Federal Facilities – Implementation of Energy Savings Projects and Performance-Based Contracting for Energy Savings

How will your Federal Department or Agency efficiently implement the numerous facility renovation, repair, and sustainability project required to meet Presidential energy conservation mandates?

Job Order Contracting – JOC, is perhaps the only proven, collaborative, performance-based construction delivery method designed specifically for the numerous task faced by facility managers.  Proven over the past 20+ years and now supported by technology such as RSMeans JOCWorks, and 4Clicks Project Estimator, transparency, higher productivity, and ease-of-implementation are a reality.  Learn more:  Software, JOC White Paper, A Comparison of Cost Estimation Software Tools.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

December 02, 2011

Presidential Memorandum — Implementation of Energy Savings Projects and Performance-Based Contracting for energy savings

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: Implementation of Energy Savings Projects and Performance-Based Contracting for Energy Savings

The Federal Government owns and operates nearly 3 billion square feet of Federal building space. Upgrading the energy performance of buildings is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reduce energy costs, cut pollution, and create jobs in the construction and energy sectors. We have a responsibility to lead by example, reduce our energy use, and operate our buildings efficiently.

Meeting that responsibility requires executive departments and agencies (agencies) to evaluate their facilities, identify potential savings, and appropriately leverage both private and public sector funding to invest in comprehensive energy conservation projects that cut energy costs. The Federal Government can do so by increasing the pace of the implementation of energy conservation measures, and improving the results from its energy efficiency investments.

In Executive Order 13514 of October 5, 2009 (Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance), my Administration reaffirmed a commitment to reduce energy intensity in agency buildings. In addition, through my memorandum of June 10, 2010 (Disposing of Unneeded Federal Real Estate – Increasing Sales Proceeds, Cutting Operating Costs, and Improving Energy Efficiency), and through the Campaign to Cut Waste, my Administration has directed agencies to cut energy costs in agency facilities as part of a broader effort to reduce spending and shrink the Federal Government’s real estate footprint. In order to ensure agencies fully meet these goals and maximize the cost reduction and job creation potential of making Federal buildings more energy efficient, I hereby direct the following:

Section 1. Implement and Prioritize Energy Conservation Measures. (a) Agencies shall fully implement energy conservation measures (ECMs) in Federal buildings with a payback time of less than 10 years, consistent with real property and capital improvement plans. Agencies shall prioritize ECMs with the greatest return on investment, leveraging both direct appropriations and performance contracting, consistent with guidance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

(b) The Federal Government shall enter into a minimum of $2 billion in performance-based contracts in Federal building energy efficiency within 24 months from the date of this memorandum. Each agency shall include its anticipated total performance-based contract volume in its plan submitted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section.

(c) In order to maximize efficiency and return on investment to the American taxpayer, agencies are encouraged to enter into installation-wide and portfolio-wide performance contracts and undertake comprehensive projects that include short-term and long-term ECMs, consistent with Government-wide small business contracting policies.

(d) Agencies shall prioritize new projects under this section based on return on investment, develop a planned implementation schedule, and reconcile all investments with actions undertaken pursuant to Executive Order 13576 of June 13, 2011 (Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government). Agencies shall ensure that any performance-based contracts are consistent with, and do not duplicate or conflict with, real property plans or planned capital improvements.

(e) No later than January 31, 2012, agencies shall report their planned implementation schedule described in subsection (d) of this section to the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), OMB, and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

(f) Beginning in 2012, agencies shall incorporate the planned implementation schedule into their annual Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans in furtherance of Executive Order 13514.

Sec. 2. Complete Required Energy and Water Evaluations. (a) Agencies shall identify in the Department of Energy’s Compliance Tracking System (CTS) any ECMs that have been implemented, and ensure that the CTS is regularly updated.

(b) Consistent with section 432 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 8253(f)(2)), agencies shall complete all energy and water evaluations and report the ECMs and associated cost saving opportunities identified through these evaluations to the CTS.

Sec. 3. Transparency and Accountability. (a) Agencies shall, where technically feasible, continue efforts to connect meters and advanced metering devices to enterprise energy management systems to streamline and optimize measurement, management, and reporting of facility energy use.

