Case Study

SILICON VALLEY POWER REBATES POWER CONTINUOUS ENERGY UPGRADES AT SANTA CLARA TOWERS, LLC

Background Santa Clara Tower I, managed by Shorenstein HIGHLIGHTS Realty Services, is an 11-story building with 221,000 gross square feet that posed an • The building’s EPA ENERGY energy performance challenge for its STAR™ energy efficiency management staff when they assumed score jumped from 75 in control of the building in 2007. Tower I, built 2007 to 96 in 2011, and the in 1985, had an ENERGY STAR™ energy building is LEED Gold certified. SVP provided efficiency score of 75, and the building $16,826 in incentives for owners were motivated to improve efficiency LEED Gold certification. to lower operating expenses, attract new tenants, bring more value to existing tenants, • Smaller projects add up: and lower the building’s carbon footprint. Fountain nozzle With the technical help of Valley renovation, cooling tower Power (SVP), the municipal electric utility of VFD, condenser pump VFD the City of Santa Clara, and taking advantage and fresh air intake and exhaust fan improvements of significant SVP rebates, the operations earned $15,674 in rebates. staff undertook a continuous energy improvement program. • A recent water condenser improvement netted a The property manager and chief building Moving Into Continuous $32,171 SVP rebate. engineer reviewed the operations and Improvement Mode maintenance programs, identified energy • SVP rebates for Tower I The building engineer benchmarked the total $89,671 since 2010. upgrade opportunities and prioritized facility’s energy use with ENERGY STAR Portfolio projects by cost, payback period and ease of Manager, an interactive energy management • One proposed project in implementation. The first phase of upgrades tool, and continues to track efficiency Santa Clara Tower I’s focused on low-cost improvements and management with the program. Once the initial continual energy efficiency adjustments to areas such as interior lighting, improvements were in place, attention was upgrade will use “waste” turned to measures that required engineering, HVAC operations and repairs, pool and spa heat from its electrical retro-fitting or replacing equipment. heating cycles, exterior lighting timers and equipment room to help occupancy sensors in vacant suites. heat the facility swimming • The landscape fountain nozzles were pool. Payback period for modified, reducing the power required to the heat pump project will operate the fountain by over 75 percent. be approximately 16 • The cooling tower fan blades were replaced months and it will save with lighter variable-pitch blades, and about 50,000 kWh per year. variable frequency drives (VFDs) were installed for both cooling tower fans, significantly reducing power consumption. • Replacing a continuous 75 hp motor with a VFD-controlled and proper sized 40 hp motor for the condenser water pump reduced energy usage for the pump by almost 70 percent. • VFDs were installed for the fresh air intake fan and the building exhaust fan, which reduced annual consumption by approximately 34,000 kilowatt-hours. Case Study

HIGHLIGHTS

SVP provides its customers with low-cost, reliable energy to benefit the Santa Background Clara Towers, LLC and other Santa Clara Tower I, managed by Shorenstein Santa Clara businesses. Realty Services, is an 11-story building with SVP’s power comes from up 221,000 gross square feet that posed an to 30 percent clean, energy performance challenge for its renewable energy resources, management staff when they assumed and SVP regularly ranks Stephen Gerhardt, Chief Building Engineer control of the building in 2007. Tower I, built among the top utilities in 1985, had an ENERGY STAR™ energy nationwide for power efficiency score of 75, and the building reliability and business Facility Management “Our project plan definitely snowballed after we owners were motivated to improve efficiency customer satisfaction. The building operations staff also designed and did the initial improvements,” said Chief Building Engineer Stephen Gerhardt. “SVP made it so to lower operating expenses, attract new implemented upgrades that resulted in such SVP rates are 15 to 45 simple by working with us to plan the projects, tenants, bring more value to existing tenants, significant energy savings that the projects were percent lower than not eligible for SVP incentives because the evaluating the results and sending a rebate and lower the building’s carbon footprint. neighboring communities check just weeks after we finished each With the technical help of Silicon Valley and are among the lowest improvement.” Power (SVP), the municipal electric utility of rates in . the City of Santa Clara, and taking advantage SVP Financial Incentives and of significant SVP rebates, the operations Energy Cost Savings staff undertook a continuous energy The Santa Clara Tower I has improved its EPA improvement program. ENERGY STAR energy efficiency score from 75 in 2007 to 96 in 2011 and has a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The property manager and chief building Moving Into Continuous engineer reviewed the operations and Improvement Mode The building owners so far have collected over maintenance programs, identified energy The building engineer benchmarked the “SVP made it $89,000 in SVP rebates. These projects save upgrade opportunities and prioritized facility’s energy use with ENERGY STAR Portfolio almost 450,000 kWh a year, or approximately projects by cost, payback period and ease of Manager, an interactive energy management so simple by $52,425 in annual monetary savings. implementation. The first phase of upgrades tool, and continues to track efficiency focused on low-cost improvements and management with the program. Once the initial working with “There is no reason not to do upgrades like payback period was less than one year. these,” said Laura Galvin, property manager of adjustments to areas such as interior lighting, improvements were in place, attention was turned to measures that required engineering, us to plan The facility engineer devised and installed an Tower I. “Electricity usage has dropped by 37 HVAC operations and repairs, pool and spa retro-fitting or replacing equipment. outside air economizer for the elevator machine percent, our tenants are happy, and the heating cycles, exterior lighting timers and the projects...” room air conditioning unit to reduce operating building works more efficiently.” occupancy sensors in vacant suites. • The landscape fountain nozzles were hours by 90 percent. Refinements in the modified, reducing the power required to – Stephen Gerhardt building’s pneumatic control system reduced operate the fountain by over 75 percent. Chief Building Engineer compressor energy use and maintenance by over • The cooling tower fan blades were replaced 60 percent while extending the equipment life. with lighter variable-pitch blades, and variable frequency drives (VFDs) were For 25 years the building’s heating and cooling installed for both cooling tower fans, operations were driven by a few tenants significantly reducing power consumption. occupying difficult-to-heat perimeter suites. With • Replacing a continuous 75 hp motor with a technical help from SVP, the Tower I staff VFD-controlled and proper sized 40 hp re-engineered the distribution of condenser motor for the condenser water pump water to heat pumps and cooling units, resulting reduced energy usage for the pump by in energy savings of over 214,000 kWh a year. almost 70 percent. • VFDs were installed for the fresh air intake fan and the building exhaust fan, which Silicon Valley Power • City of Santa Clara • 1500 Warburton Ave. Santa Clara, CA 95050 • 408.615.6650 reduced annual electricity consumption by www.siliconvalleypower.com • [email protected] approximately 34,000 kilowatt-hours. Printed locally on 100% recycled paper. 0512.4