In May 2011, EPA launched the ENERGY STAR National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. In its second year, the Biggest Loser-style competition featured teams from 245 buildings across the country in a head-to-head battle to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And guess who won in the House of Worship category? The First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis! This presentation is an overview of their energy-saving measures. You can also read an interview with Bruce Nelson, a member of the congregation, about how they saved all that energy here: http://bit.ly/s3d09X.

1. August 18, 2011 EPA ENERGY STAR National Building Competition Event
First Unitarian Society
900 Mount Curve Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403

2. August 18, 2011 EPA ENERGY STAR National Building Competition Event
First Unitarian Society
900 Mount Curve Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Building and Grounds Committee for First Unitarian Society approved a
performance based contract for classic recommissioning.
Projects included:
People-Power
Find and Fix
New Must Be Better

3. August 18, 2011 EPA ENERGY STAR National Building Competition Event
First Unitarian Society
900 Mount Curve Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
People-Power
Partnering with our most important resource to manage energy consumption – People. This
includes:
● Planners and schedulers of room use to allow use to match occupancy,
● Building staff and Users who can be the caring eyes, ears and hands to observe and
curb use (turning off hallway lights when adequate daylighting is present for
example),
● Volunteers to help with building envelope issues, addition of timers on line loads, and
reporting lighting, energy use, and climate issues.

4. August 18, 2011 EPA ENERGY STAR National Building Competition Event
First Unitarian Society
900 Mount Curve Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
Find and Fix
● 24/7 fan operation now managed by stats.
● Steam valves that never closed all the way were repaired, adjusted.
● Elements in steam traps that were leaking were replaced.
● Setback reactivated building wide, enhanced by schedule in large areas.
● Control air leaks found and remedied reducing run time and heating shutoff issues.
● Mixed Air adjustments were managed to occupancy.

5. August 18, 2011 EPA ENERGY STAR National Building Competition Event
First Unitarian Society
900 Mount Curve Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
New Must Be Better
After the existing systems were made functional and optimized, and savings immediately earned (within
the first month), a new use benchmark was the target to beat through any refits, upgrades,
modernizations. Many typical replacements and renewals had long term paybacks but adverse short term
cash flow effect. An investment in Control additions was made for:
● one AHU that accounted for 20% of the building’s steam/heating use, enabling programmable
scheduling and enhanced setback (went from 24 heating cycles a day on an avg 20 degree day to 18
per day on the pneumatic stat – under same OA temps, the unit now cycles avg 12 times per WEEK
to warm up Thursday evenings and Sundays).
● a ‘smart’ cutout control for both the boiler (45 degree boiler cutout in Fall-Spring with 68 degree
interior override), and main AHU fans (71 degree fan cutout in Summer). 3 year cost recovery
predicted, trending at 2 years presently.
● Nocturnal Free Cooling function was added to 2 main AHU areas: thus climate comfort periods in this
heating only plant was increased, along with fan run time in the fall-summer-spring. The energy
savings would have been greater without this extra fan run time, but climate comes first.

6. Your Tour Guide
● My name is Ken Duvio.
● Since 1988, my Facilities Management
background includes many requests by building
principals to investigate and control energy costs
locally, regionally, and nationally. I hold a
bachelors degree from Tulane University,
and certification in my profession.
● I work as a consultant/teacher/technician, thus
you'll see me on site dressed as appropriate for
the Boardroom, Workplace Tenants and Users,
roofs, tunnels, ceilings, and equipment rooms.
● The following slides offer a look
at recommissioning finds, fixes and additions that
have reduced energy and fuel consumption at First
Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.
● The comments are meant for a non technical
audience, while providing info to your building
technical and operating engineering staff.
● I hope this will help to identify and recreate similar
energy cost management work at your buildings.
www.nfs-llc.com

7. "You already have one of those.
It's just not hooked up."
● When I first toured, the
Building and Grounds
committee was aware that
the fans ran 24/7 from
October to April.
● I was asked initially to see
if FUS could purchase
some sort of starters to
allow the pneumatic stats
to turn the fans off and on
with the heating (steam)
valves.
● I’m staring right at the
pneumatic starter, original
equipment, present on all
main AHU’s, jumped out.
● Easy fix, reconnected the
control air off the stat
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branch to the steam valve

