Retro-Commissioning
Reduce energy costs and optimize your existing building with retro-commissioning services from Iconergy.
Your vehicle needs periodic maintenance to perform optimally—and your building is no different.
Energy systems are the “heart” of every workspace. Electrical systems keep the lights on, HVAC keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, etc. If these systems aren’t monitored and maintained, they’ll fail. So, if you take your car to a mechanic, where do you go for a building tune-up? Well, you can count on us.
Whether your building is a few decades or a few years old, there’s a good chance your energy systems could benefit from maintenance—and retro-commissioning allows us to do exactly that.
What is Retro-Commissioning (RCx)?
Retro-commissioning (RCx) is the process of evaluating, optimizing, and improving the performance of existing building systems and equipment to enhance energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and functionality. We identify and address operational and maintenance deficiencies, mechanical issues, and system inefficiencies that may cause energy waste, occupant discomfort, and suboptimal performance.
A retro-commissioning project typically includes periodic energy audits and energy modeling at its foundation. These services allow us to understand your past, present, and projected energy use. From there, we can recommend cost-effective upgrades, and even simulate projected energy savings before we make any upgrades to your building’s physical infrastructure.
Benefits of Retro-Commissioning
In addition to the below, retro-commissioning can also provide other benefits, such as increased building value, lower maintenance costs, and improved sustainability. Our diverse approach to RCx projects means you can pick and choose energy upgrades to maximize savings on a budget-friendly basis.
Energy Savings
One of the primary benefits of retro-commissioning is energy savings. Identifying and resolving inefficiencies in a building's energy systems allows us to reduce energy consumption and energy costs.
Increased Indoor Environment Quality
RCx can identify and address indoor air quality issues, such as poor ventilation, temperature, and humidity control. This often leads to improved occupant comfort, health, and productivity.
Increased Equipment Lifespan
RCx can help identify and address equipment issues that reduce the lifespan of your equipment. By implementing the recommended maintenance practices, we aim to prolong the lifespan of your equipment, which may lead to reduced costs.
Prevent downtime
Technology that's been assessed and fixed ahead of time = less of a likelihood that your systems will shut down when you least expect it.
Improved Building Functionality
RCx can identify and address issues impacting building functionality, such as lighting and control systems.
Regulatory Compliance
RCx can help you comply with local, state, and federal regulations related to energy consumption and indoor environmental quality.
Our Approach to Retro-Commissioning
We utilize RCx holistically to analyze the entire building system, including HVAC, lighting, electrical, and other energy-consuming systems. The beauty of RCx is its versatility. We don’t rush into retrofits and upgrades—instead, we focus on providing building data and creating a custom strategy, allowing you to make informed decisions from the get-go. Our general framework for RCx projects looks something like this:
Planning & Site Investigation: This stage involves identifying your goals, objectives, and project scope. We’ll review building documentation and original system designs, conduct interviews with building occupants, and identify potential energy-saving opportunities.
Analysis & Optimization: During this stage, we’ll perform a thorough review of your building’s systems. This includes the collection of data on energy use, occupancy patterns, temperature, humidity, and other factors that impact building performance. Following our audit, we’ll analyze the data collected during our energy audits and identify inefficiencies, operational issues, and areas for improvement.
Implementation: With potential energy-saving measures mapped out, our team will begin implementing solutions. Typically, this includes system upgrades, maintenance, and control optimization. Implementation may involve training building operators, technicians, and maintenance staff to ensure that the solutions are properly implemented and maintained well into the future.
Measurement & Verification: After our work is done, we’ll measure and verify the performance of all retrofitted systems to ensure that they meet the expected energy savings and performance improvements.
Retro-Commissioning Projects
From K-12 schools, hospitals, higher education, local government, and beyond, see how we've helped clients achieve their energy goals.
