Introduction

Purpose

This guide describes energy efficiency metrics and benchmarks that can be used to track the performance of and identify potential opportunities to reduce energy use in laboratory buildings.

Target Audience

This guide is primarily intended for personnel who have responsibility for managing energy use in existing laboratory facilities — including facilities managers, energy managers, and their engineering consultants. Additionally, laboratory planners and designers may also use the metrics and benchmarks described in this guide for goal-setting in new construction or major renovation.

What This Guide Does

This guide provides the following information:

  • A step-by-step outline of the benchmarking process.
  • A set of performance metrics for the whole building as well as individual systems. For each metric, the guide provides a definition, performance benchmarks, and potential actions that can be inferred from evaluating this metric.
  • A list and descriptions of the data required for computing the metrics.

This guide is complemented by spreadsheet templates for data collection and for computing the benchmarking metrics. [XLS]

This guide builds on prior research supported by the national Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) program, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Much of the benchmarking data are drawn from the Labs21 benchmarking database and technical guides. Additional benchmark data were obtained from engineering experts including laboratory designers and energy managers.

What This Guide Does Not Do

While the energy benchmarking approach describe in this guide can be used to identify potential efficiency opportunities, this guide does not in and of itself constitute an energy audit procedure or checklist. (However, benchmarking may be used as part of an energy audit procedure, or to help prioritize areas for more in-depth audits). The guide does not describe how to calculate savings from the potential actions identified. This guide also does not describe detailed measurement procedures and equipment needed for obtaining the data required to compute metrics.

Definitions

A Performance Metric is a unit of measure used to assess performance; e.g. Ventilation airflow efficiency (W/cfm), Building Site Energy Intensity (BTU/sf-yr).

A Performance Benchmark is a particular value of the metric that is used as a point of comparison; e.g. 0.6 W/cfm may be considered "good practice" for ventilation airflow efficiency.