(b) The FEMP shall assist agencies with timely implementation of subsection (a) of this section. Consistent with its mission and responsibilities, FEMP shall also track Government-wide implementation progress. Subject to the protection of critical infrastructure information and avoidance of disclosure of sensitive information relating to national security, FEMP shall annually publish these results, as well as facility energy usage data, in machine readable formats on agency websites, consistent with applicable OMB guidance.

(c) The OMB shall continue to track agency implementation and progress towards goal achievement on its Energy and Sustainability Scorecard, and publicly report on agency progress, pursuant to the requirements of Executive Order 13514.

Sec. 4. Applicability. This memorandum shall apply to agency activities, personnel, resources, and facilities located within the United States. The head of an agency may apply this memorandum to activities, personnel, resources, and facilities of the agency that are not located within the United States, to

the extent the head of the agency determines that doing so is in the interest of the United States.

Sec. 5. Exemption Authority. (a) The Director of National Intelligence may exempt an intelligence activity of the United States, and related personnel, resources, and facilities, from the provisions of this memorandum, to the extent the Director determines necessary to protect intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure.

(b) The head of an agency may exempt particular facilities from the provisions of this memorandum where doing so is in the interest of national security. If the head of an agency issues an exemption under this subsection, the agency must notify the Chair of CEQ in writing within 30 days of issuance of the exemption. To the maximum extent practicable, and without compromising national security, each agency shall strive to comply with the purposes, goals, and implementation steps in this memorandum.

Sec. 6. Definitions. For the purposes of this memorandum:

(a) “energy conservation measure” (ECM) has the same meaning as in 42 U.S.C. 8259(d).

(b) “energy savings performance contract” (ESPC), as authorized by 42 U.S.C. 8287, means a contract (or task order) awarded to an energy service company (ESCO) for up to 25 years that provides for the design, acquisition, financing, installation, testing, operation, and maintenance and repair of identified ECMs at one or more locations. Under an ESPC, the ESCO incurs the costs of project implementation, including audits, acquiring and installing equipment, and training personnel, in exchange for a predetermined price. Payment to the ESCO is contingent upon realizing a guaranteed stream of future savings, with excess savings accruing to the Federal Government.

(c) “performance-based contract” means a contract that identifies expected deliverables, performance measures, or outcomes, and makes payment contingent on their successful achievement. Performance-based contracts also use appropriate techniques, which may include consequences or incentives to ensure that the agreed-upon value to the agency is received. Performance-based contracts, which include ESPCs, can be performed by any qualified contractor, including utilities.

(d) “agency” has the same meaning as in Executive Order 13514.

(e) “United States” means the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and associated territorial waters and airspace.

Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law, including international trade obligations, and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(b) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) functions of the Director of OMB relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release October 5, 2009

President Obama signs an Executive Order
Focused on Federal Leadership in Environmental,
Energy, and Economic Performance

WASHINGTON, DC – Demonstrating a commitment to lead by example, President Obama signed an Executive Order (attached) today that sets sustainability goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy and economic performance. The Executive Order requires Federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target within 90 days; increase energy efficiency; reduce fleet petroleum consumption; conserve water; reduce waste; support sustainable communities; and leverage Federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies.

“As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the Federal government can and should lead by example when it comes to creating innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, conserve water, reduce waste, and use environmentally-responsible products and technologies,” said President Obama. “This Executive Order builds on the momentum of the Recovery Act to help create a clean energy economy and demonstrates the Federal government’s commitment, over and above what is already being done, to reducing emissions and saving money.”

The Federal government occupies nearly 500,000 buildings, operates more than 600,000 vehicles, employs more than 1.8 million civilians, and purchases more than $500 billion per year in goods and services. The Executive Order builds on and expands the energy reduction and environmental requirements of Executive Order 13423 by making reductions of greenhouse gas emissions a priority of the Federal government, and by requiring agencies to develop sustainability plans focused on cost-effective projects and programs.

Projected benefits to the taxpayer include substantial energy savings and avoided costs from improved efficiency. The Executive Order was developed by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, with input from the Federal agencies that are represented on the Steering Committee established by Executive Order 13423.

