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How to Conduct an Energy Assessment to Save Energy

December 12, 2024

By Samantha Friborg, Environmental Graduate Intern

As the weather gets colder, it’s a good time to evaluate energy usage at home. Energy use (and bills) tend to be higher during the winter to combat the cold, according to Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy. Improving energy efficiency at home can save costs and reduce the environmental impact of energy usage and its associated emissions.  

The Port of Seattle’s Maritime Environmental and Sustainability team conducts energy assessments to evaluate energy usage at its seaport properties. These assessments inform decarbonization efforts, capital planning, and asset management efforts across Port buildings. Energy assessments are an important step towards achieving the Port’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals by reducing emissions from building and property energy usage.  

Assessments are beneficial for several reasons:

  • Energy efficiency
  • Cost savings
  • Reducing environmental impact
  • Compliance and meeting standards
  • Enhanced building performance
  • Improved comfort and health
  • Data-driven decision-making for future energy efficiency investments 

Learn more about the Port’s energy assessment, currently in progress, and how it helps meet climate goals and increase energy efficiency across properties.

Pier 66 energy assessment

Building and campus energy usage is a substantial component of the Port’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Scope 1 emissions refer to the direct emissions from sources that the Port owns or controls. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling used to carry out Port operations. To achieve the Port’s GHG reduction goals, building emissions must be curtailed. Pier 66 is one of 10 significant maritime properties that the Port oversees. It is the Port’s largest single user of natural gas across maritime campuses.  Pier 66 is the home of the Bell Street Cruise Terminal and International Conference Center, Anthony’s Restaurant, and a small boat marina. 

Compliance and standards

In November 2021, the Port Commission adopted the Maritime Climate and Air Action Plan (MCAAP). The Plan identifies strategies and actions for reducing maritime-related air and GHG emissions over the next 10 years, with a vision of zero emissions by midcentury, following the Port’s Century Agenda goals. Importantly, the MCAAP lays out emissions and energy use reduction goals for electricity and natural gas usage in 80 buildings across 10 major Port campuses in Seattle. This includes goals for Pier 66 which involve replacing the fossil natural gas HVAC system at Pier 66 by 2030 with a high-efficiency electric central plant. The Pier 66 assessment will help us understand what energy conservation measures we need to implement to meet this goal by 2030. 

Additionally, Washington State and the City of Seattle recently passed standards to improve building energy efficiency and reduce climate impacts. These include the Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS) and the City of Seattle’s Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS), both of which complement the Port’s MCAAP work. The Port was engaged in work to reduce building energy usage prior to the passage of CBPS and BEPS; however, the Pier 66 assessment will ultimately improve the campus’s energy efficiency, ensuring the Port does our part in meeting state and city compliance standards.

Assessment process 

Jacob Keith is a Building Energy Diagnostician overseeing the Port’s ongoing energy assessment at Pier 66.  The assessment is based on the Level 2 building assessment requirements spelled out in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (AHSRAE) Standard for Commercial Building Energy Audits. He is conducting an ASHRAE Level 2 Energy Assessment, which provides a more detailed evaluation of a building or campus’s energy performance than an ASHRAE Level 1 preliminary or baseline assessment.

Here’s how Jacob performs the Port’s energy assessment:

  1. Document the existing conditions of the building, including reviewing utility bills, operating data, and equipment specifications.
     
  2. Interview people who use the building to understand energy demands.
     
  3. Determine the annual energy use intensity (EUI) and energy cost index (ECI) of the total annual building energy cost.
     
  4. Use that information to conduct an energy benchmark using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR benchmarking tool. 
     
  5. Compare Pier 66’s ENERGY STAR score with that of a similar building using peer samples from the ASHRAE standards. This involves quantifying energy use for each end-use system including heating, cooling, lighting, and more, and assessing distributed and renewable energy resource options.
     
  6. Identify energy conservation measures. This can include low-cost and no-cost recommendations, such as HVAC scheduling and sequence of operations, as well as potential capital energy efficiency measure recommendations, such as the conversion of the natural gas boiler to an electric central plant.
     
  7. Calculate energy savings and the total expected cost of implementation for each practical measure, as well as the payback period. 
     
  8. Evaluate the feasibility of all identified measures and conduct an economic analysis for each practical measure. Jacob will review actionable insights with the building owners before moving on to the third and final stage of implementation. 

The Port’s decision to hire an in-house building diagnostician has helped ease any tenant concerns about an assessment and increased the likelihood that assessment recommendations will be implemented at Pier 66.   An in-house building diagnostician also makes the energy assessment process more collaborative across the various Maritime departments, including the Engineering, Planning, Real Estate, Sustainability, and Utility groups. 

