Las Vegas Resort, Hotel, and Casino: Recommissioning Services

Cadmus helped a large Las Vegas resort save an estimated $274,000 in annual energy costs and retain a 35 percent tax abatement.

This large Las Vegas resort consists of more than 8 million square feet and includes hotel, retail, fitness/spa, parking, and theater space.

Challenge

Six years after earning LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) Silver certification, the resort’s management sought confirmation that the site was operating at peak efficiency in order to minimize operating costs and also retain its 35 percent Nevada State Office of Energy tax abatement under the AB33 green building tax abatement program.

Solution

In early 2014, to meet the client’s goals of continuous performance improvements, cost reductions, and compliance with Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy tax abatement program requirements, Cadmus performed functional testing of more than 30 types of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment. Cadmus also reviewed building automation system trends, sensor calibration, sequence of operation control upgrades, and testing and balancing; and updated the systems manual.

In all building projects, particularly of this size and complexity, a project’s systems accumulate points of inefficiency over time. Regular recommissioning helps identify and rectify issues that waste energy and compromise performance. In recommissioning this resort, Cadmus identified a total of 246 issues related to HVAC, lighting, and other systems, and assisted in their resolution. We also developed energy conservation measures with the potential to reduce annual operating costs by more than $274,000, effectively improving on the resort’s original “as-designed” specifications.

Results

• Met the aggressive project schedule while delivering high-quality results
• Ensured the client was able to retain their green building tax abatement
• Recommissioned all systems and confirmed that mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and renewable energy systems currently operate to meet the original design intent and LEED-NC v2.2 energy-efficiency performance requirements
• Identified more than 200 efficiency issues and assisted in resolving them
• Recommended energy conservation measures capable of reducing annual operating costs by an estimated $274,000 in energy savings each year
• Provided a comprehensive equipment list, detailing more than 9,000 pieces of equipment
• Return on investment in year one is 129 percent with payback in 10 months in addition to the savings already made to return to the “as-designed” level of performance
• Updated the facility systems manual, documented current sequences of operation, and recommended operational and maintenance best practices

Learn more about Cadmus’ commissioning services for High Performance Buildings & Plants.