The New Building in Town – Workplaces of the Future

Make way, Colorado; a ground-breaking workspace will call our state home this June.

As you may know, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is building a sustainable office space in Golden, Colorado that will support some 800 staff from both its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the DOE’s Golden Field Office. The building, which will be located on NREL’s campus, will feature roughly 220,000 square feet of space that meets LEED Platinum certification requirements. The project, for which the Department of Energy awarded $64 million in contract funds, will be “a showcase for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies” (Source: www.nrel.gov).  (Image Credit:  http://online.wsj.com)

A Net-Zero Footprint - Smart Spaces on a Budget

The primary goal of this office is net-zero energy use and the hope is that what they learn in the planning and building processes transfers toward the DOE’s previously stated goal of commercially viable net-zero energy buildings by 2025 (Source: www.eco-structure.com, September 19, 2009). In order to serve as a model project for the commercial construction industry, a key goal is to keep the building’s construction within reasonable cost levels – it comes out to about $280 per sq/ft unfurnished – and to widely publish the project’s results (Source: http://online.wsj.com).  (Photo Credit: www.nrel.gov)  

The building is slated to open in June of this year and is called the Research Support Facilities (RSF) center. Everything from the workspace layouts to the general structure was shaped and oriented to maximize natural light exposure.  The building itself resembles an "H" shape and is engineered so that no area inside is more than 30 feet from a window and natural light sources. High-level staff members, for example, will work in offices that have walls only six feet tall and cubicles will be in an open-air configuration with very little in the way of walls in between them. Click here to read more detail on the workspace engineering concepts included in the RSF. (Image Credit: www.nrel.gov)

Windows That Do More 

A system of smart windows plays a large role in the efficient use of the variety of lightning conditions that the building will experience, including:

• Heat-loss control
• Angled interior reflection to maximize interior lighting
• Sunshades to prevent work station glare

The windows will also open to vent excess heat in the warm months at night and will use the cooler night air to naturally bring down the temperature of the building. They were built with a special self-darkening film - which could cut down on energy waste via windows by up to 40% - that responds to the outside temperature.  To find out how the windows work, please click here and select the "Raven Window" option.   (Photo Credit: www.nrel.gov)

A Different Kind of Basement

Another unique feature of the building is an innovative basement-level series of concrete walls that will either capture and slowly transmit heat - from the computer center and a transpired air collector - or capture and transmit cooler air (from nighttime collections), depending on the seasons.

Pulling the outside air through this concrete labyrinth can warm it up by 5 - 10 degrees. The key to heating the building in the winter is the transpired air collector design, which minimizes loss and allows ventilated air to be heated as it enters the building. To read more about how these transpired air collectors work, please click here.

Turning on the Lights - On-Site Renewable Generation

Desk-based lighting is automatically controlled by the building to illuminate when a certain level of darkness is reached. In addition, there’s no “set temperature” for the building – it will be allowed to fluctuate between 68 and 80 degrees before energy-powered heating or cooling sources kick in. Even the cubicles themselves were built to use less energy than the current standard of 10.8 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month (instead using 2.8), and the workstations save additional energy by using laptop computers instead of desktops (Source and Image Credit: http://online.wsj.com/).

For the inevitable amount of energy that the building will require to operate, the DOE is building a Photovoltaic system that can generate up to 1.4 megawatts of energy specifically for the RSF.  Given that Colorado has the fifth greatest solar potential in the United States, these panels should be capable of covering most of the building's leftover energy needs (Source:  www.energyboom.com, April 6). To see how the construction and architecture group got around the hurdles associated with the recycled piping, please click here. 

Even the Building Blocks Are Green

When the DOE and NREL originally started the planning process on the Research Support Facility, they tried to keep the footprint of the building process itself as green as possible. The building structure consists of recycled steel pipe from old natural gas lines and the building uses beetle-kill wood panels and interior throughout. For information on how the construction team worked

Final Note

Don't be fooled by all of the functional design of the RSF - efficient does not mean bare.  This building achieves all of the above and still comes complete with such luxuries as a fitness center and a library for employees (Source: 
www.nrel.gov).  To learn more about this amazing, ground-breaking building, please click here.

