How the Culture of Inefficiency is Out-Foxing LEED, ASHRAE, and Efficiency Programs in the Midwest

Energy efficient and LEED-certified buildings have gained popularity in the Midwest. However, there are many design and implementation deficiencies preventing achievement of the intended energy efficiency savings. Due to the complexity of modern building systems, the attention to detail required for their installation, and a culture of inefficiency among designers and contractors, energy efficiency features are commonly implemented incorrectly, resulting in not meeting energy savings goals. This paper discusses real, yet anonymous, green buildings in the Midwest and the energy efficiency implementation flaws repeatedly preventing them from achieving their intended energy goals. The material is based on years of building commissioning and energy auditing throughout Ohio and surrounding states. The issues of focus are not isolated problems, but rather reoccurring problems encountered in many of the facilities we have worked with. In fact, some technologies we have never seen correctly implemented without heavy corrective guidance from our team. This paper’s objective is to display common weaknesses existing in the process of implementing energy efficient technologies and point out the necessary preventative steps that are often missing or rushed in the design/construction process. Examples of issues briefly discussed in this paper include inappropriate applications of condensing boilers, incorrect installation of demand control ventilation, ineffective variable frequency drives on pumps and fans, poor HVAC system type selections, area over-lighting and unusable ice storage systems. Where available, the increased energy consumption values will be provided, resulting from incorrect implementation. This information is valuable for green buildings in the Midwest and beyond to meet society’s energy efficiency goals.