energy efficiency

Energy Efficiency for Commercial Buildings in Focus

The Existing Commercial Buildings Working Group of the State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action) has developed best practice recommendations to improve energy efficiency in public and private commercial buildings through whole-building approaches. These best practices can save energy, save money, and create jobs. For example, retro-commissioning offers 10% to 30% energy savings, dollar savings of 2 to 10 times the cost, and can add up to millions of dollars saved across a building portfolio. Retro-commissioning programs create an estimated 5 to 15 green jobs per $1 million invested. SEE Action fact sheets are available on:

• Energy benchmarking to measure the energy performance of buildings, improve information transparency in the market, and identify good candidates for energy audits and upgrades.
• Strategic energy management to reduce upgrade costs across a portfolio of facilities and institutionalize practices to sustain long-term savings.
• Retro-commissioning to “tune up” a building’s equipment to increase efficiency without a major capital investment.
• High performance leasing to overcome the “split incentive” problem faced by tenants and property owners by incorporating energy efficiency benefit- and cost-sharing practices into lease terms.

About SEE Action

SEE Action is a state- and local-led effort to achieve all cost-effective energy efficiency by 2020. Facilitated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), SEE Action offers knowledge, resources, and technical assistance to state and local decision makers as they advance energy efficiency policies and programs in their jurisdictions.

Sustainable Funding for Local Energy Efficiency Initiatives

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), has released a new research report titled, "Keeping It in the Community: Sustainable Funding for Local Energy Efficiency Initiatives." Here's a quick summary of the report:

Initial investments have already been made by thousands of local governments in energy efficiency projects, programs, policies, and expanding staff capacity, but most federal funds that have supported these efforts are expiring. Some communities have considered or adopted sustainable funding mechanisms for their energy efficiency investments. These efforts provide important examples for other communities hoping to sustain funding for their efficiency efforts.

This report describes several of these local funding options and provides examples where each has been adopted. Options discussed include utility partnerships; licensing, service, or waste fees; energy or carbon taxes; systems benefit funds; bonds; and options to capture the value created by avoided energy costs to create self-sustaining funds through revolving loan funds or other mechanisms. Additional items discussed include leadership and management practices that have made the establishment and continuation of these funding mechanisms viable, such as champions, issue framing, dedicated staff, performance benchmarking, and measurement and verification. 

Download Now (free registration require)

Houston Mayor Parker Announces Green Office Challenge Winners

City of Houston Creates Largest Challenge in U.S.

Mayor Annise Parker (right) congratulates members of Smith and Associates Green
Team, which took home the Overall Winner honors for "Greatest Implementation of
Green Building Innovations." Photo credit: Richard J. Carson

The City of Houston, in partnership with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, the Clinton Climate Initiative and over 25 Houston nonprofits, announced the winners of the City’s first annual Green Office Challenge on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. The Houston Green Office Challenge officially began January 1, 2011 becoming the nation’s largest.

Since that time, the City of Houston has provided training opportunities and other resources, including financial incentives, to assist office building owners, property managers, management districts and tenants to increase their environmental and economic performance in the areas of energy conservation, waste reduction, water efficiency, cleaner transportation choices and property management/tenant engagement.

“The Green Office Challenge has been a success because of community commitment,” said Mayor Annise Parker. “More than 375 buildings and tenants participated representing approximately 75 million square feet.” In just the last year, with 176 buildings achieving LEED status, Houston rose from number seven to number four in the nation with the most LEED certified buildings and is quickly closing in on a top three spot. 

LBNL's New Clean Energy Program Policy Briefs

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released three new clean energy financing policy briefs today on Clean Energy Works Oregon, the Indianapolis Ecohouse Project Loan program and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.

Arlington County Businesses Save $2 Million With Green Games

On Thursday, March 22, 2012, Arlington celebrated the accomplishments of its Inaugural Green Games competition for the commercial office sector.  More than 100 buildings and offices, representing roughly 15 million square feet – or one third – of Arlington’s office space competed for one year in a race to reduce waste, energy and water use, and set other environmental goals.

By deploying energy-efficient, no- to low-cost, and sustainable practices, Green Games participants realized a collective savings of $2M and prevented the release of 10,000 tons of CO2, or the equivalent of taking 1,996 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. Companies that showed the greatest achievements across areas such as energy and water use, waste diversion and transportation choices over the year were honored by Arlington County during the ceremony.