Efficiency Improvements - Smarter Windows, Skyscrapers and the New Efficiency Research Hub

Electrochromic Windows – An Efficiency Breakthrough that's now Commercially Available

Smarter windows have officially arrived.  A company called Sage Electrochromic just won a $72 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy to produce its SageGlass® product. “SageGlass® allows natural light in while controlling unwanted solar heat and glare and can be used in building windows, skylights, and curtain walls,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Website (Source: www.energy.gov, March 5). (Image Credit: www.buildinggreen.com/)

The windows include several thin layers of metal oxide materials that can remain opaque or darken with the influence of a weak electrical current. This special ability allows for the windows to adjust to the amount of light and heat that’s incoming, which in turn cuts down on energy loss through the windows. The rough figure of energy waste through conventional windows is around 30% depending on the building, so the installation of these windows alone could mean significant energy cost savings. For more details about how this exciting new window technology works, please visit the Sage Electrochromic technical information page here.

 

A Local Non-Profit’s Success with an Iconic Building’s Retrofit

To follow-up on my article about this project when it launched in July of 2009, the Rocky Mountain Institute’s eight-month joint venture to study and recommend efficiency retrofitting for the Empire State Building in Manhattan recently came to a close The venture, a project of the Clinton Climate Institute, Johnson Controls, Jones Lang LaSalle and Colorado-based non-profit the Rocky Mountain Institute, managed to find 38% in energy efficiency savings across the building for an annual cost savings of $4.4 million (Sources:
www.esbsustainability.com/,  greensource.construction.com, March 3). 

All of the recommended measures had to meet strict cost-effectiveness standards and both the project's results and methodology are posted online at www.esbsustainability.com. Among the recommended efficiency measures were the installation of digital demand controls (9% savings), an office layout technique called “tenant daylighting” (6%), switching from constant air volume units to variable air volume ones (5%), retrofitting the building’s chiller plant (5%), window glazing (5%) and several others (Source: www.esbsustainability.com). To learn more about the project, please visit http://www.esbsustainability.com/ and take a peek at both the interactive tools section and their comprehensive reports.  (Image Credit:  www.esbsustainability.com/)


The Energy Regional Innovation Cluster – Efficiency Solutions for Every Project Scale 

Seven federal agencies recently announced that they will ban together to contribute $129.7 million over the next five years to create an energy efficiency research center aimed at solving issues that range from efficiency basics to mass implementation on a commercial scale (Source: www.energy.gov, February 12). The official Department of Energy release goes on to re-iterate that nearly 40% of the energy consumption and carbon emissions in the United States comes from buildings and that the program will also focus on job creation. This new “hub” will be a unique mixture of energy efficiency experts and will be called the Energy Regional Innovation Cluster (E-RIC). The principal goals of this lab will be to combine the efforts of the public and private sectors to tackle large- and small-scale efficiency issues to guide better solutions through to the marketplace at a faster rate. (Image Credit:  www.life.com/)

Such a lab will be a very exciting and unprecedented way to join the research strengths of both the government and the private sector and allow them to work together on problems of all scales to develop solutions that could have a huge impact on efficiency innovations over the next few years. The new lab’s location has yet to be determined, but will likely be at a university, an existing DOE laboratory, at a non-profit or within a private company. Other funding providers include the U.S. Department of Commerce (up to $5.5 million between three DOC programs) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (Source: www.energy.gov, February 12).

An Olympic Efficiency Feat

In the first such development during an Olympic Games, the energy consumption at several venues at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver is being monitored live. The monitoring services, provided by a local company named Pulse Energy, covers structures in the athlete’s villages, the snowmaking equipment, the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre and other facilities (Source: EnergyEfficiencynews.com, February 18). All of the energy use figures for the participating facilities are available online at this link: http://www.venueenergytracker.com/. The Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee also implemented sweeping energy efficiency measures in these buildings that netted a reported energy savings of 66,000 kWh in just the first three days of the Games.  (Photo Credit:  http://www.venueenergytracker.com/).  

