Retrocommissioning a small commercial building to achieve net-zero energy

The Bayer EcoCommercial Buildings Conference Center (ECB CC) located in Pittsburgh, PA, formerly the Penn State 2009 Solar Decathlon home (Natural Fusion), has undergone an extensive retrocommissioning process to achieve net-zero energy performance. This work has been focused on adapting the building to its current location and use schedule through active control strategies, while remediating issues such as infiltration derived from moving the building several times. A comprehensive energy simulation has been developed in the Transient System Simulation tool (TRNSYS) that incorporates all of the building's energy systems in their current configuration. Innovative systems and features of the building include Fig. 1: Photo of the Bayer MaterialScience EcoCommercial Building Conference Center.[1] photovoltaics, solar hot water, phase change materials, ductless mini-split heatpumps, floor radiators, and high levels of insulation in the walls and ceiling. Extensive data has been collected on the building over a year cycle including weather, energy consumption, and envelope performance and has been used to benchmark the model over the past year, followed by TMY data forecasting ongoing net-zero energy performance for the future. The modeling results show the largest areas of impact on the energy budget. Recommendations are made regarding the critical issues to focus on when undertaking a retrocommissioning projects targeting the goal of net-zero energy.