The Van Ness North Cooperative, Inc. (VNNC), built in 1966, is a 16-story, 496,441 sf multi-family building in Northwest Washington, D.C. with 466 residences. In addition, the building has a three-level, 202,000 sf parking garage, and two swimming pools.
In 2020, VNNC was considering the installation of a natural gas-powered co-generation/tri-generation system to meet its electricity and thermal demands. Baumann Consulting provided a level 1 feasibility analysis for a combined heat and power (CHP) system, including a utility bill analysis, load analysis, and building walkthrough. Although the results indicated CHP would be a good option, VNNC elected not to pursue this further based on DC’s policies encouraging the elimination of on-site fossil fuel use.
In response to DC’s BEPS requirements, Van Ness North Cooperative (VNNC) was looking to identify and implement energy efficiency measures (EEMs), as well as capital mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and envelope upgrades that will enable the property to comply with BEPS while improving indoor environmental quality conditions for shareholders and residents. As a result, Baumann conducted an investment grade, ASHRAE level 3 energy audit inclusive of an assessment of VNNC’s building thermal envelope to identify the points and quantities of heating and cooling loss and moisture infiltration and to comply with BEPS. These services include:
- Benchmarking Review and ASHRAE Level 1 & 2 Energy Audit
- Electric Infrastructure and Whole Building Electrification Options Assessment
- Building Thermal Envelope Assessment, Air Leakage Testing, and IAQ Test
- Level 3 Audit Support and Whole Building Computer Simulation
- BEPS Compliance Assessment and Investment and Renovation Plan