8. The Lower Auditorium (LA):
85 degrees in Feb 2010?
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9. Lower Auditorium (LA) was at 85 degrees in
February of 2010, set at 68 degrees.
● First thing I responded to on
site while intending to get
the fan starters hooked back
up. Custodian mentioned
the Cafeteria-Dining-Stage
area was over 80 degrees. I
thought, ok, we all
exaggerate a little… then I
walked in and measured 85.
● Blown diaphragm on the
actuator, venting control air
(compressor running
excessively, some valves
throughout the building
probably not closing all the
way) and thus unit was
running full heat 24/7.
● Rebuilt the actuator,
reseated the valve. $23 part.
www.nfs-llc.com

10. The Upper Auditorium (UA)
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11. Excess UA Heat Cycles
Count the pink peaks (always on) and the
purple peaks (with fan turning off and on)
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12. Motor Starters, Lower and Upper
Auditorium Fans
● In Year 1, we reduced the
motor run time by re-
enabling the existing
pneumatic motor starters.
● This was just the beginning.
Datalogging recorders were
showing wild readings from
the heating coils, as if they
never turned off.
● And the outside air intake
was running about 50%
open in deep winter –
imagine those fans running
24/7, blowing a heat cycle in
the room to warm it, then
blowing 50% of 20 below
zero outside air, heating
cycle to bring it back up, and
repeat… expensive.
● Parts costs – zero. Just
reconnections, adjustments.
www.nfs-llc.com

13. Heat Won’t Turn Off – Steam Valve Leak
● Stage 1 and 2 of the Upper
Assembly Fan, an Air
Handling Unit (AHU)
accounting for up to 20% of
the building steam/heat
consumption, would not
close all the way.
● Stage 1 (rear) remedied by
a new diaphragm ($23.00
part).
● Stage 2 (front) remedied by
adjusting the valve stem
length in the actuator.
● Year 2 Digital Control –
Stage 1 valve is primary, 2
opens only as needed to
recover – we then ramp
back to 50% to complete a
heating cycle.
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14. "You’re lucky if you have control drawings at all."
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15. "By tracing and labeling air, electric, heating, return, and sensor
lines and devices, you can map your existing system - this
creates answers, and questions."
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16. Outside Air/Return Air Adjustments
● As mentioned, we had 50%
OA in the largest space in
deep winter, 25%
Downstairs in LA. There
were problems with the
control air to the dampers…
they were not hooked up to
ever purge when the AHU
shut down (and when the
fan runs all the time…)
● Some fittings, tubing, elbow
grease, line tracing. Note
labels in the lines, so techs
in the future don’t have to
untangle the birdsnest again
www.nfs-llc.com

17. Summer, Winter Adjustment
● Found some return air
diluting our Free Cooling
operation, thus reducing
efficiency. Correction to
control air pressure to the
damper on the ‘cooling’
stage drove this full closed,
OA full open. This saves fan
run time.
● Same but reverse
adjustment applies in the
winter: enough makeup air
during max estimated
occupancy (about 15%
works, and then the fan
shuts off and the OA
dampers close to preserve
the heating that the unit just
performed.
www.nfs-llc.com

18. Overheating the Entry Foyer
● Steam valve would not
close
● Remade leaky control
air connection, replaced
diaphragm
● Still overheating
● Off season, pulled the
valve assembly and
discovered a bad valve
seat. Replaced seat
and valve stopper.
● $40.00 rebuild kit
bought on Ebay
www.nfs-llc.com

19. Adjusted Thermostats
● I found most pneumatic
stats off by 5-8 degrees, and
recalibrated…
● Only to discover control air
leaks to many of the radiator
steam valve actuators due
to dry rotted plastic tubing
● And radiator valve actuator
heads that were shattering
in my hands, only to learn
they weren’t the type rated
for steam valve heat! Since
construction: wrong actuator
heads.
● So once all that was fixed
(head rebuild parts
averaged $15-20 each) the
stats were recalibrated
again.
www.nfs-llc.com

20. Adjusted Thermostats
● Most of these were just
buried on the highest
setting.
● This Danfoss sensor
was hooked up to a
valve head that was
cracked, but dutifully
tied back down to it’s
seat by stainless steel
wire, which had over
time stretched and
uncoiled at the twist-tie
down spots to let the
valve stay wide open
and consume steam.
www.nfs-llc.com

21. Heating Valve Not Closing, Fan Coil 2
● Smaller unit, harder to
figure this one – the
control air just wasn’t
there. Chased the line
down with a pressure
gauge until I got right
up to the valve. Leaking
at the seam, rebuilt the
head. $15.00 part
www.nfs-llc.com

