with best-practice refrigerant management regulations to minimize leakage rates during operation and when installing or removing new equipment.
The lease or sale agreement may include a fixed utility rate such that energy-efficiency measures do not provide a direct payback to the client. In these cases, the tenant or buyer may want to renegotiate the lease with the landlord so that utilities are not included in the agreement and are paid directly by the tenant.
Energy-efficiency measures often offset their own cost by providing large savings on operational energy bills. These prerequisite requirements are directly tied to the benefit of efficient, low-cost operations.
Energy-efficient design strategies may be new to the users and operating staff. It is helpful to develop training and an O&M manual. Occupants and facility staff should be aware of any automatic controls and refrain from changing settings and controls during the initial months of occupancy.
Have the MEP engineer and controls contractor develop an operations manual in collaboration with facility management and the commissioning agent to aid in maintaining and correctly operating all energy-efficient equipment.
Surveys can be administered in a variety of ways—by phone, networked computer, web-based survey, or paper questionnaire. A web-based survey program can automatically compile data and generate relevant results.
There is an indirect cost benefit in ensuring that occupants are comfortable and that systems are working correctly, both of which will maximize productivity and efficiency.
Cost will vary depending on the size of the project, number of occupants surveyed, and whether or not adjustments to the system need to be made. Unless you pay for a third-party surveying or post-occupancy evaluation service, there are no direct costs to be incurred beyond the effort and time investment.
There may be some cost impact for implementing the survey, compiling results, and, if necessary, making adjustments per the plan of corrective action. This cost impact is just based on time investment, not capital investment.