The Venue Energy Tracker website also provides details about how each venue was constructed or improved with energy efficiency in mind. It’s interesting to read about the various challenges that these large, world-class venues presented on the efficiency front and to see the creative solutions put in place to combat those challenges. The Richmond Olympic Oval, for example, features a roof made from recycled Pine beetle-kill trees and uses waste heat energy from ice-making for other purposes in the building, including hot water and heating/cooling systems (Source:  Vancouver2010.com).  To see a complete listing of sustainability initiatives tied in with the 2010 Games - everything from greener ticket practices to LEED Certified facilities - please click here to visit the Vancouver 2010 sustainability home page.  (Photo Credit:  http://www.venueenergytracker.com/)

In addition to the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee's efficiency efforts for the 2010 games, the city of London is preparing broad energy efficiency initiatives for the 2012 Games as well.  The London Olympic Organizing Committee’s goal is to reduce the carbon emissions from the Games by 50% as compared to previous Games (those that did not attempt to curb energy use or carbon emissions).  For more information on the 2012 Games and energy efficiency, please click here.  I specifically recommend reading about the Energy Centre, a sustainable energy power center that London is preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games which features a biomass boiler fueled by wood chips as one of many efforts to reduce carbon emissions (Source:  London2012.com).  (Photo Credit:  http://www.london2012.com/)

Great News - The State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network

The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy recently announced the creation of the State Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action Network), a body that will help states implement and oversee energy efficiency programs (Source:  Energy.gov, February 2).  This move, which provides support and expertise from the federal side of things, could not come at a better time.  State budgets are in the red nationwide, resulting in personnel and program cuts, while federal funding for energy efficiency programs is at an all-time high.  The net effect of these two factors is that many states are having a difficult time accessing, implementing, and tracking energy efficiency projects at a time when the funding is available to make significant strides in energy savings across the nation. (Photo Credit: http://www.wordpress.com/) 

I wrote about one example of this in my January entry, where I discussed the challenges of implementing large-scale weatherization programs in our current economic climate.  I cited some issues discovered in Illinois through a random DOE audit of these newer programs in which a contractor did some weatherization work on behalf of the state that was later deemed unsafe.   This move by the EPA and DOE ensures that all of us, homeowners, businesses, workers and manufacturers of energy efficiency materials will benefit and that those dollars will be spent wisely.  (Photo Credit: http://www.smartpower.org/)

The SEE Action Network will follow a set of guidelines set forth in the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, a public-private partnership that launched in 2005 to create an hard-hitting plan for energy efficiency supported by utilities, regulators, and other private businesses.  The action plan’s goal is ambitious; “to achieve all cost-effective energy efficiency by the year 2025,” but this program is now pledging to meet this goal five years sooner than originally planned (in 2020).   I am excited to see what comes of the SEE Action Network and will surely track its progress along the way. (Photo Credit:  http://www.ncsl.org/) 

Energy Efficiency Programs - News, Notes and New Year's Resolutions

One interesting energy efficiency initiative in the early days of 2010 comes from the technology sector, specifically in IT and communications. Companies ranging from IBM to Yahoo! will receive portions of a $47 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to improve energy efficiency within their offices and operational centers, the DOE announced on January 7, 2010. The funds, which are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will be paired with approximately $70 million more in private-sector funds to reduce the 3% overall (120 billion kWh per year) demand that the companies’ operational centers drain annually from the nation’s energy grid (Source: RenewableEnergyNews.com, January 7).  These companies are so innovative when it comes to their technological and communications solutions that it should be very interesting to see what measures they come up with to improve their energy efficiency. The DOE's investment here could spark unique efficiency innovations that apply to commercial building efficiency projects nationwide.  (Photo Credit: http://www.cleantechnica.com/)

The Challenges of Large-Scale Weatherization Implementation

While city, county and state governments are beginning to feel the influx of money allocated toward weatherization programs, a recent red flag in Illinois illustrates the difficulty in managing these large-scale stimulus-funded weatherization efforts. When the U.S. DOE recently examined $242 million in weatherization funding allocated to the state of Illinois, it found that one of state’s contractors, which was overseeing and implementing the projects, did not thoroughly inspect or safeguard its work. The audit found that one contractor failed to detect a potentially dangerous gas leak and that the state, which is required to inspect 5% of the homes that are weatherized under its program (by the contractors), did not conduct all of the necessary inspections (Source: NewYorkTimes.com, December 21, 2009). (Photo Credit: http://www.homeenergy.org/)

