Real-Time Energy Management: A Case Study of Three Large Commercial Buildings in Washington, D.C.

This case study examines the energy management initiative implemented by Tower Companies, Inc. in three large, multi-tenant office buildings it owns and operates in downtown Washington, D.C. Tower's initiative was designed to deliver to its buildings operations team better information about the energy use in each building and actionable recommendations to catch and correct operational stray and to reduce energy use.

This case study found that Tower's real-time energy management initiative achieved a 13.2 percent reduction in energy use over three buildings, showing that substantial gains are possible when building owners operate their buildings with attention devoted to reducing wasted energy use. The energy management initiative that produced these strong results focused on operational improvements -- measures that do not require construction, disruption to an occupied office building, or substantial capital investment. This case study provides building owners, tenants, efficiency programs, and others with a road map of an energy management initiative with proven results.