Originally a social scientist and community organizer, converted to a career in energy engineering with deep, practice-based experience in NYC buildings.
This article is a case study of how an apartment building`s two-pipe steam heating control retrof... more This article is a case study of how an apartment building`s two-pipe steam heating control retrofit was completed using thermostatic radiator valves. Experience in steam-heated apartment buildings tell us that they are often poorly balanced and, at least in part, overheated. One explanation for the overheating hypothesizes that one- and two-pipe distribution systems were inadequately designed for balanced steam distribution. Another version suggests that localized adjustments and incremental failure of components, while still allowing heat to be supplied, accumulate over time to cause system imbalance. In either case, to supply enough steam to the hardest to heat apartments, distribution systems commonly release steam in quantities that overheat other apartments. The goal of steam heating system control and retrofitting is to obtain proper, even temperatures throughout a structure. Theoretically, it is possible to accomplish this by setting flows on a predetermined basis, but the most direct way to obtain the desired end result is with valves that respond to actual space temperatures.
A case study is provided of how lab-based training in New York City has developed through energy ... more A case study is provided of how lab-based training in New York City has developed through energy efficiency programs for the multifamily housing sector. Training focuses on areas where heating system performance can be optimized by enhanced knowledge and skills of energy auditors, service contractors, and building operators, especially of controls and control logics and sequences. The lab also incorporates a digital data acquisition system and web interface for training exercises anticipating the next generation of heating system controls and requirements for operator capabilities. INTRODUCTION Training building operators is certainly a key element in optimizing the performance of buildings. Exactly how training interfaces with a local market determines how new skills can be introduced and made effective. This paper examines a particular case, that of the low-income multifamily housing sector in New York City, to explore how various organizations, programs, and initiatives interact ...
In order to create baseline conditions for building energy performance, make a setting adjustment... more In order to create baseline conditions for building energy performance, make a setting adjustment or determine optimal operating parameters, it is often necessary to view a large series of history data from a building control and management system. However, viewing large amounts of data in tables and charts is not a useful procedure to find significant patterns and information for an energy team. A new approach at AEA adds a programming engineer to the normal energy analysis team who manages data and programs visualization tools to speed analysis. This paper addresses the potential effectiveness of such an addition to the typical building operations (optimization) project team. The programming engineer confronts issues in two directions. First is the nature of the data as it is captured and stored, which establishes various data processing steps that are necessary to produce an automated acquisition system to the server. For the second direction, the programming engineer must adapt ...
An integrated statistical method for computing energy performance metrics of buildings and visual... more An integrated statistical method for computing energy performance metrics of buildings and visualizing the energy performance through spatial analysis is described. This technique combines the hierarchical multivariate regression models and the Variable Base Degree Day (VBDD) model to compute the overall energy performance indicator, and the energy performance indices of base load, heating load and cooling load for each building in a portfolio. Then the various energy performance metrics in the portfolio are selectively visualized on the associated Geographical Information System (GIS) based heat map. The method provides useful information for accurately assessing energy performance, benchmarking and identifying energy performance improvement opportunities in a large portfolio of buildings. The method has been successfully applied and deployed for K-12 school buildings in New York City.
With municipalities setting goals for greenhouse gas reductions, there is an emerging need for mo... more With municipalities setting goals for greenhouse gas reductions, there is an emerging need for model program designs based on quantitative analysis. Evidence is cited that commercial-institutional building retrofit programs can be significantly improved by commissioning and enhanced operation activities. Dimensions are defined along which program value is added: capture of high-payback O&M measures, early action, achievement of projections, and persistence. Based on parameters in the NYC Mayor’s Office PlaNYC2030, a spreadsheet model is developed to quantify the value of including an EBO component with a Capital Projects program. Given project-cycle considerations, including EBO enables actions and associated energy reduction to begin more quickly under Operating Budget allocations. Although impressive quantified benefits are indicated, market difficulties will inhibit the expansion of EBO. Engineering consultants, mechanical-electrical contractors, ESCOs, and facilities staff are a...
The effectiveness of BAS in controlling building systems is seen to reside in conjoint man-machin... more The effectiveness of BAS in controlling building systems is seen to reside in conjoint man-machine function. In an emerging industry paradigm, data is extracted from the BAS and used for analytics that inform enhanced operations. This processing may include a “mash-up” with data from other sources, such as energy meters. KPI metrics and Building ReTuning, an on-going commissioning process, are suggested as important ways to guide operators in training and subsequent understanding and use of data intensive tools. Short case studies of work in progress on two CUNY campuses are provided.