This finding sheds some light on the set of challenges facing these wonderful programs. It is critical to expediently funnel this unprecedented funding into the maximum number of beneficial weatherization projects possible and to ensure that they’re all safely executed. Yet staffing on a state, county, city or contractor level may not have caught up with the program’s requirements, particularly because government budgets at all levels are so stretched. One definitively positive outcome from this finding will be that all participants will tighten up procedures and oversight, in some cases by adding adequate staffing, thus ensuring the appropriate use of taxpayer money for the lofty and worthy goals set forth by the program. Expect to see changes on this front in the coming months.

Energy Efficient Appliance Rebates - State vs. Federal Oversight

The effect of a $300 million U.S. government rebate program aimed at the purchase of energy efficient appliances meeting federal Energy Star designations may be tripped up by state oversight, say industry experts. The structure of the rebate program dictates that the rebate terms and timing will be handled individually by the states, rather than the federal government. Some industry experts contend that the inherent inconsistencies in the states’ handling of these funds will hinder a much-needed boost to the appliance industry (Source: Online.WSJ.com, January 8). The counter-argument to these comments, however, is that each state has unique needs when it comes to its population and that programs which may be popular and useful in one state may be stagnant and largely inapplicable in another. Time will tell how popular these programs turn out to be and how large of an impact they will have on the appliance manufacturers, but chances are good that these manufacturers will see a significant boost in business once these programs are in full swing no matter how they are administered. (Photo Credit: www.mytorontohomeimprovement.com)

Major City’s Commitment to Energy Efficiency Grows

In some energy efficiency news across the Atlantic, it appears that new commercial building developments in London are cutting carbon emissions by one-thid as a part of Mayor Boris Johnson’s push to cut the city’s total emissions by 60% in 2025. According to reports, 71% of London’s emissions come from buildings, so these efforts are crucial to keeping on track with Mayor Johnson’s goal (Source: RenewableEnergyNews.com, January 7). In addition, the Mayor’s Building Energy Efficiency Programme (BEEP), which aims to deliver energy efficiency retrofits on an expedient basis, continues to see new signatories, recently welcoming energy supplier EDF Energy. Mayor Johnson has also pledged to tighten carbon emissions standards for all buildings sometime in the next four years, which has spurred preemptive action on the part of several private-sector companies.  (Photo Credit:  http://www.tripadvisor.com/)

In other developments beyond our borders, the U.S. Department of Energy announced three projects under the Low-Carbon Communities of the Americas (LCCA) program, which was announced in June 2009 and aims to assist Latin American countries with the implementation of energy efficiency measures (Source: http://www.doe.gov/, January 8). Included within the three projects are training programs, wind generation program testing, and technical support programs for everything from auditing to reporting in Costa Rica, several Caribbean nations, and Dominica.

Energy Efficiency Outreach Programs

Boulder County, Colorado, recently launched an interesting energy efficiency outreach program funded partially by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The program involves door-to-door energy efficiency outreach every Saturday from November through April, during which time homes in the targeted area will get a free two-hour energy audit. The outreach workers, dubbed the “Energy Corps,” will install small efficiency upgrades such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, low-flow showerheads, programmable thermostats, weather stripping and clotheslines. They will also check household appliances and make adjustments to those items as necessary to improve efficiency (Source: DailyCamera.com, 10/18/09).

Homeowners associations within the county can apply on behalf of their tenants and will work with county officials to sign up the willing households for the upgrades. If the program is deemed successful, the county will actively seek new sources of funding to continue it past the current deadline of April. In addition to county efforts, the City of Boulder is implementing its own door-to-door program that assesses larger-scale energy upgrade needs, arranges for financing, and schedules the projects for home owners.

