DOE - Better Building

EERE Home | Programs & Offices | Consumer Information


			Better Buildings Update July 2013

Inside this edition:

Highlights from the 2013 Efficiency Forum
Recap: Better Buildings Summit for State & Local Communities
Launching the Better Buildings Webinar Series
Better Buildings Challenge Implementation Models and Showcase Projects
Updated Better Buildings Websites
New Members

Highlights from the 2013 Efficiency Forum

More than 170 people attended the second annual Better Buildings Efficiency Forum for commercial and higher education Partners in May at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado―the nation's largest net-zero energy office building. DOE thanks all Better Buildings Alliance Members and Better Buildings Challenge Partners that participated in the Efficiency Forum.

The event brought together leaders from diverse sectors of the U.S. commercial building industry, serving as an opportunity to discuss energy-saving solutions, explore pathways to accelerate energy savings, and propose energy efficiency project goals for 2014. Across the two-day event, participants contributed to multiple break-out sessions addressing technology solutions, market solutions, and sectors of the commercial buildings industry.

Kristen Taddonio and Dr. Kathleen Hogan of DOE recognize Better Buildings Alliance Steering Committee chairs for their leadership, including John Krolicki and John Scott pictured here.		At the Forum, Dr. Kathleen Hogan, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, recognized Better Buildings Challenge Partners' accomplishments during the first year of the program. More than 20 Partners were acknowledged for development of showcase projects and implementation models, as well as progress toward the Challenge commitment to improve the energy intensity of their building portfolios by 20 percent or more by 2020.

Kristen Taddonio, Better Buildings Alliance Program Manager, recognized outgoing Better Buildings Alliance Steering Committee chairs for their leadership. The Steering Committee chairs included John Scott, Colliers International (Commercial Real Estate), John Krolicki, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Healthcare), and James McClendon, Walmart Stores, Inc. (Retail).

At the Forum, DOE also:

•		Recognized Carrier Corporation as the second manufacturer to meet the RTU Challenge with a highly efficient product that exceeds the 18 IEER performance requirement;

•		Announced that the Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking Campaign had already exceeded its 100 million square foot participation target;

•		Introduced a new Advanced RTU Campaign led by ASHRAE and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), in coordination with the Better Buildings Alliance, encouraging building owners to upgrade to more efficient RTU technology; and

•		Launched a new technology challenge, the Wireless Meter Challenge, seeking to increase the market availability of reliable, low-cost wireless submeters.

For more information on the Forum, including the final event report and presentation slides, visit www4.eere.energy.gov/alliance/events/efficiency-forum.

Recap: Better Buildings Summit for State & Local Communities

Public Sector Members manage all types of buildings from state and local government facilities to public higher education organizations and school districts.		State and local communities from around the United States were highlighted for their leadership and commitment at The Better Buildings Summit for State and Local Communities in Washington, D.C. on May 30 and 31, 2013. At the Summit, nearly 300 federal, state, local, non-profit sector, private industry, and K-12 district representatives gathered. The Summit explored innovative strategies, policies, and models for implementing clean energy solutions in communities.

Accomplishments by Better Buildings Challenge Partners and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program grantees were acknowledged at the event by former Colorado Governor William Ritter and Dr. David Danielson, DOE's Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Through a series of breakout sessions, participants from the four Better Buildings Alliance Public Sector solutions teams engaged in discussions around effective actions and policies to help build a clean energy economy, save money, create jobs, and increase energy security in their communities.

States, local governments, higher education organizations, and school districts can join the Better Buildings Alliance's Public Sector to work collaboratively with DOE to build tangible, result-driven tools and capacities that maximize their organizations' effectiveness. The teams are designed to provide Public Sector Members with technical assistance, support materials, and peer networks. DOE is pleased to announce 10 new Public Sector Members who have committed to achieving annual energy savings goals through the four Public Sector teams: Energy Savings Performance Contracts, Strategic Energy Planning, Finance Strategies, and Data Management Approaches.

Launching the Better Buildings Webinar Series

DOE is pleased to announce the Better Buildings Webinar Series which will start in August.

This new monthly webinar series will focus on the real solutions that program participants have implemented to overcome barriers to energy efficiency for the public and private sectors. The first webinar will focus on the issue of energy data access in commercial buildings. The series will tackle a different issue each month including the following proposed topics:

•		Data access;

•		Green revolving funds;

•		Capital set-asides;

•		Engaging building occupants in energy efficiency;

•		Deep retrofits;

•		Net-zero energy buildings;

•		Interior lighting;

•		Creating organizational structures that facilitate energy efficiency;

•		Real-time energy monitoring platforms;

•		Intra-portfolio changes;

•		Engaging value chain partners; and

•		Tying energy efficiency to compensation and performance ratings.