IBM, through its Smarter Cities program, working with the Building Performance Lab of the City Un... more IBM, through its Smarter Cities program, working with the Building Performance Lab of the City University of New York (BPL-CUNY) and New York City (NYC) government, has developed an energy dashboard drawing upon the city's database of information from the U.S. EPA EnergyStar Portfolio Manager and other sources, such as local weather stations, for the city's 1,400 public schools. A unique aspect of the dashboard design process has been conscious integration with a training program for school operating (custodial) engineers. The dashboard is designed to easily display specific kinds of information that is emphasized in the training program, such as energy use breakdowns by source, end-use breakdowns, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, benchmarking, performance rating, normalized projections versus actuals, measurement tracking, local peer comparisons, forecasting and simulation. Information is used as the basis of practical projects to fulfill requirements for the national Building Operator Certification (level 1), addressing specific energy management and retro-commissioning learning objectives. Learning objectives and their relation to specific information types from the dashboard are described. The paper reports on this integration and initial experience with over 300 trainees in classroom, computer lab, and practical project application. Implications are developed for the appropriate use of information technology (IT) tools and analytics in providing insights and feedback for operators engaged in energy use reduction programs.
The kinds of products sought by residents of inner-city communities vary greatly from neighborhoo... more The kinds of products sought by residents of inner-city communities vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood. Cultural differences among residents account for this variety, so bodegas serving particular neighborhoods must understand the needs of local residents and carry an ...
Components of traditional industrial infrastructure systems have unilateral input-output relation... more Components of traditional industrial infrastructure systems have unilateral input-output relationships—individual components transfer energy from natural resources and then dissipate the byproducts as waste into the natural environment. In what has been termed "Infrastructural Ecology'', a multilateral approach reveals interdependencies and potential reciprocities between several urban systems viewed as part of a whole. To the extent that City authorities undertake improvements and upgrades to major facilities such as wastewater treatment processes and their campuses, an intersectoral approach, based on progressive trends for next-generation facilities incorporating practices for resilience, is timely. [1,2] This paper provides a review of experimental findings from a sustainability graduate class that analyzed the cross-cutting issues and opportunities explored on the campuses of seven of the fourteen existing Wastewater Treatment Facilities in New York City. The stude...
In the U.S., commercial and residential buildings and their occupants consume more than 40 % of t... more In the U.S., commercial and residential buildings and their occupants consume more than 40 % of total energy and are responsible for 45 % of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, saving energy and costs, improving energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions are key initiatives in many cities and municipalities and for building owners and operators. To reduce energy consumption in buildings, one needs to understand patterns of energy usage and heat transfer as well as characteristics of building structures, operations and occupant behaviors that influence energy consumption. We develop heat transfer inverse models and statistical models that describe how energy is consumed in commercial buildings, and simulate the impact of energy saving changes that can be made to commercial buildings including structural, operational, behavioral and weather changes, on energy consumption and GHG emissions. The analytic toolset identifies energy savings opportunities and quantifies the s...
A multi-step statistical analysis procedure is developed to assess energy consumption and to iden... more A multi-step statistical analysis procedure is developed to assess energy consumption and to identify energy saving opportunities for large portfolios of buildings such as the New York City's public school buildings. The method borrows strength from and makes integrated use of the Variable Base Degree Day (VBDD) regression model, multivariate regression model and the Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. The analytical method provides useful information to compute energy performance metrics, detect anomaly, forecast and analyze root causes of the energy consumptions of the buildings, and helps building facility engineers and property managers to achieve significant energy savings, greenhouse gas emission reductions and cost savings.
Cities, undergoing rapid change in all parts of the globe, face a common set of “metabolic” chall... more Cities, undergoing rapid change in all parts of the globe, face a common set of “metabolic” challenges: sustainably provisioning for energy, water, and food supplies under sanitary, healthy, economically productive living conditions. Diverse decision makers, such as government, utilities, project developers and bankers must be able to visualize multiple impacts of plans and proposals. Global urban governance initiatives are currently bringing major cities together to learn from one another in addressing common challenges. Energy-related emissions, produced primarily by cities, are a huge challenge to the global climate, which in impacts growing urban areas. Urban infrastructures will have to be planned to meet the needs of increasing populations under increasingly demanding circumstances. This paper discusses the role of urban energy and climate modeling to analyze and predict trends that are a consequence of today ́s fossil energy economy and to develop strategies for moving toward...
