Article from Questline
Sophisticated building automation systems are widely used to manage lighting, HVAC and other building systems. However, neglect and improper operation often lead to inefficiencies and higher energy costs. Retuning is a systematic process of examining building systems and controls, identifying operational issues and making adjustments to save energy.
Building retuning consists of the following basic steps:
- Gather building information
- Data collection and analysis
- Building walkthrough
- Implement retuning
- Report of findings
- Savings analysis
Gather building information
Document data regarding building size and uses, occupancy schedules, types of mechanical systems, the building automation system and other information needed to characterize the building and its systems.
Much of this information may already be known by building operators, but documenting it will help ensure a common understanding and provide information for outside experts. Information not known can be obtained by examining building specifications, as well as building system installation and maintenance records.
Data collection and analysis
Data collection and analysis is critical to the retuning process. It helps reveal commonly occurring operating faults. Trend plots of operational parameters are helpful in identifying issues that require time to detect, such as HVAC operation in unoccupied zones, incorrect schedules and poor economizer operation. Such issues are difficult to spot by observing operations at a single point, or over a short period of time.