A sharp peak in electrical demand can be observed in almost every commercial building during the busiest hours of the day. Some of this peak may be attributed to office or building equipment, but a large portion is due to increased air conditioning usage in the heat of the afternoon. This peak in air conditioning requires additional power plant capacity, causes imbalances in the power grid, and may result in increased air pollution. But most importantly, peak demand may result in monthly charges much higher than base electrical rates. One of the best approaches to shrink peak demand is to reduce the heat load on a building, especially the solar loads that drive the need for air conditioning. And few heat reduction strategies can match the energy-savings potential of modern cool roofing technology.
In an effort to help building owners and designers deal effectively with peak electrical demand charges, this webinar will provide a step-by-step review of all aspects of peak demand reduction, including how to identify peak demand charges on a typical commercial electrical bill, how to estimate the potential savings achieved by installing a cool roof, and what other benefits may be achieved by reducing peaks in energy demand. The webinar also will provide attendees with valuable hands-on experience with available energy tools, including the online “Cool Roof Peak Calculator” developed by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the difference between net usage and peak demand charges and the role each plays in your electric bill. Using examples of typical electrical bills, learn how to identify and separate these two charges.
- Understand how peak demand charges are affected by thermal loads on your building and, most importantly, the roof on your building. Recognize the key types of thermal loads that have the greatest influence on peak demand charges.
- Understand how cool roof surfaces can be used to reduce peak demand- and related peak demand charges - in almost any climate.
- Learn to estimate potential peak demand charge savings for different roof systems using the free online "Cool Roof Peak Calculator" developed by the U.S. Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Labs.
Speaker
Dr. Hoff has written over one dozen peer-reviewed papers on energy efficiency and roofing systems and has conducted numerous seminars featuring energy-efficient roofing technologies.