A multi-step statistical analysis procedure is developed to assess energy consumption and to iden... more A multi-step statistical analysis procedure is developed to assess energy consumption and to identify energy saving opportunities for large portfolios of buildings such as the New York City’s public school buildings. The method borrows strength from and makes integrated use of the Variable Base Degree Day (VBDD) regression model, multivariate regression model and the Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. The analytical method provides useful information to compute energy performance metrics, detect anomaly, forecast and analyze root causes of the energy consumptions of the buildings, and helps building facility engineers and property managers to achieve significant energy savings, greenhouse gas emission reductions and cost savings.
Development, features, and use of a tool for inverse energy modeling for a portfolio of municipal... more Development, features, and use of a tool for inverse energy modeling for a portfolio of municipal buildings is described. The tool is software-automated to enable batch-processing. Statistical fitness is automatically evaluated to provide a baseline for energy retrofit program measurement and verification. Particular attention is paid to tool outputs that support use by an end user, such as an energy manager, for initial facility diagnostic purposes to guide further investigation.
A handful of programs emerging in the United States attempt to address operational improvements i... more A handful of programs emerging in the United States attempt to address operational improvements in buildings and the need for building operators to attain a more sophisticated level of knowledge, understanding and practice. Program results are considered at two levels. The first is change in the industry’s expectations of operating engineers. These new expectations are seen as the basis of skills sets and learning objectives. The second level is based on training evaluation, conducted through pre/post surveys in 2009, that assesses participating operators’ perceptions of their job functions and specific skills. Preliminary findings suggest that properly structured training can contribute to changes in operator functions as required by the industry but that further specification of training instruments is still necessary.
Improvement of space temperature control is a common element in energy conservation programs in e... more Improvement of space temperature control is a common element in energy conservation programs in existing multifamily housing. Acceptance of new temperature regimes by on-site management and residents is critical to the perception of project success. New control systems with remote data access and remote programmability provide capabilities that are significant to the introduction of new temperature regimes and that were not available with previous technologies. Commissioning of such systems needs to consider not only the proper functioning of the components but also the adjustment of set-points and responses of residents. Examples are provided of data utilization for improved control strategy and of acceptance under varying implementation strategies.
This article is a case study of how an apartment building`s two-pipe steam heating control retrof... more This article is a case study of how an apartment building`s two-pipe steam heating control retrofit was completed using thermostatic radiator valves. Experience in steam-heated apartment buildings tell us that they are often poorly balanced and, at least in part, overheated. One explanation for the overheating hypothesizes that one- and two-pipe distribution systems were inadequately designed for balanced steam distribution. Another version suggests that localized adjustments and incremental failure of components, while still allowing heat to be supplied, accumulate over time to cause system imbalance. In either case, to supply enough steam to the hardest to heat apartments, distribution systems commonly release steam in quantities that overheat other apartments. The goal of steam heating system control and retrofitting is to obtain proper, even temperatures throughout a structure. Theoretically, it is possible to accomplish this by setting flows on a predetermined basis, but the most direct way to obtain the desired end result is with valves that respond to actual space temperatures.
A case study is provided of how lab-based training in New York City has developed through energy ... more A case study is provided of how lab-based training in New York City has developed through energy efficiency programs for the multifamily housing sector. Training focuses on areas where heating system performance can be optimized by enhanced knowledge and skills of energy auditors, service contractors, and building operators, especially of controls and control logics and sequences. The lab also incorporates a digital data acquisition system and web interface for training exercises anticipating the next generation of heating system controls and requirements for operator capabilities. INTRODUCTION Training building operators is certainly a key element in optimizing the performance of buildings. Exactly how training interfaces with a local market determines how new skills can be introduced and made effective. This paper examines a particular case, that of the low-income multifamily housing sector in New York City, to explore how various organizations, programs, and initiatives interact ...
In order to create baseline conditions for building energy performance, make a setting adjustment... more In order to create baseline conditions for building energy performance, make a setting adjustment or determine optimal operating parameters, it is often necessary to view a large series of history data from a building control and management system. However, viewing large amounts of data in tables and charts is not a useful procedure to find significant patterns and information for an energy team. A new approach at AEA adds a programming engineer to the normal energy analysis team who manages data and programs visualization tools to speed analysis. This paper addresses the potential effectiveness of such an addition to the typical building operations (optimization) project team. The programming engineer confronts issues in two directions. First is the nature of the data as it is captured and stored, which establishes various data processing steps that are necessary to produce an automated acquisition system to the server. For the second direction, the programming engineer must adapt ...
