Hall of Shame
The following photos of energy-wasting problems discovered in real buildings are drawn from the commissioning literature. Submit your examples!
![Close-up of wiring](images/mittal-fan-on.jpg)
Exhaust fan hardwired always-on [1]
![An open glass door in the freezer section of a grocery store with an arrow pointing to rust.](images/achc-grocery.jpg)
Rust is symptom of poor anti-condensation heating control setpoints in supermarket [2]
![Humidity past a condensing cooling coil.](images/humidity-past-coil.jpg)
Active humidification downstream of a condensing cooling coil at cleanroom facility [3]
![Broken actuator arm on damper of multizone unit, elementary school.](images/broken-damper.jpg)
Zone damper actuator arm broken - no temperature control [4]
![Left: Plugged filter; Right: Condensation on bottom of FCU and damage to ceiling tile](images/plugged-filter.jpg)
Plugged filter causing condensation on bottom of fan coil unit and damage to insulation coil and poor air flow [4]
![Inadequate cooling and excessive fan power consumption due to poor fit between light troffer diffusers and duct boot provided by a different supplier, allowing up to 25% of flow at diffuser to bypass directly into ceiling plenum. Highrise office tower.](images/duct-troffer.jpg)
Inadequate fan cooling and excessive fan power due to poor fit between light fixture and ducting, resulting in significant duct leakage [4]
![A blue wall with two sections at the base where gray tubes pass through. Black arrows point to various locations where there is an air leakage.](images/ufas-leakage.jpg)
Air leakage in an underfloor air-distribution system [5]
![A view of the ceiling of a room with four sets of hanging electric lights. Photosensor looks directly at the electric lights.](images/photosensor-placement.jpg)
Photosensor (for harvesting daylighing) "sees" the electric lights, so never turns off [6]
![A photosensor mounted on a wall above a row of windows. A large duct crosses in front of the photosensor.](images/duct-photosensor.jpg)
Photosensor (for daylight harvesting) shaded by duct [6]
![Mold behind wallpaper on a portion of a wall below three windows.](images/envelope.jpg)
Building envelope moisture entry [7]
![Moisture damage to a section of wall next to a door.](images/envelope2.jpg)
Building envelope moisture entry [7]
![Moisture damage on a ceiling tile.](images/envelope3.jpg)
Building envelope moisture entry [7]
Hot water valve motion impeded by piping [8]
Damage to brick facade of pool building as indication of improper sealing and air flow management
Hot water isolation valve (center) dangerously closed [9]
Sources
[1] Mittal, V. and M. hammond. "Evolution of Commissioning within a School District: Provider and Owner/Operator's Perspectives." 2008. Presented at the National Conference on Building Commissioning, April 23.
[2] Sellers, D. and J. Zazzara. 2004. "Supermarket Commissioning; Designing, Operating, and Maintaining Peak Efficiency," Presentation, September 28.
[3] Sellers, D. no date. "The AHU from Hell." Presentation to ASHRAE Inland Empire Chapter.
[4] Provided by Martha Hewett, MNCEE.
[5] Stum, K. 2008. "Underfloor Air Distribution Systems and their Commissioning," Presented at the National Conference on Building Commissioning, April 23.
[6] Deringer, J. 2008. "Daylighting Systems - Commissioning (CxDL) to Avoid/Fix Problems," Presented at the National Conference on Building Commissioning, April 23, 2008.
[7] Aldous, F. 2008. "Building Enclosure Commissioning: What's the Big Deal?" Presented at the National Conference on Building Commissioning, April 23.
[8] EMC Engineers, Inc. no date. "Commissioning: GSU Information Technology Building," Company fact sheet.
[9] Courtesy of Philip G. Saoud, PE, Peter Basso Associates, Inc.