EPA Energy Star Certification 1

[EnergyProfessional]

i was asked to perform a certification for energy star rating of a hotel. this requires me to verify the energy consumption, size of building etc. that then the energy-star rating is calculated off. so far so easy. but it also requires me to verify that lighting level, thermal comfort and ventilation meet ASHRAE etc. standards. for lighting and thermal comfort that is relatively easy.

but how to properly deal with the ventilation rates? I know one could overdo it and re-calculate what ASHRAE would require and have a balancer measure that. but this seems to go far beyond what the client would pay. the EPA guidelines also only mention ASHRAE ventilation rates, not which year. Do i use today's ventilation rates, or the one when the building was built?

I'm not sure yet what documentation the client has regarding ventilation. I hope for some construction or code review documents, or balancing reports from the time of building that indicate that.

does one of you have experience and can tell me how involved that has to be? One could either just rubber-stamp or re-design and re-measure the entire building... but it should probably something be in between. i can't imagine the EPA ever verifies that, however, I still want to make the best effort when I stamp it. i also don't believe the EPA would literally request an analysis that would cost way too many hours of my (paid) time. then no one would get a certification....

 

[tys90]

Have you read the EPAs Licensed Professional's Guide to the Energy Star Label? They give really good guidelines for determining a pass/fail regarding the ventilation.

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/evaluate_performance/pm_lp_guide.pdf

That's the link to it. It also includes the other topics you mentioned. Even though I haven't done an energy star rating for a building it was a good read.

 

[EnergyProfessional]

I had read that and that is how I came up with what I will need to do. however, how deep i have to go into the verification is not clear. Especially determining if ventilation meets ASHRAE (which year anyway) could be done in very accurate and complicated ways (actual measuring etc.), or in less complicated ways (only review of design documents etc.).

 

[tys90]

I would do my own ASHRAE calc based on the plans, or at least an estimate based on what you know. Have the outdoor airflow rates measured, do some observations of the IAQ and review the TAB report. Compare everything and make an engineering judgement. If there is a problem it's usually obvious. Either a) the system isn't working as designed and not providing enough OA or b) the system was designed incorrectly.

At least you aren't doing a hospital, I'd have to imagine that would be a lot harder to verify because they have very specific requirements.

 

[EnergyProfessional]

what ASHRAE version should I use? current or the one when the building was built?

 

[Badbird2000]

I would say for the year the building was built. I believe you are only required to upgrade to current codes if you do a renovation over a certain percentage of what the building is worth (i think). I would start with whatever was current for the year the building was built.