Paid tier · $8-35k · 4-8 weeks + 90-day verified M&V
Plant Optimization Sprints.
Fixed-price BMS optimization for specific plant systems, delivered in 4-8 weeks with 90-day IPMVP-compliant M&V. No capex, no downtime, no new equipment. Five sprint types cover Steam, Hot Water, Chilled Water, Condenser Water, and Air Handlers. Typical range: 12-22% utility spend reduction on buildings with drifted BMS.
Five sprint types
Pick the plant. We drive it back to design intent.
Steam Plant Optimization
$15-35k4-8 weeks + 90-day M&V
Header pressure reset, boiler staging, condensate return, trap survey. Header pressure alone typically drives 5-10% therms reduction.
Scope
- Boiler setpoint & staging review
- OAT-based header pressure reset schedule
- Steam trap survey (visual + ultrasonic)
- Condensate return optimization
- Deaerator, blowdown, feedwater review
- Combustion air trim (if BMS-controlled)
Pricing tiers
SmallSingle boiler ≤5 MMBtu
$15-18kMedium2-3 boilers, 5-15 MMBtu
$18-25kLargeMulti-boiler ≥15 MMBtu staged
$25-35kHot Water System Optimization
$10-25k4-8 weeks + 90-day M&V
OAT-based reset, preheat/reheat separation, pump VFD tuning. HW reset alone typically drives 10-20% therms/kWh reduction.
Scope
- HWS setpoint + OAT-based reset schedule
- Preheat/reheat loop separation validation
- Pump lead-lag + VFD tuning, DP reset
- Deadband analysis (fighting valves)
- Boiler/heat exchanger staging
- Bypass valve setpoint review
Pricing tiers
SmallSingle HW loop, one HX or small boiler
$10-14kMediumMultiple loops or medium plant
$14-20kLargeComplex distribution, multi-plant
$20-25kChilled Water Plant Optimization
$10-25k4-8 weeks + 90-day M&V
CHW reset, chiller staging, pump DP reset, primary/secondary loop optimization. Every 1°F CHW increase = ~1.5% chiller kW reduction.
Scope
- CHW supply setpoint + reset schedule
- Chiller staging + lead-lag sequencing
- CHW pump VFD tuning + DP reset
- Primary/secondary/tertiary loop optimization
- Free cooling / waterside economizer integration
- Turndown limits vs. actual load profile
Pricing tiers
SmallSingle chiller ≤200 tons
$10-14kMedium2-3 chillers, 200-800 tons
$14-18kLargeMulti-chiller ≥800 tons, complex loops
$18-25kCondenser Water Optimization
$8-20k4-8 weeks + 90-day M&V
CW reset, tower fan staging, approach control, free cooling changeover. Lower CW supply = higher chiller COP.
Scope
- CW supply temperature setpoint + reset schedule
- Tower fan staging + VFD control
- CW approach temperature target validation
- Free cooling changeover setpoint
- Basin blowdown + makeup control
- Multi-cell tower rotation logic
Pricing tiers
SmallSingle tower, single chiller
$8-12kMediumMulti-cell tower, 2-3 chillers
$12-17kLargeLarge plant, multiple towers/chillers
$17-20kAHU Optimization
$8-20k4-8 weeks + 90-day M&V
Static pressure reset, DCV, economizer tuning, minimum OA validation. Static pressure alone typically drives 15-30% supply fan kW reduction.
Scope
- Discharge air temperature + reset schedule
- Supply fan static pressure reset (trim-and-respond)
- Demand-controlled ventilation (CO2 or occupancy)
- Economizer changeover setpoint + operation
- Unoccupied setback / setup schedules
- Minimum outside air validation
Pricing tiers
1-3 AHUsSmall building
$8-12k4-8 AHUsMedium building
$12-16k9-15 AHUsLarge building
$16-20kEvery sprint includes
Universal deliverables
- Baseline consumption report (pre-implementation)
- Findings & recommendations memo
- Change log with rationale for every setpoint/sequence change
- Post-implementation M&V report per IPMVP Option B or C with verified savings
- Operator handoff documentation
Not included in Sprint scope
- ×Capex equipment or new controls hardware
- ×Structural or mechanical retrofits
- ×24/7 ongoing monitoring beyond the 90-day M&V window (M&V Retainer covers this)
How it works
4-8 weeks to implementation. 90 days to verified savings.
