The focus of the webinar is to introduce the computer power management savings opportunity, explain technology solutions in layman’s terms, and provide practical tips for getting key decision makers on board. Armed with this knowledge, you will next learn from Resource Solutions Group about a program where ComEd ratepayers may receive cash rebates for the installation of PC Power Management Software.

Who:
Business decision-makers who are non-IT experts. We will make it simple to understand (with lots of pictures!) This program is only available to commercial customers in the Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) electric delivery service territory in Illinois.

When:

• April 23rd (12:30-1:00 central) – https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/897963337   
• May 23rd (12:30-1:00 central) -  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/970972968
• June 26th (12:30-1:00 central) – https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/992033192

In July 2012, MEEA held its Annual Meeting of the Membership in Chicago, Illinois.  A key focus was a panel of experts who remarked on their experiences determining the energy benefits of end-use efficiency programs.  The panel consisted of energy efficiency evaluators, regional policymakers, and utilities, who provided three distinct perspectives on the benefits and challenges inherent in using a net savings or a gross savingsapproach.

This paper summarizes  panelist remarks, and provides the key policy implications for energy efficiency programming and attribution in the Midwest.  We also provide foundational information on net and gross savings calculations, and the controversies inherent in using either approach.

MEEA and experts in the field will address this – and other EM&V issues –in future conferences, webinars, and policy papers.

Download the report here. [PDF]

In order to realize the Midwestern potential to contribute to the energy savings offered by the adoption of SSL, it is critical to understand the current environment around SSL adoption throughout the Midwest. MEEA’s primary goal in survey administration was to query entities within the Midwest to provide a snapshot of regional attitudes toward SSL, how those attitudes are informing energy efficiency program activity, current successes and limitations of SSL programs, and what can be done by the lighting industry and energy efficiency groups to advance SSL adoption swiftly, yet sensibly.

The analysis of the survey was split between program entities and commercial entities. Almost two-thirds of program respondents felt they receive too little SSL information, an increase from 2011, which may show   greater interest in SSL among program respondents. Most notably,   respondents from both the program and commercial side did not feel they received too much SSL information.

The U.S. Department of Energy was cited as the most used resource by program entities and the second most used resource by commercial respondents.  Overall, DOE resources were reportedly utilized fairly evenly by both groupings although DOE program preference varied.  The reported use of federal information sources has also grown on the program side. Nearly all commercial respondents are considering coupling SSL with additional efficiency technologies.  As noted in the 2011 report, adoption of these additional measures may help bring the pay-back period of many SSL systems into the realm of feasibility.  It would be interesting to further investigate why the commercial respondents displayed more interest in coupling strategies than program entities (60% of program entities did not respond to this particular question).

Respondents continue to show a high interest in identifying product quality, proven program strategies and best practices, and learning about retrofitting with SSL. By continuing this survey on an annual basis, MEEA is tracking how SSL plans and perceptions are shifting over time. The previous surveys can be found here.   For more information and resources on SSL, please visit the Midwest LEDers page on mwalliance.org.

Last year, a California study looked at the sale of homes over several years in the late 2000s and determined that home buyers were willing to pay a nine percent premium on the purchase of a new home if it was accompanied by a third party green certification. As previously blogged by MEEA staffer Matthew Giudice, another 2012 study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) found that new home buyers value energy efficiency over comparable homes, finding that 90% of respondents would be willing to pay two to three percent more for a home that included energy efficiency features and permanently lower utility bills.

What’s more, homeowners aren’t just waiting to purchase energy efficient homes; they are also willing to invest in doing the upgrades themselves. The Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP), and International Communications Research (ICR) released a joint study this week based on a telephone survey of 1,000 U.S. homeowners. They found that 55 percent of US households have taken steps to increase the energy efficiency of their home, most commonly through CFL installations, high efficient appliances, high-efficient windows, increasing attic insulation, and the use of smart strips. The same study found that nearly 40 percent of respondents had participated in utility efficiency programs.

Lastly, a study out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the Community Capital and the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), released Monday, titled “Home Energy Efficiency and Mortgage Risks,” looked at 71,000 single-family, owner-occupied homes with mortgages originated during 2002-2012. The study states that homeowners that purchase ENERGY STAR new homes have a 32% lower risk of defaulting on their loans, controlling for other factors. Additionally, even among efficient homes, there was a statistically significant indirect relationship between efficiency and mortgage default risk.