On October 19, the US Department of Energy released a Recovery Through Retrofit report stating that energy efficiency retrofitting on existing homes could reduce energy waste by 40%, and that these changes alone could “…cut energy bills by $21 billion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 160 million metric tons every year” (Source EnergyEfficiencyNews.com, October 21). With this in mind, proactive programs like the one Boulder County is piloting could be a tremendously positive force in the United States’ drive to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions levels as rapidly as possible. For more information about the Recovery Through Retrofit report and its full list of recommendations, please click here.

Similar programs to those seen in Boulder are rolling out nationwide as a part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, which has earmarked more than $2.7 billion in grants available to cities, counties, tribes and SEOs and has granted more than $1.4 billion in funding already (Source: EECBG.energy.gov). To see a full listing of recipients, please click here.

In a separate finding, a recent study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy surveyed state-implemented energy efficiency programs (using data from 2007) and found that, “… it costs an average of 2.5 cents to save a kilowatt hour of electricity through the programs” (Source: WSJ.com, October 22). In contrast, according to the same study, building new energy plants results in a cost-per-kilowatt-hour of nearly three-times that rate.

Beyond the government-driven initiatives are growing efforts by utilities to reduce energy consumption. These customer initiatives range from free high-efficiency light bulbs to tiered pricing based on total energy consumption. In many states, comprehensive partnerships are forming to align the efforts of both government and utility programs toward a shared set of overall goals. One example of this type of partnership can be found in the Colorado Public Utilities Commission's recent Energy Efficiency Status Report. For a state scorecard on Utility-based energy efficiency programs provided by the ACEEE, please click here.


Last, on the local effort level and though it’s hardly news, each state continues to offer energy efficiency upgrades and weatherization efforts for low-income residents as a part of a series of US Department of Energy weatherization and low-income energy programs (Source: EERE.energy.gov).

Residential Energy Generation News

Although there are dozens of energy efficiency improvements that the average homeowner can embrace, there are an increasing number of renewable energy generation systems - and incentives – that are appearing in the residential marketplace.

Selling Your Energy - Ontario's Feed-In Tariff Proposal

The province of Ontario, Canada recently announced a strong feed-in tariff system modeled after similar programs in Europe. The program takes into account the cost differential between energy types and rewards participants accordingly, so the same number of watts fed into the main grid from these private sources are rewarded on a scale according to the estimated installation and generation costs to the energy contributor (Source: RenewableEnergyWord.com, September 25).

The proposed program includes everything from solar-generated energy to offshore wind energy and unlike programs that exist in the United States, there are no government subsidies or credits involved. In addition to the proposed feed-in tariffs, the province will commit to building an infrastructure of what they term “enabler” lines to aid in transmission of these new, privately generated renewables to the main transmission grid.

One anticipated result of these tariffs is a swift growth in the installation of renewable energy generation systems in private homes and commercial buildings. With such a wide variety of opportunities to generate renewables, one could expect to see an expansion upon the traditional hardware available to facilitate this generation.

A Material Improvement

One area where more experimental forms of energy generating components are already available to the homeowner is in solar generation cells. Several companies are developing building and roofing materials that include photovoltaic films that can be integrated into an existing roof design, rather than in the form of the standard - but less aesthetically pleasing - solar panels. Such roofing materials, while appealing, are still more costly and less efficient at this stage than the traditional solar panel technologies (Source: NewYorkTimes.com, September 26).

This week, however, some of the top experts in the development of solar materials presented some encouraging news in the development of solar generation materials at the Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (PVSEC), a European solar tradeshow. Among the many stated goals of these experts were advancements in both the efficiency of crystalline silicon (c-Si) and thin-film solar photovoltaics (PV) and the costs to produce these materials (Source: TradingMarkets.com, September 26).

Energy Efficiency Meets Renewable Energy - Geothermal

Another type of energy generation system that holds some promise on the homeowner’s level are geothermal systems, in which ground source heat pumps transfer heat stored in the ground to the residence, where a small amount of electricity can then be used to bring the temperature up further and the heat can be used for the home or to heat water. If no additional energy is added, the relatively cool temperature (compared to surface-level temperatures) can be used to cool air for dispersion into the home. Depending on the location of the home, a vertical system may involve drilling down to 200 feet and could cost as little at $10,000-$15,000, though many systems can cost more (Source: BCLocalNews.com, September 26). For the typical cost of a system, a homeowner could expect to recover the costs of installation at around seven years of operation, which tends to be sooner than the payoff seen with some other forms of energy efficiency or renewable energy generation systems at the homeowner’s level.