An integrated statistical method for computing energy performance metrics of buildings and visual... more An integrated statistical method for computing energy performance metrics of buildings and visualizing the energy performance through spatial analysis is described. This technique combines the hierarchical multivariate regression models and the Variable Base Degree Day (VBDD) model to compute the overall energy performance indicator, and the energy performance indices of base load, heating load and cooling load for each building in a portfolio. Then the various energy performance metrics in the portfolio are selectively visualized on the associated Geographical Information System (GIS) based heat map. The method provides useful information for accurately assessing energy performance, benchmarking and identifying energy performance improvement opportunities in a large portfolio of buildings. The method has been successfully applied and deployed for K-12 school buildings in New York City.
With municipalities setting goals for greenhouse gas reductions, there is an emerging need for mo... more With municipalities setting goals for greenhouse gas reductions, there is an emerging need for model program designs based on quantitative analysis. Evidence is cited that commercial-institutional building retrofit programs can be significantly improved by commissioning and enhanced operation activities. Dimensions are defined along which program value is added: capture of high-payback O&M measures, early action, achievement of projections, and persistence. Based on parameters in the NYC Mayor’s Office PlaNYC2030, a spreadsheet model is developed to quantify the value of including an EBO component with a Capital Projects program. Given project-cycle considerations, including EBO enables actions and associated energy reduction to begin more quickly under Operating Budget allocations. Although impressive quantified benefits are indicated, market difficulties will inhibit the expansion of EBO. Engineering consultants, mechanical-electrical contractors, ESCOs, and facilities staff are a...
The effectiveness of BAS in controlling building systems is seen to reside in conjoint man-machin... more The effectiveness of BAS in controlling building systems is seen to reside in conjoint man-machine function. In an emerging industry paradigm, data is extracted from the BAS and used for analytics that inform enhanced operations. This processing may include a “mash-up” with data from other sources, such as energy meters. KPI metrics and Building ReTuning, an on-going commissioning process, are suggested as important ways to guide operators in training and subsequent understanding and use of data intensive tools. Short case studies of work in progress on two CUNY campuses are provided.
IBM, through its Smarter Cities program, working with the Building Performance Lab of the City Un... more IBM, through its Smarter Cities program, working with the Building Performance Lab of the City University of New York (BPL-CUNY) and New York City (NYC) government, has developed an energy dashboard drawing upon the city's database of information from the U.S. EPA EnergyStar Portfolio Manager and other sources, such as local weather stations, for the city's 1,400 public schools. A unique aspect of the dashboard design process has been conscious integration with a training program for school operating (custodial) engineers. The dashboard is designed to easily display specific kinds of information that is emphasized in the training program, such as energy use breakdowns by source, end-use breakdowns, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, benchmarking, performance rating, normalized projections versus actuals, measurement tracking, local peer comparisons, forecasting and simulation. Information is used as the basis of practical projects to fulfill requirements for the national Building Operator Certification (level 1), addressing specific energy management and retro-commissioning learning objectives. Learning objectives and their relation to specific information types from the dashboard are described. The paper reports on this integration and initial experience with over 300 trainees in classroom, computer lab, and practical project application. Implications are developed for the appropriate use of information technology (IT) tools and analytics in providing insights and feedback for operators engaged in energy use reduction programs.
The kinds of products sought by residents of inner-city communities vary greatly from neighborhoo... more The kinds of products sought by residents of inner-city communities vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood. Cultural differences among residents account for this variety, so bodegas serving particular neighborhoods must understand the needs of local residents and carry an ...
Components of traditional industrial infrastructure systems have unilateral input-output relation... more Components of traditional industrial infrastructure systems have unilateral input-output relationships—individual components transfer energy from natural resources and then dissipate the byproducts as waste into the natural environment. In what has been termed "Infrastructural Ecology'', a multilateral approach reveals interdependencies and potential reciprocities between several urban systems viewed as part of a whole. To the extent that City authorities undertake improvements and upgrades to major facilities such as wastewater treatment processes and their campuses, an intersectoral approach, based on progressive trends for next-generation facilities incorporating practices for resilience, is timely. [1,2] This paper provides a review of experimental findings from a sustainability graduate class that analyzed the cross-cutting issues and opportunities explored on the campuses of seven of the fourteen existing Wastewater Treatment Facilities in New York City. The stude...
