A pilot program of plug load energy reduction strategies at a large office property yielded findings pertaining to tenant education and advance power strip technologies that can help building owners reduce energy consumption.
The Tower Companies conducted the study at a downtown Washington D.C. office building in which they implemented a “Turn it Off!” campaign to encourage building occupants to reduce plug loads. The building was equipped with advanced power strips (APSs) used to plug multiple electronic devices into a wall outlet with built-in technology to reduce plug and process load (PPL) runtimes and save energy when the devices are not in use.
The Tower Companies worked with the Better Buildings Initiative to gain guidance and support on project design, implementation, and analysis. Decision guides and technical specification were created as a result of this program and are available here.
PPLs account for an increasingly large percentage of commercial building energy use. The primary energy use associated with PPLs is projected to grow from 30% to 35% of total commercial building energy use between 2010 and 2025 as the number and energy intensity of plug-in devices continue to increase.
Related Stories
| Oct 18, 2012
OSHA investigating parking garage collapse that kills four at Doral, Fla. college
OSHA is investigating the collapse of a five-story concrete parking garage under construction at Miami Dade College West Campus in Doral, Fla. that killed four workers and injured several others.
| Oct 18, 2012
EPA commercial building lead paint rule pushed back to 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's inclusion of commercial buildings in a residential lead paint rule is being delayed until 2015.
| Oct 18, 2012
Chicago pushing green roofs to reduce heat island effect
The city of Chicago has mandated that all new buildings that require any public funds must be LEED certified, usually with a green roof.
| Oct 11, 2012
OSHA launches pilot program for alternative dispute resolution on whistleblower complaints
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is launching an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) pilot program for complaints filed with OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program.
| Oct 11, 2012
Bill promotes investment in commercial, multifamily retrofits
The Commercial Building Modernization Act recently introduced in the Senate would extend and streamline a current tax deduction to encourage commercial and multifamily residential building owners to perform comprehensive energy-efficient retrofits.
| Oct 11, 2012
Morristown, N.Y., settles code violation dispute with Amish
The town of Morristown, N.Y., has dropped charges of building code violations against local Amish communities to settle a First Amendment complaint.
| Oct 11, 2012
Mesquite, Nev., rebels against state-mandated energy code
The city council of Mesquite, Nev., voted against adopting a new energy efficiency code adopted by the state.
| Oct 11, 2012
Bloomingdale, N.J., restricts ground solar and wind energy installations
The borough of Bloomingdale, N.J., recently adopted regulations for solar-energy and wind energy systems.
