U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Federal Energy Management Program

New and Underutilized Technology: Off-peak Pre-cooling

The following information outlines key deployment considerations for off-peak pre-cooling within the Federal sector. This information spans:

• Benefits
• Application
• Key Factors for Deployment
• Ranking Criteria

Benefits

Air conditioning and associated ventilation accounts for almost half of peak electric demand of commercial buildings. Using off-peak electricity to provide a significant portion of space cooling can save considerable electricity costs.

Application

Off-peak pre-cooling is applicable in most building categories.

Key Factors for Deployment

Off-peak pre-cooling requires optimized control strategies that are site specific. It is highly dependent on the difference between peak and off-peak electricity rates.

Ranking Criteria

Federal energy savings, cost-effectiveness, and probability of success are ranked 0-5 with 0 representing the lowest ranking and 5 representing the highest ranking. The weighted score is ranked 0-100 with 0 representing the lowest ranking and 100 representing the highest ranking.