Building Industry Magazine - February 2012 - (Page 62)

A MULTIFACETED APPROACH to Increasing Energy Efficiency What does it take to retrofit or renovate a building to be more energy efficient? What changes can have the greatest impact toward decreasing energy use? In this report, we check in with some local experts. Jessica McAlpin (center), general manager of Seventeen Seventeen Ala Wai, holding the Building of the Year awards from IREM, is flanked by Mario Delgado, who performs maintenance for the building, and Elliot Okamura, president of Team Going Green. CASE STUDY On Nov. 16 last year, the Seventeen Seventeen Ala Wai condominium was awarded the Building of the Year award from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), much of it due to the energy retrofits the building had undergone recently. Elliot Okamura, president of Team Going Green, LLC, which performed much of the work, explains the process. “After doing an energy assessment, we first installed a KVAR system, an energy saving capacitor. The next phase was conversion of all the interior and exterior lighting to LED lights, about 600 lights total.” The project qualified for about $20,000 in federal and state rebates through Hawaii Energy, according to Okamura. “The cost for the job scope was about $50,000. The remaining can be paid off in one year. Since the retrofits, the electricity bills have been going down, ranging from of $1,800 to $3,000 a month. Okamura says they typically target the lighting that is on 24 hours a day in a building. The firm also examines the structures equipment/ HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems and addresses emergency lighting. OTHER STRATEGIES According to Derrick Sonoda, director of operations, efficiency and conservation programs, for Hawaii Energy, one of the first things the company looks at in a building is the air conditioning. Then it checks out what, if anything, has been done to the building envelope. Sonoda adds that deciding on the most effective strategies really depends on the building structure. When considering the different strategies, says Peter Stone, owner of Pohaku Consulting, “In a commercial situation, it’s probably going to be more with equipment and lighting and less to do with the envelope. The envelope is important but usually very expensive to deal with. Also, in commercial building, they already are pretty tight. Likely, the best bang for your buck is going to be with equipment (HVAC) and lighting.” Stone adds that there also are a variety of sophisticated programs available that can help regulate the equipment and lighting to work more efficiently. When it comes to windows, Stone says they are less about the tightness of the building envelope and more with reducing the heat gain through the window. “Less heat gained means less cooling,” he explains. BI 62 | BUILDING INDUSTRY | FEBRUARY 2012 http://www.pellacommercial.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Building Industry Magazine - February 2012

Cover; Swinerton Builders at the new Walgreens project
Datebook
CAK Annual Meeting Highlights Service
Andaz Renovation Begins
Forest City Completed Oahu’s Largest Solar Farm
Sand Replenishment Restores Waikiki Beach
Elephants Get New Home at Honolulu Zoo
Contracts Awarded
Best Practices
FEATURE Commercial/Retail
Spotlight on Success: Child Development Center
FREATUE Hawaii’s top roofers
Solar Energy Fuels Maui Arts Center
FEATURE Exterior finishes
Low Bids
Concept to Completion: The Cole Academy, Kapolei
FEATURE Energy efficiency

Building Industry Magazine - February 2012