Making an Impact with Energy Efficiency - Where to Start

As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, the best starting place for many homeowners is still to take on the simpler, less expensive energy efficiency improvements before seeking out more costly renewable energy generation systems. For homeowners who don’t have any idea where to start looking for the most cost-effective energy efficiency improvements to their home, I recommend The Home Energy Saver website tool, which was developed by the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Changes in the Residential Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Marketplace

Off the Grid - Total Energy Solutions for the Home

In an effort to serve growing demand for a broad spectrum of energy efficiency improvements that can be made to our homes, GE recently announced plans to become a one-stop shop for residential energy efficiency products (Source: EnergyEfficiencyNews.com, July 15). In addition to some of the more conventional products that GE offers, such as energy efficient light bulbs, appliances, and climate control consoles, the company will soon add residential energy generation and storage products. GE estimates that by improving the energy use of appliances, HVAC systems, and lighting, peak energy demand will decline by 7% in the United States.

As we look at the expansion of energy offerings that could feasibly enter the residential market in the coming months and years, one wonders which methods will truly be the most cost effective in the long run. Though most people are aware by now that better insulation, smart climate control consoles, energy efficient light bulbs and other small items can drastically reduce energy waste in their homes, what can be said of energy generation products designed for residential use?

For most, residential solar panels, wind turbines and other energy generation technologies have historically been out of reach both financially and logistically. As I mentioned in this earlier blog, however, the options available to the average homeowner in terms of renewable energy hardware and financing for such systems are increasing rapidly. The price of solar panels, for example, has dropped 40% this past year, opening the door for some to consider installation of such panels on their property for the first time (Source, NewYorkTimes.com, August 28).

In addition to improvements in technology and the reduction in price of some renewable energy components, government and utility subsidy programs for residential renewable energy systems are also starting to gain momentum. Though a reduction in market pricing and increases in availability of private financing for such systems is a positive trend, the impact of government subsidization and financing programs face a high standard of scrutiny. With a wider range of options now available for both energy conservation and renewable energy generation in the typical residence, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal raises an important question where our tax dollars are concerned; “…should the government be doing more to subsidize conservation?”

This same article cites a study by a consulting firm McKinsey & Co. that examined the cost of eliminating one ton of CO2 emissions via different methods, including light-emitting diodes, energy efficient appliances, wind power and solar power (Source, Online.WSJ.com, July 15). The study found, not surprisingly, that reducing energy demand through an upgrade of more efficient items for the home reduced CO2 more cheaply than generating new energy through the installation of renewable energy collection devices. The latter part of this article goes on to discuss a bill that’s pending in congress right now that would do just such a thing by offering tax incentives for homeowners and businesses who install these energy saving items. In addition to its focus on reducing energy demand, the bill is structured on a results-basis so as to provide the greatest incentive for the most energy demand reduced.

Government Funding - Upgrades for the Home

Many countries worldwide are rolling out with similar energy efficiency incentive packages, such as a £15 million home makeover package, which will provide free energy audits, advice, and free or discounted insulation materials to 96,000 homes (Source: EnergyEfficiencyNews.com, August 3). As I mentioned in an earlier blog, there are similar programs being considered or implemented at national, state and local levels, such as Boulder County's (Colorado) ClimateSmart program, which loans income-qualified homeowners up to $50,000 to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes and applies the debt to the property itself. ClimateSmart participants may also install renewable energy hardware under the program, including photovoltaic, solar thermal, or wind energy systems (a full list of approved projects is available at this link).



On a national level and as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 & 2010 for several energy efficiency improvements to existing homes, including roofs, HVAC upgrades, insulation, water heaters and more (Source: EnergyStar.gov). On the renewable energy side, the Federal Government is offering a 30% individual tax credit for residential solar electric expenditures through December 31, 2016, several of which have no upper limit on the base cost (Source: Energy.gov, EnergyStar.gov). This renewable energy tax credit includes small wind property credits with a cap of $4,000 and geothermal heat pumps up to $2,000.

