Energy Management Strategies in Public Libraries

The handbook is intended as a guide for librarians, building managers, and others concerned with reducing energy use and peak electric power demand in public library buildings. It provides a technical overview of each topic, basic terms and definitions of energy and power use, and is a primer for the reader without technical background in the field. It provides strategies, which range from simple to complex and inexpensive to costly, for both new construction and renovation of existing facilities. The manual provides a checklist of the most cost effective energy management approaches for new construction. Subsequent sections provide a summary of the most effective strategies to improve the energy performance of the building for lighting, HVAC, the building envelope, hot water systems, and electrical systems.