The Port-wide outage delayed the timeline for the completion of the Pier 66 assessment.   Energy assessments usually take two to three weeks, but due to the outage and the size and complexity of Pier 66, it will take about double that time, with an estimated completion date of the end of 2024. Jacob and his team are currently working on conducting a Building Automation System (BAS) review to examine temperature setpoints, HVAC schedules, overrides, and sensor errors. A BAS network allows all building control systems, including HVAC, lighting, and security systems, to be wired through a single set of controls, enabling automation of certain building functions. A BAS review is done to ensure that equipment is working as intended or programmed. The team is also performing a comprehensive lighting inventory to collect data on what spaces do not use LED (in line with the Port’s MCAAP lighting goal). Once these are completed, Jacob’s team will conduct a water inventory to document all domestic water fixtures (e.g. toilets, urinals, faucets) to understand how to make those as efficient as possible. 

Ultimately, the Pier 66 assessment will generate recommendations that, once implemented, will put the building in compliance with CBPS, BEPS, and the Port’s energy emission and energy use reduction goals. Additionally, implementation of the assessment recommendations will help the Port to meet our Century Agenda Greenhouse Gas targets and the Century Agenda goal of being the greenest and most energy-efficient port in North America.  

Saving energy at home 

Conducting your own at-home energy assessment can achieve some of the same outcomes that a building and campus energy assessment achieves for the Port. Much the same way a campus energy assessment can unlock cost and energy savings and improve energy efficiency, assessing your own home’s energy use by conducting an at-home energy assessment can generate savings, improve sustainability and energy efficiency, and enhance the comfort of your home.

Jacob provides these six tips for conducting an assessment at your home :

Tip 1: Program your thermostat for efficiency

Procedure: Check your thermostat settings to ensure it’s programmed for maximum energy savings. An energy-efficient heating setting is 68° F. Set it to lower temperatures (around 62-65°F) when you’re sleeping or away.

Supplies: Programmable or smart thermostat (if you don’t already have one). 

Fix: A smart thermostat can save up to 10% on heating bills by automatically adjusting temperatures based on your schedule.

Tip 2: Seal drafty windows and doors

Procedure: Begin by inspecting windows and doors for drafts. On a windy day, close all doors and windows, then hold a candle or incense stick near the edges. Watch for flickering flames or disturbed smoke, which indicate air leaks. Also, check for daylight around the edges of doors, especially near the bottom. If daylight is visible, air is likely leaking through.

Supplies: Weatherstripping, caulk, window film, and a draft guard.

Fix: Seal leaks around windows with caulk or apply shrink-wrap film. For doors, apply weatherstripping around the frame and add a draft guard at the bottom to block airflow.

Tip 3: Use insulated curtains or blinds

Procedure: Inspect your windows, feeling for cool drafts or cold spots, even after sealing gaps. In the winter, heat loss can still occur through the glass itself.

Supplies: Insulated or thermal curtains, cellular blinds.

Fix:  Install insulated curtains or blinds to keep heat from escaping through windows. Close them at night to trap warm air inside and open them during the day to let sunlight naturally warm your home.

Tip 4: Check attic insulation levels

Procedure: Peek into your attic and measure the depth of insulation. You should have at least 10-14 inches of insulation, depending on the type. If you can see the floor joists, you likely need more.

Supplies: Tape measure, flashlight, and attic insulation (if needed).

Fix: Consider adding blown-in insulation or batts to improve your home’s thermal envelope.

Tip 5: Check hot water heater temperature

Procedure: Turn on hot water in a faucet and run for 1-2 minutes. Then, use a thermometer to check the water temperature. For optimal energy savings, it should be set at 120°F.

Supplies: Thermometer or temperature probe, access to hot water heater thermostat.

Fix: If the water temperature is higher than 120°F, lower the temperature setting to prevent excess energy use  

Tip 6: Check for energy-saving incentives

Procedure: Visit your local electric or natural gas utility's website and navigate to the energy efficiency or rebates section. Many utilities offer incentives for energy-efficient upgrades, such as rebates on insulation, heating systems, smart thermostats, and weatherization services. Some utilities may even provide free home energy assessments or low-cost energy-saving kits.

Supplies: Internet access, a recent utility bill for account details (if needed).

Fix: Take note of any rebates or programs you qualify for and prioritize upgrades that will both improve your home's energy efficiency and offer financial savings through utility incentives.

While it may not be possible to implement all six of these tips right away, implementing even two or three can help lower both energy costs and a home’s energy footprint this winter.

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