Keeping a Smart Laboratory Smart Requires Metering, Monitoring, and Metrics
Matthew Gudorf, LEED
AP®, University of California (UC), Irvine
UC Irvine measures, quantifies, and compares the energy usage in a new "Smart Lab"
building with that of a similar, modern laboratory building. UC Irvine has developed a
set of standards that we refer to as "Smart Labs." While not a radical departure in
fundamental design,
variable air volume (VAV)
remains VAV, the concept employs adjustments to
accepted design parameters for already efficient designs. As an example, typical
designs incorporate 500-foot-per-minute (fpm) maximum velocities across cooling coils;
we have implemented maximum velocities as low as 350 fpm with the goal of
decreasing the total air system static pressure loss. Other adjustments include
reduced lighting power density, daylighting controls, sharply decreased air change
rates, and taller exhaust fan stacks with little or no bypass air. Although we know that
these modifications to accepted practice will save energy, sub-metering and dash
boards are installed and created to benchmark
the following in
each laboratory:
- Energy demand and usage per floor/per square foot.
- Lighting load.
- Plug load.
- Air handler and exhaust fan usage per zone.
- Fume hood demand.
- Thermal demand.
- Indoor air quality demand.
- Air change rate.
The buildings selected for comparison are similar in location and orientation and are a few years apart in construction. The shell of the later building was modeled after the earlier building. Both buildings are served by district chilled water and electricity and have moderate fume hood usage; fume hood flow is not the primary driver of energy usage. After HVAC system load, lighting and plug load appear to be the primary energy drivers. UC Irvine examines the mix of energy usage in these buildings, identifies effective means of energy use reduction, and correlates the study to the practice of monitoring-based commissioning.
The UC Irvine speaker will share the results of this study, demonstrating savings and how the savings are maintained over time through metrics such as:
- Kilowatt (kW) per square foot and kilowatt hour (kWh) per square foot.
- Cubic feet per minute (CFM) per zone and air changes per hour (ACH) per laboratory.
- Sash management.
- Lighting and daylighting management and use.
Biography:
Matthew Gudorf is the energy project manager at UC Irvine, and a LEED AP with 11 years of infrastructure project management experience. A graduate of The Ohio State University in electrical engineering with an emphasis on high voltage systems, Mr. Gudorf has worked for Dayton Power and Light in transmission and distribution, American Electric Power as a member of the ultra-high voltage substation design team, and for Southern California Pipeline, managing multiple wet utility projects throughout southern California. Mr. Gudorf has focused his efforts at UC Irvine on energy efficiency upgrades, utility and infrastructure retrofits, and project development.