kW Engineering | Sustainable Buildings & Energy Efficiency Consulting
Utilizing the full capabilities of your control system is one of the most cost-effective ways to save energy. We find very few facilities maximize the full capabilities of already installed systems. Nowhere is this more detrimental than in grocery stores where controls operate the commercial refrigeration systems which make up the lion’s share of energy […]
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. – Mark Twain. One of the big problems with energy efficiency is that it’s complicated. I feel like there’s a big need to simplify it for clients so they can make the most informative and cost-effective decisions about their buildings. But sometimes simplicity results
Lies, Damned EUIs and Statistics – The Pitfalls of Relying on EUIs for Benchmarking Read More »
I can’t tell you how happy I am that I can say that ASHRAE Standard 211 – the world’s first comprehensive standard for energy audits – is out! This news might come as a surprise to some – most people treated the energy audit levels defined by the standard, as if it already was a
ASHRAE Standard 211 – Commercial Building Energy Audits has arrived! Read More »
In California, we’re used to the earth shaking from time to time and now the refrigerant world is also shifting seismically. The impacts of this shift on businesses and energy use in the state could be just as scary and pronounced unless we prepare. The coming shift is another phase-out of refrigerants, but this time
A conversation between Jim Kelsey, President of kW Engineering and Jonathan Schoenfeld, Director of Energy and Analytics at Kodaro. Jim: At kW we’ve been cautious about jumping on the “analytics” train. Not because it’s not promising, but really because there have been so many options, so many (sometimes ridiculous) claims, that it’s been hard to
SkySpark: Data Analytics that Pay Off. What is SkySpark and its benefits? Read More »
Maybe you’ve heard of the ASHRAE Audit Levels 1, 2 and 3. But did you know that, up until now, there was no real standard for an energy audit? That’s going to change this summer, when ASHRAE will publish the first, ANSI-compliant standard for energy audits of commercial and multifamily buildings. We’ve been working on
What’s an ASHRAE Level 1.5 Energy Audit? Read More »
[Thanks to Supriya Goel, PNNL for your input!] BuildingSync might just be the first major advance in how we report energy audit results in a long time. I say this cautiously because I’ve seen plenty of prior efforts fall flat, and I’m a born skeptic at heart. I’m literally from Missouri, the “show-me” state – the only
An XML-ent Match Made in Energy Efficiency: BuildingSync and Energy Audits Read More »
All the warning signs of burnout were there. It took time to process, but last year I realized my life needed shaking up. I needed a break from work. I noticed that since starting our company almost 20 years ago, my energy was starting to wane. What used to excite me was beginning to feel
Spinning a New Perspective: How Indulging My Passion Boosts My Business Read More »
I’m very happy to announce that we’ve made another big step forward towards our goal – an enforceable standard for energy audits. Back in December I wrote about the first version of the ASHRAE’s Standard 211P, and my vision for how this could help create order to an industry resembling the Wild West. Now we’re
Taming the “Wild West” of Energy Audits: the Sequel Read More »
There are big changes proposed in the latest rulemaking provided by the CPUC on California’s rolling portfolio. If these ideas move forward it’ll be time to hold on to your saddle for sure. Since it’s still bike to work month, I’m thinking a classic Brooks B-17. But it’s probably more of the bucking bronco variety. So
Hold On to Your Saddle… Big Changes Proposed for California Energy Efficiency Programs Read More »