01
Baseline + audit
Design intent review, 30-day trend baseline, setpoint audit against spec.
02
Implement
BMS-side setpoint, sequence, reset schedule, and staging changes with change log.
03
Verify
90-day post-implementation M&V per IPMVP Option B or C. Weather-normalized.
04
Handoff
M&V report + operator handoff documentation. Optional M&V Retainer to sustain.
FAQ
Questions owners ask before signing.
Do we need a Rapid Diagnostic before a Sprint?+
Not required, but recommended. A $2,500 Rapid Diagnostic surfaces which sprint(s) matter most for your building and quantifies expected savings. The $2,500 fully credits toward the Sprint if you proceed within 90 days. If you already know which plant is the biggest lever (e.g., you know your steam plant is drifted and want to fix it), you can go straight to a Sprint.
Which sprint should we start with?+
Depends on your building. Buildings with steam plants usually see the biggest ROI from Steam Plant Optimization (header pressure alone is often 5-10% therms). Buildings with hot water hydronics usually see biggest ROI from HW Optimization (OAT reset is a huge lever). If unsure, the Rapid Diagnostic identifies the biggest lever specifically for your building.
What's the 90-day M&V window for?+
IPMVP-compliant verification. After we implement the setpoint and sequence changes (weeks 1-4), we monitor the building's actual performance for 90 days to verify the savings against your baseline. Weather-normalized. Documented. Board-defensible. You get a written M&V report at the end.
Can we bundle multiple sprints?+
Yes. For buildings with multiple central plant systems (say, both a steam plant and a CHW plant), we scope a combined engagement with bundled pricing. Typically 10-15% off vs. buying separately, depending on how tightly the systems couple.
What if the sprint doesn't save what you projected?+
The 90-day M&V window is your verification. If the verified savings materially undershoot the pre-implementation estimate, we work through the delta with you. Common causes are unusual weather, occupancy changes, or equipment condition issues surfaced during implementation. We're honest about causes. Sprint pricing is fixed regardless.
What if we have an unusual BMS vendor?+
MER has 10 years of hands-on Alerton experience for direct implementation. For Siemens, JCI, Honeywell, Distech, or other platforms, MER specs the changes vendor-neutrally and oversees your controls contractor's implementation. Either way you get owner-side depth, not vendor-side selling.
Do you handle Plant Optimization for hospitals?+
Yes. Every recommendation respects ASHRAE 170 minimums as hard floors. Nothing takes an OR, patient room, isolation room, imaging, or lab space below its code-mandated air changes or outdoor air minimums. See the /healthcare page for hospital-specific detail.
How does this relate to LL87 retro-commissioning?+
Plant Optimization Sprints are the operational-fix work that formal retro-commissioning identifies and corrects: drifted setpoints, disabled resets, schedules ignoring occupancy, control loops fighting each other. Buildings that run Sprints before their LL87 filing enter the audit with clean operations, which means the auditor's ECM list is real capital work instead of operational artifacts. Sprints are not a substitute for the LL87 RCx filing itself (which requires a Qualified Retro-Commissioning Agent per 1 RCNY §103-07). MER pairs with a QRCA when formal LL87 filing is in scope.
Ready to scope a sprint?
Start with a free 30-min intake call.
We walk your building context, confirm which sprint fits, and scope pricing. If a diagnostic is the right first step, we say so and route you to the $2,500 Rapid Diagnostic instead.