These studies show that homeowners today are looking to invest in both energy efficient new and existing homes and that this smart decision makes them less risky borrowers. For more information on ways to improve your home visit www.illinoishomeperformance.org/

Consumer attitudes on energy efficiency seem to be evolving, as more home buyers are willing to look at the up-front costs as investments that will eventually pay for themselves in the form of lower future utility costs.  In a similar survey from 2008 conducted by NAHB, 67% of respondents said they would be willing to pay more than $5,000 for energy efficiency upgrades.  In the 2012 survey, 90% of respondents indicated they would be willing to pay two to three percent more for a home that included energy efficient features and permanently lower utility bills.

The results of this study, which can be purchased as an e-book at NAHB’s bookstore, are being distributed among the home building community and will hopefully serve to continue the transformation of the residential construction market that is driven by consumer demand.

Benchmarking, building energy use public disclosure, and building energy rating policies are one of the major policies noted. The report suggests these have an approximate potential of 1.6 quads of energy and $60 billion that could be saved between 2014 and 2030 with the development of a comprehensive, national building labeling and benchmarking program or collection of policies. Addressed at either a local, regional, or national scale, this type of program leverages market mechanisms without requiring substantial spending or government mandates.

Building benchmarking and labeling policies also have other benefits. Annual benchmarking requirements create a tangible record of energy performance over time, and allow building owners to verify the impact of building operational changes or efficiency improvements once implemented. These types of programs also provide policymakers and building designers with a mechanism to track energy use trends. Benchmarking and energy ratings can be applied to any building – either commercial buildings, residential, and/or mixed-use using a variety of currently available tools.

MEEA has assisted state and local governments to review, pilot, and implement such policies, including the City of Minneapolis (http://www.minneapolismn.gov/environment/WCMS1P-105433) and the State of Illinois. Our goal is to assist the Midwest Region in becoming a leader in these types of policies, as well as assisting building owners to implement effective strategies to reduce energy use in buildings.

The report can be found at: http://aceee.org/research-report/e136.

While the ordinance creates a framework for energy use disclosure, it does so without relying on performance or regulatory mandates to increase energy performance awareness. As such, it will depend on market forces to motivate building owners to invest in energy efficiency improvements. Currently, there are many opportunities already available for commercial building owners to evaluate their present energy use and benefit from existing utility incentive programs from Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy. This ordinance builds on these efforts with its ultimate goal to increase the energy efficiency of existing buildings in the commercial real estate marketplace by providing consistent data to potential building purchasers and tenants, as well as current building operators.

Using EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to track and disclose energy use information, the City will publically disclose an annual summary of statistics for each applicable building. This information will include the energy use intensity (or EUI, combining electricity, natural gas, and other fuel types together and expressed in the kBtu per square foot per year).In addition, the building’s energy performance score, when available, as well as the annual greenhouse gas emissions, and water use per gross square foot will be disclosed. Information will be compiled and made available to the public via the City’s website.

The energy disclosure process will be gradual, with City of Minneapolis buildings over 25,000 sqft reporting in 2013 and all City building data available by 2014. Commercial buildings over 100,000 sqft will be required to report their energy consumption data in 2014, while buildings greater than 50,000 sqft will report in 2015. Information will not become public until a year after submission. For more information on this proposed ordinance, see the City of Minneapolis website.

The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA), along with a large group of local stakeholders including Fresh Energy, the Great Plains Institute, Center for Energy and Environment, U.S. Green Building Council MN Chapter, Minnesota ASHRAE Chapter, MN Pollution Control Agency Green Building Program, Sierra Club North Star Chapter, and SEIU Local 26, as well as national partners NRDC, IMT, and EPA, assisted the City of Minneapolis to develop and pass this ordinance.

These statewide certification programs will help homeowners capture the value of their home energy efficiency investments by providing potential buyers with the information necessary to make informed purchasing decisions. From one study, similar green labeling resulted in a 9% premium on home purchase price.[1] A great way for State Energy Offices (SEOs) to promote the real estate industry’s buy-in of energy efficiency, while supporting existing residential programs, is to recognize homeowners that make quality energy efficiency upgrades to their home.