Increasing Energy Efficiency in Existing Multifamily Buildings

Photo credit: avrene via flickr

The cities of Berkeley, Oakland, and Emeryville, CA, have released a collaborative report that provides an overview for policymakers of the challenges, opportunities and policy tools that can be used to increase energy efficiency in existing multifamily buildings.

Download the Report

More from the Report's Executive Summary:

This report is designed primarily for local government policy makers. It is one component of a joint project between the cities of Berkeley, Oakland, and Emeryville aimed at developing effective strategies to increase energy efficiency in our communities’ multifamily properties, including apartment buildings, cooperatives, and condos. The project, called Building Energy Efficiency Solutions (BEES), seeks to develop local solutions to the formidable barriers tenants and building owners face when trying to lower their energy and water consumption and reduce their utility bills. Solutions to address these barriers must not only be designed to increase energy efficiency, but must also be consistent with our communities’ existing commitments to diversity and to providing healthy, affordable housing for residents.

Common barriers to increasing energy efficiency in existing multifamily buildings include:

A Chance to Restore PACE: Submit Comments to FHFA

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is seeking public comment on local property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs, which FHFA effectively shut down in 2010. If you want to help restore the job-creating, energy-saving programs pioneered by local governments, now is your chance to submit feedback on PACE and on FHFA's objections to these programs.

According to PACENow.org, "The United States District Court found that FHFA violated the federal Administrative Procedures Act when it issued its July 6, 2010 statement that prohibits Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other government sponsored enterprises that it regulates from buying residential mortgages with PACE assessments." A court order ruled that FHFA must conduct a public notice and comment period for 60 days to weigh in on PACE programs.

PACENow also writes, that "this is an important opportunity to challenge the FHFA’s ban on PACE and provide comments to FHFA on the broad public policy objectives that PACE furthers, the extensive public support for PACE programs, the FHFA’s stated objections to PACE, and suggest a rule to allow residential PACE programs to proceed."

Comments are due by March 26. View the Federal Register Notice, suggestions on how to comment, and other key documents on the PACENow website.

Get EPA's Clean Energy Financing Decision Tool & Guide

States and communities are increasingly investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy to achieve their air quality, economic, and energy goals. They can do this by adopting clean energy financing programs that can make efficiency and renewable energy more affordable for their residential, commercial, and municipal sectors.

EPA's State and Local Climate and Clean Energy Program is supporting these efforts with the launch of a new online Financing Program Decision Tool and a Financing Program Decision Guide.

Financing Program Decision Tool

This Tool is designed for state and local staff in the early stages of choosing a clean energy financing program. Answer a handful of simple questions, and the Tool highlights quickly the most promising program options for your jurisdiction to pursue.

View the Tool

Financing Program Decision Guide

This Guide complements the Tool, and includes the basics on financing-program options, as well as key considerations and factors for states and communities to weigh as they
start up or expand their clean energy financing programs.

View the Tool

Saving on Energy Bills: Meeting Families in the Middle

A study released Dec. 20 by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) identifies steps that energy efficiency program managers can take to deliver significant savings on home energy bills to middle-income households.

“Middle-income households have been hit hard by the recent recession, and sagging home prices have undermined the traditional reliance of middle-income households on home equity for financing home improvements,” says Berkeley Lab’s Mark Zimring, a researcher in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD) and co-author on the report.  “It is really difficult to motivate them to invest in improving the efficiency of their homes, and to overcome the up-front cost barrier once they’re motivated.”

Read the Study

Green Business Challenge Goes Rural in Decorah, Iowa

More than 50 businesses participated in the Green Business Challenge.  At a minimum each business tracked it's energy use with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.  Many businesses made major improvements to their buildings and operations.

Communities around the country have found value in ICLEI's Green Business Challenge model.  From increasing energy efficiency to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or engaging businesses to implement sustainable actions, the Green Business Challenge program is easily adaptable for any community.

Decorah, Iowa’s Winneshiek Energy District Green Business Challenge is an excellent example of a successful program in a rural community. The District aims to make energy transitioning happen quickly in order to reduce greenhouse gases, improve local economies and create sustainable energy societies. Decorah has 8,000 people and the county has almost 20,000 people.