This paper is based on findings resulting from an ASHRAE 2014–2015 Graduate Student Grant-In-Aid award.

Many organizations take pride in improving the energyefficiencyof their buildings through certification programs.However, because of limited accountability for energyconsumption at the individual building level, certification doesnot always guarantee efficient building operation in the longrun. The purpose of this study was to perform an energy analysisand a building energy simulation of a Leadership inEnergy and Environmental Design® (LEED®) Silver dininghall that appeared among a facilities management list of buildingsthat needed prompt attention on the University of Maryland'scampus in College Park, MD. The focus of this paper ison energy analysis and discussion of operational issues thatled to a substantial fall in the energy-efficiency performancefor this building. Simulations of energy-efficiency measurespredict saving opportunities of $231,632 per year or nearly60% of the current total building energy consumption. The siteenergy utilization index (EUI) is estimated to fall from current349 kBtu/ft²·yr (1100 kWh/m²·yr) to 143 kBtu/ft²·yr (452 kWh/m²·yr). This work contributes to a better understanding of thecauses of poor energy performance of what may be typical ofsome dining halls on some academic campuses. It proposesthat calculation of exact saving potentials at the building levelcan improve accountability and thus serve as a proxy for directfinancial liability.