For agencies seeking to comply with Executive Order 13514, recent budget cuts have slashed many opportunities to invest in newer, more efficient and sustainable facilities and buildings. So the issue shifts to one of energy management – and the question becomes - what is the best we can do with what’s already given, and reduce our usage to the most efficient level? One option comes in the form of Power Analytics (formerly EDSA), the San Diego-based power analytics company. Power Analytics has been in the business of energy management for over twenty years and counts a range of U.S. military branches and numerous civilian agencies such as NASA among their customer base.

In December 2008, a partial power outage at Denver International Airport interrupted normal operations during one of the busiest travel days of the year. While gate activities and air traffic control were not affected, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checks had to be done manually. The three-hour outage led to longer than usual wait times for passengers trying to get through security, with ensuing disruptions in their travel plans. For airports and air traffic control facilities, the loss of power for even a few minutes can critically impact operations. Power is what keeps flight and ground systems operational, terminals and concourses open for passengers, cargo moving, and related organizations such as TSA and immigrations and customs functioning. Electrical power is also crucial to support functions such as restaurants, retail outlets and parking facilities.

Unless you are involved in building or facilities management, few designers encounter, or are required to support, post-build issues such as power cuts, or suffer the associated productivity and economic losses that power cuts can cause. [acronym] online’s, Vinny Poliseno, talked to Mark Ascolese of EDSA about making power systems “perfect on paper” before a single building foundation is laid.