Advanced RTU Case Studies | Better Buildings Initiative

Campaign Participant Case Studies

Participants and Supporters in the Advanced Rooftop Unit Campaign shared their results and best practices after upgrading their rooftop units (RTUs) and achieving impressive results. The case studies below provide real-world examples for tackling RTU energy efficiency challenges.

	Arby's: Innovative Approach to RTU Management and Maintenance Arby’s comprehensive portfolio-wide RTU assessment approach prioritizes replacing the most vulnerable units with high-efficiency RTUs. The Advanced RTU Campaign recognized Arby's with the award for “most innovative RTU management approach by a participating partner.”
	Fontana Unified School District: Innovative Approach to RTU Replacement for Schools Fontana Unified School District in southern California installed 201 high-efficiency RTUs in 30 buildings across four schools, resulting in $214,000 saved per year.
	Efficiency Vermont: Implementing High-Efficiency RTUs in Leased Buildings Commercial building leases often involve several stakeholders, making the process of executing energy-efficiency projects complex and challenging. Efficiency Vermont successfully completed a 66-RTU high-efficiency replacement project on a large 140,000-square-foot office building.
	Target: Engineering and Right-Sizing RTU Replacements Through its partnership with the Better Buildings Advanced RTU Campaign, Target developed a highly successful rooftop unit replacement program expected to produce estimated annual cost savings of $1.3 million.
	Target: Improving Efficiency in New Construction Target engineers and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) collaborated to implement new construction energy solutions, aiming for a reduction in consumption by at least 50% as compared to the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 standard.
	Target: Piloting Energy Efficiency Measures in an Existing Building In partnership with DOE, Target tested energy-saving HVAC measures in an existing store to realize 33% energy savings below the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 baseline.
	Walgreens: Proactive RTU Replacement Walgreens developed a successful program to strategically retire RTUs prior to failure and replace them with high-efficiency units. In 150 stores, Walgreens realized more than $1 million in savings from material and labor budgets.
	Publix: Field Evaluation of a High-Efficiency RTU Challenge Unit Publix installed Daikin Rebel RTUs at two of its Florida grocery stores to compare their performance against a standard reference unit in the field. The Daikin Rebel was the first model recognized by DOE as meeting its high-efficiency RTU Challenge requirements.
	adidas: Benefits of a Planned RTU Replacement Program adidas successfully implemented a planned RTU replacement program to save energy and avoid costly emergency replacements. This approach allows them to standardize equipment features, streamline the process, reduce costs, and provide higher quality results.
	JCPenney: RTU Advanced Retrofit Controls After piloting the use of RTU variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, JCPenney retrofitted 1,330 rooftop units in 130 additional stores with VFD – a total potential annual savings of $5 million in utility costs.

Additional Case Studies

Nike's Best Practice HVAC Replacement Program
This case study from Connex (previously the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association) highlights Nike's proactive HVAC replacement program aimed at reducing unit failure, avoiding sudden capital costs, and providing a comfortable shopping environment.

Retrofitting Inefficient Rooftop Air Conditioning Units Reduces U.S. Navy Energy Use
As part of the U.S. Navy’s overall energy strategy, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) partnered with NREL to demonstrate market-ready energy efficiency measures, renewable energy generation, and energy systems integration.

Campaign Recognition

We congratulate and thank the Advanced RTU Campaign Participants and Supporters for their leadership and excellence in commercial building rooftop unit efficiency. From 2013 to 2019, over 350 participants impacted 160,000 rooftop units, saving $110 million and over 1 billion kWh annually thanks to efficient RTU replacements, retrofits, and quality management and operations. Click MORE below to read the official recognition announcements from the U.S. Department of Energy.

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