The Energy Savings Opportunities section allow auditors to enter and report energy savings opportunities identified during the energy audit. This is a two-step process:

  1. Enter individual Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) in the Building Energy Saving Opportunities – Measure tab.
  2. Designate packages of EEMs in the Building Energy Savings Opportunities-Packages tab.

Note: Only EEMs assigned to a package will appear in the Energy Savings Opportunities Summary tab and the downloadable PDF report.

To learn more about how to create packages for both single and batched EEMs, refer to WA Commerce Grants Report Energy Savings Opportunities – Package.

Steps to add a New Measure

  • Select the green “Add Energy Savings Measure” button at the bottom of the Energy Savings Measure tab to create a row to enter a new measure.
  • The Measure Identifier will auto populate. Auditors may provide their own identifier if preferred.
  • Select the HVAC System or SHW System from the dropdown in Equipment ID field. Otherwise leave it as it is on the default “Select option”.
  • Choose the appropriate System Category and Measure Category from the drop-down lists.
  • Based on the selected categories, select the Measure Name from the pre-populated EEMs list in the dropdown menu required for implementation.
  • Enter a Measure Descriptionthat describes the existing conditions and provides background for understanding the basis for each recommended measure as necessary.
    • DO USE: “Replace all tenant space CFLs with 9 W LEDs”, NOT “LED lighting retrofit”
    • DO USE: “Insulate the exterior building walls to R-15 with [list applicable materials/system name]”, NOT “Insulate walls”
    • DO USE: “HVAC Controls Upgrades - CHWST Reset, CWST Reset, Pump VFD Control”, NOT “HVAC controls”
    • DO USE: “ENERGY STAR dishwashers, refrigerators, clothes washers, and clothes dryers”, NOT “ENERGY STAR appliances”
    • If citing ENERGY STAR, the estimated savings must assume equipment/appliances that minimally comply with the ENERGY STAR efficiency specifications. If savings assume better-than-minimum ENERGY STAR efficiency, then the Measure Description must reference the efficiency instead of “ENERGY STAR”
  • Measure Status: Select status from dropdown to indicate if the measure is recommended, implemented, or requires further study.
  • Modeling/Calculation Approach: Auditors must indicate whether the annual energy and cost savings for each measure were identified manually via spreadsheet calculations or with an energy modeling software by selecting from the Modeling/Calculation Approach drop down menu. Auditors must upload the spreadsheet or energy modeling input and output for each EEM when submitting to the city.
  • Measure Life: Measure Life for proposed EEMs should use Commerce’s published table of expected useful life based on the tables found in the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Preventative Maintenance Guidebook: Expected Useful Life Tables. Note that measure life reflects the expected useful life of the proposed EEMs, while remaining useful life is the measurement of the number of years before existing equipment will need to be replaced.
  • Measure: Net Incremental Investment Cost: The Net Incremental Investment Cost for measures is based on the cost difference between the base case scenario’s implementation cost and the implementation cost of the proposed measure. These costs should include all capital expenditures including labor, materials, and equipment costs as well as any potential rebates or incentives.

Terms and Definitions

The following definitions for content appearing in this section have been referenced from Standard 211 wherever not modified according to WA Commerce definitions.

  • energy efficiency measure (EEM): an action taken in the operation or equipment in a building that reduces the energy use of the building without negative impact within the building.
  • interactive effect: the change in resultant energy savings estimates or actual energy savings due to analyzing or implementing multiple EEMs that impact one another.
  • Low Cost/ No Cost measures: Low cost/no cost measures are those that can be implemented within the O&M budget for the facility, where such exists.
  • practical measure: an EEM that is determined to be technically feasible.
  • recommended measure: a practical measure that has been vetted for interactive effects with other practical measures and determined by the qualified energy auditor to provide net benefit to the building ownership. Life-cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) may be used as the methodology to filter Practical Measures to Recommended Measures. These measures should be deemed cost-effective through the simple payback process as per the method outlined in NIST Handbook 135, Section 6.4.4, Equation 6-13.