Portland Museum of Art

Retrocommissioning and the subsequent energy audit by Sparhawk Group helped to reduce the Portland Museum of Art’s energy usage and carbon footprint.

Portland Museum of Art

Sparhawk Group was hired to retrocommission the Portland Museum of Art (PMA). The PMA is located in the Arts District of downtown Portland, ME and consists of three buildings added at various stages of the museum’s growth: The Charles Shipman Payson Building, the McLellan House, and the L.D.M. Sweat Galleries.

At the PMA, the process began with functional testing of building systems including air handlers, chillers, cooling towers, boilers, and pumps. Different operational characteristics were simulated — examples included cold outdoor air temperature to put the building in heating mode and warm outdoor air temperature to put the building in cooling mode — and the equipment being tested was checked for expected and efficient operation.

Operational deficiencies were identified and remediation recommendations were developed. Examples of deficiencies noted include:

  • Sensor calibration
  • Failed freeze protection
  • Elimination of simultaneous heating and cooling
  • Replacement of defective valve and actuator dampers
  • Sequence of operations optimization

Once retrocommissioning was complete, the systems at the PMA were operating optimally and a clear path to best maintenance practices was established.