Ada, OK Laboratory Energy Savings Performance Contract—the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Dan Amon and Frank Price, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA's Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center is a 75,475 gross square feet laboratory located in Ada, Oklahoma. In 2004, work was substantially completed on a comprehensive energy efficiency upgrade of the facility's HVAC system via an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC). The upgrade included installation of a ground-source heat pump (GHP) system for heating and cooling the facility, a complete variable air volume system for air supply and fume hood air exhaust, new and upgraded fan motors, and an integrated direct digital control system for HVAC, energy, fire, and security management.

This presentation will give an overview of the project development, price proposal, successes, and difficulties encountered with the ESPC, highlighting the interaction between the federal government, an Energy Services Company (ESCo), and the facility personnel.

The initial stage of the project did not allow EPA an adequate opportunity to review the entire system proposed by the ESCo. This resulted in several undersized systems, causing system instability and failure. Ultimately, EPA engaged a third-party firm to substantially re-design the project, up-sizing all of the major systems. In addition, during the course of the project, EPA engaged several additional experts to help educate the ESCo on laboratory VAV systems and enforce operational criteria on the VAV systems to improve safety and energy efficiency.

This presentation will highlight the importance of being a smart customer to ensure project success. The presentation will also illustrate the barriers that must be overcome for the ESCo industry to fully embrace laboratories as a building type. Historically, ESCos have targeted projects such as U.S. Department of Defense military bases, replacing residential air conditioning units or chiller plants and other "low-hanging fruit" type projects. This presentation will show how, with a better understanding of energy efficient, comprehensive laboratory system design, the ESCo could have avoided almost all of the issues encountered.

Biography:

For the past 21 years, Dan Amon has led a distinguished career in engineering and construction. He has a wide range of experience in mechanical design and construction, including: semiconductor facilities, pharmaceutical facilities, and other high technology industries. He received his undergraduate degree in Structural Engineering from the
University of Minnesota Institute of Technology, and went on to earn a Master's degree in Engineering and Management from Stanford University. In addition, Mr. Amon has been a Registered Mechanical Engineer since 1988. For the past three and one-half years, he has been working on a variety of energy efficiency and water conservation projects as the National Energy Manager for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Back to the Agenda