22. Heating Valve Won't Open, Fan Coil 1
● FC 1 had several urban
legends I heard, including
reports that the steam lines
were capped to this unit years
ago. Well, sometimes it
heated, sometimes not.
● The clip that holds the valve
stem to the actuator head
was undone. The stat was
moving it, the steam line was
active, it just wasn’t always
pulling the valve open.
● Ok, you’re looking 14 ft
straight up, and wedging
yourself 12 inches between
hot steam and condensate
lines to work on an actuator
that’s over your head and
horizontal so all the guts go
flying across the room and
down when it was taken
apart. Not fun, but fixable!
www.nfs-llc.com

23. Condensate Return Temps
● Tracing back from these
thermometers when they’re
showing in excess of 110
degrees (2 were in the 220
range) might not always be
the easiest thing to do.
Shoot the return line from
the steam trap in each
radiator, down the line a bit
if you can, with the IR
thermometer.
● One hard to find leak was
actually the plastic head on
a Danfoss valve that had
split – another valve that
never closed. Steam trap
then needed replacement as
well.
www.nfs-llc.com

24. Steam Traps
● Once the leaky control
air lines are remedied;
● And the steam valves
that won’t close all the
way are fixed
● And the thermostats are
calibrated
● It’s time to look at the
steam traps to ensure
they’re not bleeding
steam back into the
condensate lines
● An IR hand held
thermometer can help
identify these lines
when hard to reach
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25. Good Filter Maintenance - Economizing
● Paper is cheaper than
metal. So is oil.
● Note the outside air
dampers open during a
summer day, 67 deg OA,
thus we can cool the UA for
a function in August without
mechanical cooling. Nature
cooperates a bit more
reliably in Fall and Spring.
Mid June through mid
August, not much help.
● If/When mechanical cooling
is implemented, this never
goes away: this is
Economizer mode,
something that I find rarely
works properly in many
buildings, and results in
excessive compressor run
time when you could be
‘throwing the windows
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(dampers) open’

26. RTU Evaporator and Condensor Coils
● These were well maintained
by the contractor.
● I have seen MANY cooling
and condenser coils on Roof
Top Units (RTU’s) clogged
with lint and
debris nationwide in my
travels for a major retailer.
Some coils are so clogged
they resemble fur coats!
● I’ve seen just as many
control system boards and
sensors that were not
hooked up correctly or at all.
● This unit is apart for a signal
wire to the Dietrich Room
programmable stat.
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27. Coil Cleaning
● The AHU and Fan Coil heating
coils were clean, thus good
filter maintenance.
● Here is a condenser coil for
one of the kitchen
refrigerator/freezers. Cleaning
these with a soft
brush/vacuum can help all
year round.
● Caution: When you clean
these, TURN THE STAT UP a
little – it will cool more
efficiently, so less power/run
time is needed; OR, you might
freeze and ruin food in the big
refrigerators and walk in’s.
Watch the temps!
www.nfs-llc.com

28. Someone’s in the Kitchen
● There was a piece of
fiberglass insulation
intermittently jamming
the contactor in the On
position – to the electric
hot water heating
booster pump for the
dishwasher. Not
something I expected to
find. Just moved back
the insulation after
removing the excess
(power to the unit off of
course)
www.nfs-llc.com

29. Domestic Tap Water Heating
● This unit short cycled a lot
● Several issues – here’s a model
for all these investigations: what
was the original problem? How
many layers of “Fixes” have well
meaning technicians added to
just get the hot water working?
● The Side Arm heat coil had not
been de-limed in ages, and the
high temp-low flow safety was
shutting the pilot and gas valve
off.
● I found the safety jumped out
● And the flow switch for the
recirculating motor defeated to
ON
● And the stat would just run the
HWH with only the hi limit switch
to cycle things most of the time.
But no one thought about the
flow safety. Flushed a lot of slag
out of the unit, reset the flow
switch, reconnected the safety,
then de-limed the Side Arm
heater.
www.nfs-llc.com

30. Line Timers on Window Units
● Staff gets into the act!
Addition of timers to the
window unit power
cords keeps the AC off
at night when the
school rooms are
vacant just in case the
faculty forgets to hit the
switch.
www.nfs-llc.com

31. Programmable Thermostats
● Basic 7 day, 4 period per day
programmable stats were
added to
● LA (also enabling Free
Cooling fall-spring-summer
damper control)
● Dietrich Room (RTU for
cooling, small steam valve FC
for heating, now the two can’t
run at the same time!)
● Offices (cooling only, but
programmed to recover
before the work day starts
and shut down after)
● Part of the capital work.
Refitting a unit to one of these
runs anywhere from $300 to
$700
● SETBACK now programmed
in for extended hours, further
back than the pneumatic stats
would allow.
www.nfs-llc.com

