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Plug and process loads (PPLs) in commercial buildings account for almost 5% of U.S. primary energy consumption. Minimizing these loads is a primary challenge in the design and operation of an energy-efficient building. PPLs are not related to general lighting, heating, ventilation, cooling, and water heating, and typically do not provide comfort to the occupants. They use an increasingly large fraction of the building energy use pie because the number and variety of electrical devices have increased along with building system efficiency. Reducing PPLs is difficult because energy efficiency opportunities and the equipment needed to address PPL energy use in office spaces are poorly understood.

This publication details the design, implementation strategies, and continuous performance monitoring of NREL's Research Support Facility data center.

This case study details the design and operations of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Research Support Facility data center and its contributions to energy efficiency.

Plug and process loads in commercial buildings account for 5% of U.S. primary energy consumption. Minimizing these loads is a primary challenge in the design and operation of an energy-efficient building.

This decision tree provides information on saving money by implementing advanced power strips and provides specific information on cost, features, drawbacks, and what to look for when purchasing an advanced power strip.

A recast of a presentation done for the Fairfax Chapter of Association of Energy Engineers in November of 2013. Presentation focuses on the the Advanced Energy Design Guides published by ASHRAE with association of AIA, USGBC, and IES with funding and technical support from DOE, NREL, and PNNL. In addition, the DOE Advanced Retrofit Guides are also discussed. Both sets of guides are available for download from this resource database.

The Advanced Energy Design Guide for Grocery Stores (AEDG-Grocery) is intended to provide a simple approach for contractors, designers, and owners to achieve 50% savings in grocery stores and other like retail that has refrigeration systems. Application of the recommendations in the Guide should result in grocery stores with 50% energy savings when compared to those same stores designed to the minimum requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004. Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

Find the presentation for the June 3, 2015 webinar on the 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide for Grocery Stores below.

The guide shows practical ways for grocery stores to achieve a 50% energy savings over ASHRAE 90.1-2004 and exceeds the requirements of 90.1-2013. Intended for grocery stores owners and designers, the guide includes specialty sections for refrigeration and food service found, not only in grocery stores but in convenience stores and food service establishments as well.

Speakers highlighted the guide, providing practical how-to tips to achieve the 50% savings level. The guide also helps those who build or design retail stores that may include refrigeration.

Below are the speakers from the webinar.
-Michael Lane, Puget Sound Energy
-Merle McBride, Owens Corning
-Caleb Nelson, CTA Group
-Paul Torcellini, National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

"Zero Net Energy (ZNE) is the future, and in a growing number of places the present, of building design and energy policy. A growing strategy to get to ZNE is to separate the building’s heating/cooling from the ventilation/dehumidification. Design firms and owners are striving to meet heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) loads with optimum comfort and minimal energy. Radiant systems can provide heating and cooling through pipes while ventilation and any humidity control requirements are efficiently met by a Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS). This guide provides an overview of Radiant Heating and Cooling + DOAS systems."

This guide primarily applies to facility managers and energy managers of large existing office buildings larger than 100,000 square feet, but also includes considerations for small and medium office buildings. By presenting general project planning guidance as well as financial payback metrics for the most common energy efficiency measures, this guide provides a practical roadmap for effectively planning and implementing performance improvements for existing buildings.