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3rd Annual Flex Your Power Awards

Douglas Emmett

Douglas Emmett undertook a corporate energy program, including benchmarking performance, training building managers and engineers in energy-efficient operations and procedures, and re-commissioning and retrofitting buildings. The management company reduced energy use by 16% in the 32 properties that have undergone improvements (such as lighting, heating and cooling equipment upgrades) since 2001, saving 66 million kWhs and $7.5 million.

Key initiatives include:

  • Energy Tracking and Benchmarking: Energy consumption and costs are tracked monthly for every building in the portfolio in a customized spreadsheet format. The tracking report compares current-year usage and demand with historical trends and calculates energy intensity of the facility in terms of kWh, therms and total BTUs per rentable square foot. Costs are also tracked for total expenditures and on a per-rentable square-foot basis. The tracking reports provide feedback to senior management, building managers and building engineers on the progress being made and the impact of their efforts. Benchmarking is used to prioritize buildings for in-depth energy audits and further recommissioning and retrofit efforts.
  • Review of Building System Operating Strategies: The company developed an action plan for building engineers to review and optimize their operating strategies. The action plan was presented and discussed in a training seminar held for all the building engineers.
  • Tenant Energy Awareness Campaign: The company developed a "top 10" list of energy conservation tips for building tenants. Energy seminars were held in all the buildings to present the action list and discuss opportunities for building occupants to contribute to energy savings.
  • Portfolio Lighting Retrofit Program: A comprehensive lighting retrofit program was initiated in 2001, covering all of the company's office and multifamily residential properties. The lighting retrofit cost $4 million, however half of the cost was paid for with utility company incentives and California Energy Commission grants. The net payback period was a little more than one year. Buildings were retrofitted with:
    • T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts
    • Compact fluorescent lamps
    • LED exit signs
    • Occupancy sensors
  • Targeted HVAC Retrofit Program: Implemented projects have included:
    • Installing variable frequency drives for building fans, pumps and cooling tower fans
    • Installing outside air economizers
    • Converting from constant-volume to variable-volume air-handling systems
    • Replacing aging chillers with new high efficiency chillers
    • Installing new energy management control systems

More information: Douglas Emmett