32. Year 2 Capital Improvements:
Cutout Control, Boiler and Fans
● Having established that with
simple repairs and
adjustments, use reduction
and cost savings are
predictable, AND we start
putting some of that cost
savings in the bank,
● THEN we look at
‘improvements’ – but look
out, the new performance
baseline is in effect. We
have to improve on what we’
ve just established, and the
improvements have to pay
for themselves else they’re
just a fancy luxury.
www.nfs-llc.com

33. Cutout Control, Boiler and Fans:
Trending, Alerts, Internet Access
● Alerts set up for Flame
Failure, Low Water, Low
Temp, Control Air Out of
Range.
● Can trend outside air
temperature, control air to
ensure building wide
pneumatic setback is
functioning, idle-purge-fuel
status, inside temp
● Has an inside temp override
to enable the boiler and
control air system should
the inside temp go below 66
degrees – sometimes the 45
degree cutout might lead to
inside cooling during long
periods at or above 45, with
no sunlight.
www.nfs-llc.com

34. Year 2 Capital Improvements:
Cutout Control, Boiler and Fans
● On top of that conduit is an
outdoor air sensor. This is
pivotal to the new system.
● We have determined that
when it’s 45 degrees or
warmer, the boiler can shut
down. We have a control
loop to the UA, LA and FC
fans that also disable the
fan starters when the AHU’s
can’t heat.
● In the Fall and Winter, we
play with settings ranging
from 55 to 72 – when it’s too
hot outside to cool the
rooms, the fans shut down
no matter what the stats are
trying to make them do.
www.nfs-llc.com

35. Internet Programmable Controller for
Upper Assembly Fan:
Cutout, setback, scheduling, 2 stage heat, overnight cooling.
● Using Mamac Maverick
Stats (designed, and built
in Chanhassen).
● Hybrid system – these
control inexpensive
skinner valves to slowly
dump control air to the
steam valve, opening it
after the fan starts, in
response to programmed
time and temperature.
● On line via port forwarding
in the router, password
protected
● Out of range alerts
programmed to cell
phone, email, etc.
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36. "A fan in the open window on a cool fall,
summer, or spring night"
● It was cheaper to have the
new digital controller run the
outside air and return
dampers on control air
rather than purchase
motorized damper motors;
thus, to keep the main
building compressor off in
the summer, this $60 unit
comes on as “stage 1
cooling” to drive the return
dampers shut and outside
air dampers open at night or
whenever the outside air is
cool enough to cool inside
the building.
www.nfs-llc.com

37. More on the UA Intervention
● We went from 24 cycles
a day to 18 on a unit
that accounts for more
than 20% of the
buildings steam
consumption.
● Now, with a 50 degree
setback, and the unit
only warming up 2
nights each week and
for Sunday occupancy,
● We have recorded
less than 12 cycles
FOR AN ENTIRE
WEEK for this AHU
under the same OA
temp conditions!!!
www.nfs-llc.com

38. Live Time View of First Unitarian Society
Upper Auditorium and Boiler Controls
● These are read only,
and password
protected, so you can’t
do anything to change
or effect the settings to
the units. It’s safe to
look.
● These should open in a
separate web browser
window on your PC,
Laptop or PDA:
● Boiler Control
● Upper Auditorium
AHU Control
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39. Cumulative Cost Savings
Prepared by Bruce Nelson, PE
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40. Electricity Consumption Reduction
Prepared by Bruce Nelson, PE
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41. Gas Consumption Reduction
Prepared by Bruce Nelson, PE
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42. Energy Star Portfolio Manager Tracking
Prepared by Bruce Nelson, PE
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43. Utility Audit Recommendations
The find and fix work that earned immediate, cumulative and
durable savings was all controls centered.
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44. Other efforts
● Unique envelope response to old
single glazed windows and
channels that were far from
airtight. Winter wind blew right
threw them into the spaces we
were trying to heat and retain
temp in. We sealed gaps in
moveable aluminum frame
components reachable from the
ground with a non toxic,
odorless, food grade sealant with
a battery powered applicator.
www.nfs-llc.com

45. Loving the Environment
● First Unitarian Society of
Minneapolis has saved in the
contract period
● 26090 kWh
● 113 KW
● 10682 THM
● 27 MtCO2e
● $9500 ($13000 in the EPA
period thus far)
● And has achieved
● Thms per HDD to 2.6
● An Energy Star Portfolio
Manager rating increase
from 28 to 52 as of August
2011
● EUI rating improvement
from 160 to 137
www.nfs-llc.com