Window retrofit system to reduce energy costs up to 26 percent at New Jersey Office Building

Built in 1970, the 100,000-square-foot office building, located about six miles from Philadelphia, features 19,000 square feet of windows that are being updated with the RbB window retrofitting system.The revolutionary system helps older buildings significantly reduce energy consumption by converting lower-performing, single-pane windows into energy-saving, triple-glazed insulated glass units (IGUs) without removing or replacing them.

“The Kevon project is utilizing the RbB Platinum Plus II and Platinum Plus II XL systems,” says Arthur Berkowitz, president of J.E. Berkowitz, LP. “These new systems will add two lites of low-e glass to each of the building’s 651 windows to greatly improve their energy efficiency. By using sophisticated energy-modeling software, we estimate the retrofit will help the building owners save up to 26 percent in annual energy costs.”

The building will be monitored by the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub) to study the impact of the RbB system on the building’s energy efficiency. Established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the EEB Hub concentrates on accelerating the adoption of “Advanced Energy Retrofits” for commercial buildings by making use of new, but proven technologies, systems, and processes. The EEB Hub’s goal is to reduce energy use in the Greater Philadelphia commercial buildings sector by 20 percent by 2020. For more information, visit www.eebhub.org.

“It is clear that the glazing retrofit at Kevon Office Center will undoubtedly reduce energy consumption,” notes Hank Foley, executive director of the EEB Hub. “We will measure the amount to better understand the value proposition of this type of window retrofit.”

In addition, Kevon Office Center is part of a $1.6M U.S. DOE-funded project with Quanta Technologies and the NAHB Research Center, which will measure improvements to interior thermal comfort.

Carolyn Pfeiffer, commercial property manager for Kaiserman Company, which owns Kevon Office Center, says, “Our goal with the window retrofit project is to modernize the building with improved energy efficiency and indoor comfort.”

“We had previously used window film, but it deteriorates over time and it is really only effective for warm weather,” she added. “The RbB system is ideal for all weather conditions, eliminates condensation buildup that can happen with film, and also reduces street noise.”

Kevon will be the second property Kaiserman Company has renovated with the RbB system. 400 Market Street in Philadelphia, which was retrofitted last year, has seen an impressive increase in energy efficiency. According to measurements by the NAHB Research Center, through the most recent fall and winter months, 400 Market Street’s east-facing perimeter offices showed a 40 percent reduction in energy use, and the north-facing perimeter offices showed more than a 60 percent reduction.

“Based on the real-life reduction in energy costs and positive feedback from our tenants at 400 Market Street, it was an easy decision to select the RbB system to update the Kevon Office Center,” she said. “While the renovation at Kevon is in progress, it has gone quickly and with minimal disturbance thus far. And because the RbB system is installed to the interior window surface, it eliminated any additional cost and hassle of temporarily relocating our tenants, which they were happy to hear about.”

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), New Jersey’s oldest and largest publicly owned utility, is providing $200,000 in funding for the Kevon project through its $12 million Technology Demonstration Pilot Program. This program is designed to spur New Jersey’s energy efficiency sector by helping to fund the development of innovative products and services for both the business and residential markets.

“The projects we help fund through our Tech Demo program all have the potential to benefit the state’s economy and help our customers hold the line on energy costs,” says Frank Czigler, director – energy services for PSE&G. “We look to help finance ideas with technical merit, real-world commercial application and the potential to move New Jersey’s energy sector forward. We think that the RbB system certainly fits that bill.”

For more information about the RbB system, please visit www.jeberkowitz.com/Renovate.

About JEB

JE Berkowitz, LP is a leading architectural glass fabricator. Founded in 1920, the ISO 9001 certified company serves customers for the domestic and overseas architectural markets. Products include Tempered Glass, Insulating Glass, Spandrel Glass, Silk-Screened Glass, Glass Doors and Entrances, Laminated Glass, and Point Supported Canopy and Wall Systems. The family-owned glass business is located in Pedricktown,, N.J., with over 200,000 square feet of plant space and 250 employees.

For more information, visit www.jeberkowitz.com.

Renovate by Berkowitz (RbB) is a trademark of RbB, LLC.