GEMnet Status and Accomplishments: GSA's Energy and Maintenance Network

The US General Services Administration Pacific Rim Region (Region 9), manages over 20 million gross square feet of federally owned office space, plus additional leased office space, for the federal government in California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific territories. To assist in this real estate management the Pacific Rim Region is developing the GSA Energy and Maintenance Network, or GEMnet. GEMnet is a collection of information technology initiatives, including remote monitoring and control to reduce operational costs by improving energy efficiency, reducing peak demand, and optimizing maintenance in buildings. Ultimately the various systems use a common database platform. This paper describes the status and plans for GEMnet, focusing on how it compares with related monitoring and information technology currently used in non-residential buildings. This paper will also report on recent activities within the GEMnet purview, demand-shedding and retro-commissioning. For example, two large GSA office buildings in the San Francisco Bay Area participated in the California Independent System Operator (ISO) demand relief program (DRP) during the summer of 2001, shedding nearly 1 MW when called upon. In conjunction with the fielding of GEMnet related programs, a series of retro-commissioning projects is being implemented, scoped to the needs of particular buildings. Details on the BAS retro-commissioning at one building is presented.