In the U.S., commercial and residential buildings and their occupants consume more than 40 % of t... more In the U.S., commercial and residential buildings and their occupants consume more than 40 % of total energy and are responsible for 45 % of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, saving energy and costs, improving energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions are key initiatives in many cities and municipalities and for building owners and operators. To reduce energy consumption in buildings, one needs to understand patterns of energy usage and heat transfer as well as characteristics of building structures, operations and occupant behaviors that influence energy consumption. We develop heat transfer inverse models and statistical models that describe how energy is consumed in commercial buildings, and simulate the impact of energy saving changes that can be made to commercial buildings including structural, operational, behavioral and weather changes, on energy consumption and GHG emissions. The analytic toolset identifies energy savings opportunities and quantifies the s...
A multi-step statistical analysis procedure is developed to assess energy consumption and to iden... more A multi-step statistical analysis procedure is developed to assess energy consumption and to identify energy saving opportunities for large portfolios of buildings such as the New York City's public school buildings. The method borrows strength from and makes integrated use of the Variable Base Degree Day (VBDD) regression model, multivariate regression model and the Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. The analytical method provides useful information to compute energy performance metrics, detect anomaly, forecast and analyze root causes of the energy consumptions of the buildings, and helps building facility engineers and property managers to achieve significant energy savings, greenhouse gas emission reductions and cost savings.
Cities, undergoing rapid change in all parts of the globe, face a common set of “metabolic” chall... more Cities, undergoing rapid change in all parts of the globe, face a common set of “metabolic” challenges: sustainably provisioning for energy, water, and food supplies under sanitary, healthy, economically productive living conditions. Diverse decision makers, such as government, utilities, project developers and bankers must be able to visualize multiple impacts of plans and proposals. Global urban governance initiatives are currently bringing major cities together to learn from one another in addressing common challenges. Energy-related emissions, produced primarily by cities, are a huge challenge to the global climate, which in impacts growing urban areas. Urban infrastructures will have to be planned to meet the needs of increasing populations under increasingly demanding circumstances. This paper discusses the role of urban energy and climate modeling to analyze and predict trends that are a consequence of today ́s fossil energy economy and to develop strategies for moving toward...
A multi-step statistical analysis procedure is developed to assess energy consumption and to iden... more A multi-step statistical analysis procedure is developed to assess energy consumption and to identify energy saving opportunities for large portfolios of buildings such as the New York City’s public school buildings. The method borrows strength from and makes integrated use of the Variable Base Degree Day (VBDD) regression model, multivariate regression model and the Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. The analytical method provides useful information to compute energy performance metrics, detect anomaly, forecast and analyze root causes of the energy consumptions of the buildings, and helps building facility engineers and property managers to achieve significant energy savings, greenhouse gas emission reductions and cost savings.
Development, features, and use of a tool for inverse energy modeling for a portfolio of municipal... more Development, features, and use of a tool for inverse energy modeling for a portfolio of municipal buildings is described. The tool is software-automated to enable batch-processing. Statistical fitness is automatically evaluated to provide a baseline for energy retrofit program measurement and verification. Particular attention is paid to tool outputs that support use by an end user, such as an energy manager, for initial facility diagnostic purposes to guide further investigation.
A handful of programs emerging in the United States attempt to address operational improvements i... more A handful of programs emerging in the United States attempt to address operational improvements in buildings and the need for building operators to attain a more sophisticated level of knowledge, understanding and practice. Program results are considered at two levels. The first is change in the industry’s expectations of operating engineers. These new expectations are seen as the basis of skills sets and learning objectives. The second level is based on training evaluation, conducted through pre/post surveys in 2009, that assesses participating operators’ perceptions of their job functions and specific skills. Preliminary findings suggest that properly structured training can contribute to changes in operator functions as required by the industry but that further specification of training instruments is still necessary.
Improvement of space temperature control is a common element in energy conservation programs in e... more Improvement of space temperature control is a common element in energy conservation programs in existing multifamily housing. Acceptance of new temperature regimes by on-site management and residents is critical to the perception of project success. New control systems with remote data access and remote programmability provide capabilities that are significant to the introduction of new temperature regimes and that were not available with previous technologies. Commissioning of such systems needs to consider not only the proper functioning of the components but also the adjustment of set-points and responses of residents. Examples are provided of data utilization for improved control strategy and of acceptance under varying implementation strategies.
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Papers by michael bobker