Retro-Commissioning

Improve the Performance of your Building

Your building may have met energy codes when it was originally designed, but do you know how well it is performing now? Retro-commissioning is the process of monitoring, troubleshooting and adjusting electrical, mechanical and control systems in your building to achieve energy savings, in many cases, without large capital costs or investments.

The PNM Retro-Commissioning Program provides you access to experts who can identify opportunities to improve the system efficiency of your commercial building. This Program helps you by paying for the building assessment and provides rebates for the savings you achieve by implementing the recommended improvements.

Benefits for Your Business

  • Can return your equipment to proper operational state
  • May extend your equipment service life
  • Can reduce maintenance and repair costs
  • Provides improved occupant comfort

Two Paths for Participation:

A Focus on Common Opportunities

Medium-sized buildings can benefit from a standardized assessment that focuses on common system efficiency improvements. This involves a detailed facility study of your existing systems and recommendations on how to improve their operation. The program provides funding directly to the PNM Authorized Contractor you select to perform the assessment of your building to help offset the cost of the study and also pays rebates to you for the savings achieved after making the recommended low-cost/no-cost improvements.

Examples of Low-Cost or No-Cost Improvements:

1) Re-set

  • Duct static pressure
  • Supply air temperature
  • Chilled water supply temperature
  • Condenser water supply temperature
  • Zone temp deadband
  • Discharge air temperature

2) Optimize

  • Economizer control
  • Air handling unit schedule
  • Lighting schedule
  • Night low limit controls
  • Variable air volume box operation

3) Add

  • Supply fan variable frequency drive
  • Chilled water pump VFD
  • Lighting controls
  • Garage exhaust fan controls

Tier 1 Eligibility

To be eligible, all of the following criteria must be met:

1) Your building must meet at least one of the following size criteria:

  • Be at least 50,000 ft2 in size, OR
  • Use at least 750,000 annual kWh, OR
  • Have at least 500 kW peak demand in any given month in a 1-year period;

2) You must use a PNM Authorized Contractor who must provide the PNM program team with an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager benchmarking report;

3) You must commit to installing all identified no-cost and low-cost measures, which are defined as those measures with payback of less than two years and less than $2,000.

Building Optimization for Greater Savings

Larger buildings may have opportunities for a more comprehensive and customized assessment to yield even greater savings. This assessment is a deep dive into your facility and how it operates to provide customized system efficiency improvements. The program provides funding directly to the PNM Authorized Contractor you select to perform the assessment of your building to help offset the cost of the study, and also pays rebates to you for the savings achieve after making the recommended low-cost/no-cost improvements.

Tier 2 Eligibility and Pre-Application

To be eligible, all of the following criteria must be met:

1) Building must meet at least one of the following size criteria:

  • Be at least 100,000 ft2 in size, OR
  • Use at least 1,500,000 annual kWh, OR
  • Use at least 1,000 kW annual peak demand;

2) Building must have direct digital controls (DDC) in place connected to a building management system (BMS);

3) You must commit to installing all identified no-cost and low-cost measures, which are defined as those measures with payback of less than two years and less than $5,000;

4a) You must have participated in required retro-commissioning Tier 1 identified improvements, OR

4b) You must provide PNM program team with an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Benchmarking report

AND 4c) Your building must show a minimum 5% energy savings opportunity through a documented study by your selected PNM Authorized Contractor.

(The 4b plus 4c option allows for eligible Tier 2 buildings undergoing a more thorough retro-commissioning process or a performance contracting process to consolidate assessments into one project.)

PNM Authorized Contractors

PNM Authorized Contractors can provide you with estimates, install equipment and assist you with the application process.

Questions?

Call us at 505-938-9400 or
email energyefficiency@pnm.com

Become a PNM Authorized Contractor

Some of the benefits you can expect by becoming an Authorized Contractor:

  • Financial advantage, such as third-party payment of incentives & cash bonuses when available
  • Technical, rebate application, and engineering support
  • Secure access to real-time program data through the Program Project Portals
  • And many more