The first webinar in the series titled “Commercial Building Energy Data Access: A Success Story” has been scheduled and the details are summarized below.

Session Date and Time: Tuesday, August 6, 3:00-4:30 PM EST
Participants: Laurie Actman (Energy Efficient Buildings Hub, Philadelphia), Tom Bonner (PECO - gas and electric utility), Jim Gallagher (SEE Action, New York State Smart Grid Consortium), Darren Gill (Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission), Marla Thalheimer (Liberty Property Trust)
Session Description: Please join the Better Buildings Initiative and the State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action) for a presentation on the underlying barriers to energy data access. Learn about solutions underway across the country, including a successful collaboration between building owners, utilities, regulators, and policymakers in Philadelphia who worked together to provide access to whole-building energy use data. The session will also highlight new resources to help you replicate this model in your community. Register here.

For more information on the Better Buildings Webinar Series and other Better Buildings Initiative webinars, please visit www4.eere.energy.gov/alliance/events or email BBA@ee.doe.gov.

Better Buildings Challenge Implementation Models and Showcase Projects

Better Buildings Challenge Partners and Allies have made significant progress in the first year of the program. More than 50 showcase projects and nearly 40 implementation models have been completed or are underway highlighting innovative, aggressive, and realistic strategies for realizing energy savings. Partner showcase projects have savings targets as high as 20, 30, or 40 percent and span many building types including retail stores, fire stations, libraries, civic centers, hotels, dormitories, historic buildings, manufacturing facilities, and more. Check out these showcase projects and implementation models for innovative, proven strategies to address market barriers and help reach your savings goals.

In the news...
Several Better Buildings Challenge Partners have recently been highlighted in the national media. For example, the Walgreen's experimental net zero energy store, located just north of Chicago, was featured in the New York Times on June 4, 2013. As the article explains, the net zero concept is part of the company's overall sustainability plan to reduce energy use by 20 percent by 2020 across its more than 8,000 stores. The Walgreen's energy reduction goal is part of its Better Buildings Challenge commitment.

USA Today also published an article titled “Companies Share Energy Efficiency Secrets,” which recognizes the more than 110 Partners that have signed on to the Better Buildings Challenge. In particular, USA Today highlights HEI Hotels & Resorts and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for measures such as installing programmable thermostats and motion sensors for stairwells and vending machines, the use of energy-efficient lighting, and more. It also mentions solar efforts on the part of Alcoa, Kohl's, and Walgreen's.

For more information, visit the Better Buildings Challenge website at www.energy.gov/betterbuildingschallenge or contact your Account Manager.

Updated Better Buildings Websites

In May, DOE launched updated Better Buildings web pages to enhance usability and better fit the needs of this fast-growing initiative. If you have not had the chance to explore them yet, visit the Better Buildings Alliance and Better Buildings Challenge websites today.

The Better Buildings Alliance website now organizes activities, resources, and engagement opportunities across 5 sector group pages and 15 solutions team pages. The new pages are easier to navigate to encourage member involvement in activities such as the Advanced RTU Campaign, the LEEP Campaign, the Wireless Metering Challenge, Market Solutions team activities, Technical Solutions team activities, site demonstrations for technical specifications, and more.

Check out the new Private Sector landing page within the updated Better Buildings Alliance website.
Members are organized into peer groups by sector, from hospitality to retail and food service.

New Members

Please join DOE in welcoming our many new Better Buildings Alliance Members and Better Buildings Challenge Partners.

Our newest Private Sector Alliance Members include:


•		Broward Health North

•		Cox Enterprise

•		Hannaford Bros. Co.

•		Kilroy Realty

•		Parmenter Realty Partners

•		Southwestern Vermont Medical Center

Our newest Public Sector Alliance Members include:


•		City of Cedar Rapids, IA

•		City of Charlottesville, VA

•		City of Davenport, IA

•		City of Jonesboro, AR

•		City of Santa Monica, CA

•		Mecklenburg County, NC

•		Oakland County, MI

•		South Washington County Schools, MN

•		State of Arkansas

•		Volusia County, FL

Our newest Better Buildings Challenge Partners include:


•		City of Boston, MA

•		City of Margate, FL

•		Ford Motor Company

•		Indian River Central School District

•		Johnson Controls

•		Macy's

•		New York Presbyterian Hospital

•		Parmenter Realty Partners

•		Sprint

•		The Tower Companies

•		University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

•		University of Virginia

Send Us Your News and Ideas

DOE welcomes your feedback. Please send news and topic suggestions to BBA@ee.doe.gov.


	commercialbuildings.energy.gov