Return on Investment - Thoughts on Spending Stimulus Dollars Wisely

As efforts to reduce CO2 emissions ramp up in the United States and worldwide, it will be interesting to see how many new programs will be geared toward simple efficiency upgrades as opposed to renewable energy research and industry. Currently, there's a wide variety of funding and programs in place at the federal, state, county and some city levels for either or both types of improvements. While the goal is to ultimately reduce our overall pollutant waste, we should also be mindful of squeezing the most energy savings out of each dollar we spend wherever possible. I expect to see a rash of cost-effective net energy-savings studies on both commercial and residential properties in the coming months as individuals and builders begin utilizing stimulus funding to pursue these upgrades. My hope is that these studies will also factor in the net employment stimulus effect that these projects are having so that funding is most strongly allocated to those that are serving the dual purpose of employing the most workers for the most energy savings gained per dollar spent.

Energy Efficient Buildings – Revamping Existing Spaces

Improving Energy Efficiency in Large Buildings

A recent British study found that 70% of the carbon reductions sought by 2020 can be achieved by investing in energy efficiency measures (Source: TheClimateGroup.org, July 6). As a hot topic at the G8 Summit this week in Italy, many of the tested methods that may help to achieve this goal will be discussed at length. The focal areas of this study include buildings, lighting, vehicles, motors and a reduction in deforestation, all of which the study claims bear reasonably low investment costs for the high rate of return in efficiency gain.

At a time when stimulus dollars in the United States are being allocated precisely to such “green” infrastructure projects, one must wonder how much of that money will or should be allocated for use in existing structures. With such a variance in structural composition, scale, and location, the challenges that exist are very broad in scope and make for a difficult blueprint or set of standards across all projects.

So, how do we tackle this issue? Considering that buildings account for about half of the CO2 emissions in the United States, this is an important question. Is it possible to compile lists of suggested improvements based on studies of several buildings, some fraction of which may ultimately apply to individual projects down the road? The good news is that we may be getting closer to an answer for that question. As I write this blog, there’s a large-scale energy efficiency retrofitting evaluation of the Empire State Building in Manhattan. The project, announced in April, is the product if a collaboration between four groups: the Clinton Climate Initiative, the Rocky Mountain Institute, Johnson Controls Inc. and Jones Lang LaSalle (Source: Envirovaluation.org, April 11). The program has a budget of $500 million dollars and is truly the first of its’ kind, utilizing experts from a range of specialties to formulate a comprehensive energy efficiency overhaul of one of the largest, oldest buildings in the middle of one of the busiest cities on earth.


The goal of this group is to reduce the emissions waste of the Empire State Building by up to 38%. Another goal of this project is to maintain performance of the building’s systems while getting the best possible “bang for your buck” in improvements, while providing a basic formula for other office building structures to follow. So, what were some of the winning ideas? The analysis revealed eight areas that would mark prudent efficiency upgrades, including:

• Changes to window lighting and window insulation.
• Radiator insulation to prevent the escape of generated heat.
• Better tenant-controlled lighting in each work area.
• More efficient building climate controls.
• More advanced ventilation controls.
• Building-wide HVAC upgrades.
• More (for a full list, please click here).

In addition to office buildings, we stand to gain a great deal of benefit from retrofitting existing homes and residential buildings as well. The challenges on this front are similar to those in the commercial sector, except for the depth of credit access that may be available to make these improvements. For a corporation or corporations, taking on an energy efficiency improvement project is more likely to be financially feasible and is likely to pay dividends more quickly than a similar project for a residential structure. One step in the right direction on this front is the Thousand Home Challenge. This challenge is the brainchild of a non-profit called ACI, which strives to bring together sponsors, architects, engineers, and designers to make real, measurable improvements to a thousand homes in an effort to lay a blueprint for energy efficiency improvements in the residential sector. According to their materials, residential energy consumption accounts for 21% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States (Source: AffordableComfort.org).



When it comes to the topic of improving energy efficiency in existing buildings, it’s clear that we have a long way to go. I can think of no better place to start than at a meeting of some of the most powerful forces in the world during this week’s G8 summit.