Since 2009, MEEA has partnered with DCEO to engage relevant stakeholders and launch a statewide Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program that includes home energy certification. Today, homeowners in Northern Illinois can attach their Illinois Home Performance Silver and Gold Certificates of Completion to the green fields of the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

In Missouri, meanwhile, MEEA is assisting MDNR-DE in engaging residential programs, investor owned utilities, electric cooperatives, trainers, colleges, home performance contractors, energy auditors, nonprofit organizations, and more, in a stakeholder process to design a certification program that supports existing energy efficiency efforts and meets Missouri’s specific needs. In both instances, MEEA has worked with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure alignment between the state certification programs and DOE’s efforts, and to share and learn national best practices.  While Missouri’s home energy certification program will likely look different than Illinois’, both will promote the adoption of energy efficiency through statewide consistency, third party verification, and involvement of the real estate industry in ways that make sense for their respective state.

If you are interested in learning more about MEEA’s efforts to assist the development of statewide home energy certification programs please contact Will Baker at wbaker@mwalliance.org or (312) 673-2489.

Nebraska-based building operators will have their first opportunity this February to earn the award-winning BOC credential and learn valuable techniques for saving energy in their facilities.  A collaborative effort between MEEA, the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), and the Central Community College (CCC), the Nebraska BOC program begins on February 12 at the CCC Columbus campus. Facilities that are eligible to participate in NPPD’s EnergyWise^SM incentive program (a customer of NPPD or one of its wholesale utility partners) may apply for full tuition reimbursement from NPPD upon attaining certification and implementing an approved energy efficiency project.

In Ohio, MEEA is partnering with AEP Ohio to help its commercial customers realize energy and cost savings through BOC.  The AEP Ohio BOC program kicks off in Findlay, Ohio starting on March 7, and additional training will be offered later in the year.  AEP Ohio, a MEEA member, is encouraging participation in BOC by offering its Ohio customers two awards that together cover the cost of tuition for their employees – a Certification Award for successful BOC certification (provided that the customer is not a state-funded facility, except a facility of a state institution of higher education) and a Project Award for approved in-facility project completion.  MEEA offers additional BOC programs throughout Ohio in partnership with the Ohio Public Facilities Maintenance Association.

Expansion is just one of the strategic objectives of the Midwest BOC program.  MEEA recently brought together its BOC partners at the Midwest Energy Solutions conference to discuss and strategize around other exciting initiatives such as the Illinois veterans pilot program, online learning, and third-party program evaluations.

Stan Price, Executive Director of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC), the national administrator and copyright holder of BOC, applauded MEEA and the Midwest BOC partners for their achievements over the past year and for leading the way on innovative BOC models such as the Illinois veterans pilot program.

Licensed by NEEC to deliver BOC in eight states in the Midwest, MEEA has certified over 3,100 BOC graduates since 2003 through partnerships with over 25 utilities, state and local governments, trade associations, and educational institutions.

Additional upcoming BOC series include:

For more information about BOC, please visit www.boccentral.org or contact Kerry Granfield at kgranfield@mwalliance.org or 312-784-7243.

The goal of the proposed ordinance is to increase the energy efficiency of existing buildings in the commercial real estate marketplace by providing consistent data to potential building purchasers and tenants, as well as current building operators. This ordinance will help the City meet its goal for a 15% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2015, using 2006 levels as a baseline. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager will be used as the tracking and disclosure tool. Information would then be compiled and made available to the public via the City’s website.

Differing from other U.S. coastal city ordinances, the proposed Minneapolis Ordinance would require building owners to submit their yearly energy use, while using market forces to determine if upgrades or equipment modifications would be enacted by building owners. Simply tracking or measuring building energy use of existing buildings does in fact produce actual savings. A recent EPA study (add link here) suggests buildings which are benchmarked using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool result in a yearly average of 2.4% energy improvement, or 7% over a three year period, with an even greater efficiency realized for lesser performing buildings.

The current ordinance language includes a gradual implementation timeline. Private building owners will have multiple years to plan for and complete the public disclosure of their building’s energy use information. Data submission requirements are outlined with the following timeframe, while public disclosure of the information follows a year later for each category:

• City-owned buildings: every year starting in 2013
• Privately-owned buildings of 100,000 square feet and over: every year starting in 2014
• Privately-owned buildings 50,000 square feet and over: every year starting in 2015

Within such timeframe, building owners will be able to complete their own preliminary measurements and possibly invest in enhancement projects before such energy use data would be publically disclosed. For more information on this proposed ordinance, see the City of Minneapolis website (Add link here).

EPA document reference: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/downloads/datatrends/DataTrends_Savings_20121002.pdf

Minneapolis website link:

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/environment/index.htm