Existing Commercial Buildings Working Group
Co-Chairs:
Jim Gallagher, New York Independent System Operator
Eric Coffman, Montgomery County, Maryland
View Existing Commercial Building Working Group members.
The Existing Commercial Buildings (Commercial) Working Group is helping the State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action) address energy efficiency in existing commercial space by developing and promoting solutions for whole-building improvements.
The working group has developed a blueprint for action to meet its goal of reducing energy use 20% or more in 3 billion square feet of commercial space each year by 2015 through whole-building approaches.
The Commercial Working Group has set a first-year goal for 2012 of working with 10 state and 30 local governments to adopt one or more of the solutions described in the blueprint:
- Improve information through benchmarking and disclosure in public and private buildings
- Use retro-commissioning to drive improvements in public and private buildings
- Encourage ratepayer-funded programs that target whole buildings
- Engage in public-private partnerships such as energy challenges and recognition programs for private buildings
- Adopt strategic energy management programs and encourage the use of these organization-wide energy management programs in the private sector
- Integrate energy efficiency and green practices in public sector leasing practices and encourage this leasing language in the local real estate market
- Implement and scale emerging financing mechanisms to spur investment in energy efficiency in commercial buildings
- Support workforce development through:
- Education and training: Build training capacity
- Materials: Develop standardized training materials
- Certification: Standardize around meaningful and nationally-recognized professional certifications
- Improve procurement processes, including bulk purchasing, specifications, life-cycle costing, and streamlined energy savings performance contracts
- Implement emerging technology demonstration programs that can create opportunities to commercialize promising new energy-saving technologies.
Working Group Scope
The activities of the Commercial Working Group target both public and private existing buildings. The working group is focusing on whole-building improvements such as:
- Deep retrofits
- Operational improvements
- Retro-commissioning
- Whole-building performance, systems integration, and controls.
Strategic Priorities
To achieve its goals, the Commercial Working Group will focus on four strategic priorities:
- Drive demand for energy efficiency
- Enable efficient operations and investment
- Build the energy efficiency workforce
- Move the market toward the adoption of deep retrofits.
Learn more about the Commercial Working Group's priority solutions and actions.
Working Group Resources
Energy Benchmarking, Rating, and Disclosure
- Benchmarking and Disclosure: State and Local Policy Design Guide and Sample Policy Language
- Energy Benchmarking, Rating, and Disclosure for Local Governments Fact Sheet
- Energy Benchmarking, Rating, and Disclosure for State Governments Fact Sheet
- Energy Benchmarking, Rating, and Disclosure for Regulators of Ratepayer-Funded Programs Fact Sheet
High-Performance Leasing
Retro-Commissioning
- Retro-Commissioning for State and Local Governments Fact
Sheet - Retro-Commissioning for Regulators of Ratepayer-Funded Programs Fact Sheet
Strategic Energy Management
- Strategic Energy Management for State and Local Governments Fact Sheet
- Strategic Energy Management for Regulators of Ratepayer-Funded Programs Fact Sheet
Working Group Blueprint
Impact on Energy Efficiency
According to McKinsey and Company, the U.S. commercial building sector will consume 9.2 quadrillion (quads) Btu of primary energy in 2020 (excluding office equipment, miscellaneous electric loads, and community infrastructure) in a "frozen technology" scenario. However, meeting the working group goals would:
- Save 0.8 quads of energy by 2020
- Capture 28% of the total estimated potential energy savings in the commercial buildings sector by 2020.
Contacts
For more information on the Existing Commercial Buildings Working Group, contact:
- Amy Jiron, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- Tracy Narel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Key Resources »
For Local Governments
- Benchmarking and Disclosure: State and Local Policy Design Guide and Sample Policy Language
- Energy Benchmarking, Rating, and Disclosure for Local Governments Fact Sheet
- High-Performance Leasing for State and Local Governments Fact Sheet
- Retro-Commissioning for State and Local Governments Fact
Sheet - Strategic Energy Management for State and Local Governments Fact Sheet
For State Governments
- Benchmarking and Disclosure: State and Local Policy Design Guide and Sample Policy Language
- Energy Benchmarking, Rating, and Disclosure for State Governments Fact Sheet
- High-Performance Leasing for State and Local Governments Fact Sheet
- Retro-Commissioning for State and Local Governments Fact
Sheet - Strategic Energy Management for State and Local Governments Fact Sheet