CREJ

Page 12

— Property Management Quarterly — January 2017

uilding tune-ups are opportu-

nities that address the trifecta

of bottom-line improvements

for an organization: increased

asset value, increased pro-

ductivity, and reduced maintenance

and operating expenses. Building air

quality and thermal comfort have

been shown to significantly impact

occupant and staff productivity.

Couple that with the fact that over

$1.50 per square foot is spent on

energy in a typical office building

and the importance of keeping your

building’s mechanical and electrical

systems well maintained and operat-

ing efficiently becomes clear. Today’s

leading companies understand that

energy-cost savings can contribute

to the overall profitability of the busi-

ness in a significant way. Additional

benefits associated with keeping your

facility in top operating condition

include improving operations and

maintenance staff knowledge, reduc-

ing emissions and garnering utility

programmonetary incentives.

Building tune-ups have been shown

to cost about 30 cents per sf on aver-

age and produce benefits totaling an

estimated 27 cents per square foot,

with an expected payback period of

1.1 years. That’s a 90 percent average

return on investment with relatively

low risk. These financial rewards are

helping drive the retro-commissioning

tune-up industry toward a $4 billion

annual market with an energy-sav-

ings potential of roughly $30 billion.

Opportunities for improvements

come primarily through identifying

and fixing such problems as heating,

ventilating and air-conditioning and

lighting left on when spaces are unoc-

cupied; dampers or

valves not working

properly; duct, valve

or pipe leakage; and

building-automa-

tion software pro-

gramming issues.

other problems.

To get started, work with a con-

sultant to identify opportunities for

comfort, maintenance and energy

savings. Most of the utility compa-

nies in Colorado subsidize building

tune-up audits and provide financial

incentives, such as rebates or low-

cost financing, to help you implement

energy-saving measures. Federal tax

credits are available for making effi-

ciency improvements in commercial

buildings.

Working with a building tune-up

consultant to audit your facilities

and equipment will develop a list of

defects that need to be corrected. This

will help you be systematic in your

approach to maintenance as well as

equipment repair and replacement. It

will assist you in establishing a more

accurate annual maintenance budget

as well as budget for larger capital

upgrade and replacements projects.

When selecting tune-up providers,

search for a provider who is consid-

ered objective, has direct and relevant

experience, possesses communica-

tion and conflict-resolution skills, has

adequate organizational skills and has

a forensic personality.

In addition to working with an

expert building tune-up consultant,

similar to tuning up your car, there

are some simple and inexpensive

things you can do to keep building

equipment and systems effectively

maintained. Effective operations can-

not be realized without a comprehen-

sive facility maintenance program. A

good maintenance program is built on

a foundation of prevention. Preventive

maintenance often is best performed

when equipment is not being used

during the course of the year. Preven-

tive maintenance includes periodic

maintenance work on equipment to

reduce the risk for emergency failure

and protect the investment.

The following is a list of what own-

ers and operators need to know when

performing preventive maintenance.

Many of these items represent rou-

tine maintenance and can be carried

out by facility personnel; others may

require qualified service personnel for

which you choose to outsource to a

preventive maintenance contractor.

• Compile a database containing

maintenance procedures and main-

tenance schedule for all equipment.

Manufacturers’ operation and main-

tenance manuals are a good place to

start when developing these sched-

ules. They usually provide guidelines

about the frequency of preventive

service, as well as a complete list of

items that must be maintained.

• Communicate the mainte-

nance schedule to staff so all can be

informed as to what equipment will

be down for service during what time

periods.

• Perform annual tune-ups on your

HVAC equipment per the operation

and maintenance manuals. This will

maintain peak operating efficiency

and lengthen service life of the equip-

ment. Other typical easy-to-perform

tasks include cleaning or replacing

HVAC air filters, cleaning air-condi-

tioning and refrigeration condenser

coils, oiling/greasing pump and fan

motors that have such fittings, check-

ing sensor calibration, checking ducts

and piping for blockage, cleaning

strainers, checking glycol levels and

fluid condition/chemical treatment

as well as air vents and system pres-

sures.

• Use forms or a database for

recording periodic, preventive mainte-

nance activities.

• Keep a record of all maintenance

and repair expenses. This will not only

assist in developing accurate budgets

but also pinpoint problematic equip-

ment.

Following these procedures will

allow you to take greater control of

your facility, reduce operating and

maintenance costs, reduce the like-

lihood of experiencing emergency

shutdowns, extend equipment life

and improve your company’s bottom

line.

Tune-ups increase asset value, decrease expenses

Maintenance

Peter D’Antonio,

PE, CEM,

LEED AP

President, PCD

Engineering Inc.,

Longmont