Energy efficiency and conservation wasn’t a high priority during much of the 20^th Century. The Arab oil embargo of 1973 served as a wake-up call, however.  Going forward, designers, architects and engineers have increasingly incorporated energy-efficient designs and technologies into structures as they become available.

So much for new buildings. However, retrofitting older buildings for new, greener, energy-saving devices and systems often poses challenges. Among these is the expense. The initial investment for major retrofits can often be quite expensive. This gives building owners pause when considering such plans.

Yet, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, it’s being demonstrated that such retrofits can give a big return on those investments. According to research from the Consortium for Building Energy Innovation (CBEI), energy management systems in small-to-medium commercial buildings could produce in excess of $1.3 billion over the next eight years.

The secret is effectively using integrated technologies, rather than simply relying on just one. In many cases, building owners simply upgrade HVAC systems, or install special lighting equipment or energy efficient windows. At the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the focus is on integrating all of these systems in order to make certain they are working together for maximum energy savings. According to Marketing and Communications Specialist Kat Hinkel,  a 38,000 square foot building could realize energy savings of 43% and cost reductions of up to 38% though the use of an integrated energy management system.

These designers and engineers are heavily relying on the practical skills of the IBEW-NECA team when it comes to the actual construction and installation.  The expert training and experience of these members goes a long way toward ensuring that everything works the way it is supposed to once the work is complete.

And the work needing to be done is immense. One building, originally constructed during the Second World War, contained amenities such as a swimming pool, a bowling alley and a gym. All of this had to be  taken out in order to make room for offices and workrooms, including complete removal of the original concrete slab. New pathways had to be put into the walls and the floors. It gives one a taste of what is involved in working around existing construction when it comes to renovating an early 20^th Century building for the 21^st.

The IBEW-NECA team is no stranger to such challenges, however. As electrician Bob Burns of IBEW Local 98 told Electric TV, “We have to kind of use our ingenuity and try to make it work so that they get what they’re looking for, and we do it the right way and the safe way.”