Retro Commissioning

Get professional guidance to identify cost-effective, energy-saving opportunities that will maximize your building’s performance and save you money.

Benefits of Retro Commissioning

Retro Commissioning is the process of fine-tuning building systems to ensure a building is running at its optimal performance. It addresses problems that have developed throughout a building’s life as a result of issues such as aging equipment and changes in how spaces are used by occupants.

During retro commissioning, a certified Program Ally contractor will identify equipment in your facility that is not operating efficiently, systems that need to be replaced or adjusted, and other opportunities for operational improvements. You will then receive a recommended list of energy-saving improvements.

Benefits of retro commissioning include:

Hidden Problems

Retro commissioning helps you uncover problems that may be making your facility less efficient.

Operating Costs

Conducting retro commissioning on a regular basis allows you to reduce operating costs by improving system and equipment performance.

Safety and Comfort

Retro commissioning allows you to uncover issues that could be causing safety and comfort issues in your facility.

Incentives & Eligibility

We offer three incentive options for retro commissioning.

Retro Commissioning (RCx Lite) is designed for facilities that have 20,000 to 100,000 sq ft of air-conditioned space and may not have the time or financial resources to survey an entire facility. RCx Lite focuses on specific areas of the facility and identifies no- and low-cost energy efficiency improvements that can help reduce usage.

Incentives through this option can cover up to 100 percent of the survey cost for tune-up projects that have a simple payback period of up to one year. Measures that may qualify for RCx Lite incentives include:

  • Adjustment of lighting and HVAC operating schedules
  • Adjustment of HVAC set points
  • Redeployment of inoperable HVAC dampers and controls

A typical facility in Ameren Illinois service territory can expect to achieve an energy savings of up to 30 percent as a result of RCx Lite. Retro-commissioning survey work must be performed by an Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency Program Retro-Commissioning Service Provider (RSP). System adjustments may be performed by an RSP, an in-house resource or a contractor of your choice.

RCx Lite Application

Large facilities with 100,000 sq ft or more in size qualify for Large Facilities RCx. This includes industrial, healthcare, and commercial buildings that can optimize the operation of their existing lighting, HVAC, and energy management systems.

Large facilities retro commissioning incentives can cover up to 90 percent of the discovery phase for tune-up projects that have a simple payback period of up to one year. Measures that may qualify for large facility incentives include:

  • Adjustment of lighting and HVAC operating schedules
  • Adjustment of HVAC set points
  • Redeployment of inoperable HVAC dampers and controls

A large facility in Ameren Illinois service territory can expect to achieve an energy savings of 15 to 30 percent as a result of the retro-commissioning process. Retro-commissioning survey work must be performed by an Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency Program Retro-Commissioning Service Provider (RSP). System adjustments may be performed by an RSP, an in-house resource or a contractor of your choice.

Large Facility Retro-Commissioning RSP Application

Large Facility Application

This option provides cash incentives to assist food processing facilities, refrigerated warehouses and process cooling in optimizing the operation of their industrial refrigeration systems.

Industrial refrigeration retro commissioning can cover 90 percent of the discovery phase for tune-up projects that have a simple payback period of up to one year. Measures that may qualify for industrial refrigeration incentives include:

  • Lower condensing pressure
  • Raise suction pressure
  • Evaporator fan control
  • Evaporator defrost settings
  • Compressor sequencing

Retro-commissioning survey work must be performed by an Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency Program Retro-Commissioning Service Provider (RSP). System adjustments may be performed by an RSP, an in-house resource or a contractor of your choice.

Industrial Refrigeration Application

This option is offering support for Monitoring-Based Commissioning of HVAC, industrial and other systems. Eligible Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) systems will collect and trend key data points, in addition to including an analytic software package capable of identifying energy savings opportunities.

Incentives through this option can cover up to 100% of the installed costs for the software and equipment with a simple payback period.

Monitoring-Based Commissioning must be performed by one of our Monitoring-Based Commissioning Registered Service Providers (RSPs).

Monitoring-Based Commissioning Application

Monitoring-Based Commissioning Registered Service Providers

Retro Commissioning from the Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency Program

Get professional guidance to identify cost-effective, energy-saving opportunities that will maximize your building’s performance and save you money.

MasterBrand Cabinets Case Study

Find out how MasterBrand Cabinets completed several retro commissioning projects to reduce energy use at their Arthur plant, saving as much as $70,000 per year in energy costs.

MasterBrand