The new Executive Order requires agencies to measure, manage, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions toward agency-defined targets. It describes a process by which agency goals will be set and reported to the President by the Chair of CEQ. The Executive Order also requires agencies to meet a number of energy, water, and waste reduction targets, including:

• 30% reduction in vehicle fleet petroleum use by 2020;
• 26% improvement in water efficiency by 2020;
• 50% recycling and waste diversion by 2015;
• 95% of all applicable contracts will meet sustainability requirements;
• Implementation of the 2030 net-zero-energy building requirement;
• Implementation of the stormwater provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, section 438; and
• Development of guidance for sustainable Federal building locations in alignment with the Livability Principles put forward by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Implementation of the Executive Order will focus on integrating achievement of sustainability goals with agency mission and strategic planning to optimize performance and minimize implementation costs. Each agency will develop and carry out an integrated Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan that prioritizes the agency’s actions toward the goals of the Executive Order based on lifecycle return on investments. Implementation will be managed through the previously-established Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, working in close partnership with OMB, CEQ and the agencies.

Examples of Federal employees and their facilities promoting environmental stewardship exist throughout the country. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Energy Business Center has recently awarded a design-build contract for a wind turbine electric generation system to serve their Medical Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The 600-kW turbine installation, to be completed in spring 2011, is projected to supply up to 15 percent of the facility’s annual electricity usage.

The U.S. General Services Administration’s Denver Federal Center (DFC) in Lakewood, Colorado will be installing a 7 megawatt photovoltaic system as part of a large modernization effort. The primary goal of the project is to provide a reliable utility infrastructure to service tenant agencies for the next 50 years. This facility will feed renewable energy back into the grid on weekends and cover 30 acres.

Many federal agencies have received recognition for their work to integrate environmental considerations into their daily operations and management decisions including: the Air Force Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas for their “Sheppard Puts the R in Recycling” program, the Department of Treasury for their petroleum use reduction, the Department of Energy Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee for pollution prevention, the United States Postal Service for their Green Purchasing Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture “Sowing the Seeds for Change” Extreme Makeover Team in Deer River Ranger District in Minnesota; and the Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health in Maryland for their laboratory decommissioning protocol.*Updated 10/06/09 to reflect more accurate data from GSA.

LEED Abandoned by DOD?

In the recent past, all new DOD construction projects were required to meet the LEED Silver or an equivalent standard and/or to comply with the five principles of High Performance Sustainable Buildings. This year a new construction code for high-performance, sustainable buildings, is expected that will govern all new construction, major renovations and leased space acquisition. This new code, based heavily on ASHRAE 189.1, will accelerate DoD’s move toward efficient, sustainable facilities that cost less to own and operate, leave a smaller environmental footprint and improve employee productivity.

Testimony by  Dr. Dorothy Robyn Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) before the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies on March 7, 2012 to present the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 budget request for the Department of Defense programs to support installations, facility energy and the
environment covered four topics:

international and domestic basing, including the Department’s request for authorization of two new rounds of Base Realignment and Closure;

management of the built environment, including the programs that support military construction,
family housing,  sustainment and recapitalization;

strategy for managing facility energy to reduce costs and improve installation energy security;

and  management of the natural environment, including the programs that support environmental conservation and restoration, environmental technology and compatible development.

Relative to LEED it is important to note that  Congress has established a requirement to report  the return on investment from using consensus standards such as ASHRAE 189.1.  This is important to note as with more than 300,000 buildings and 2.2 billion square feet of building space, the DoD has a physical infrastructure footprint three times that of Wal-Mart and six times that of GSA.  The DOD’s  energy bill is approximately $4 billion annually—roughly 10 percent of what DoD spends to maintain its installation infrastructure ($40 billion).  Additionally facility energy represents nearly 40 percent of DOD greenhouse gas emissions.

Full Testimony

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$4B for Improved Building Energy Efficiency – Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative – Perfect for Job Order Contracting – JOC

Efficient construction project delivery is needed to meet building efficiency targets.  While there have been several attempts to address sustainability and the built environment, the lack of efficient project delivery has impacted progress.

Job Order Contracting / JOC – is an efficient integrated project delivery methods that focuses upon collaboration and longer term relationships between Owners and Contracting, resulting in higher productivity and greater transparency.   It’s time that JOC be implemented Agency-wide throughout the Federal Sector.

President Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative is part of a vision for winning the future by catalyzing a homegrown, clean energy economy in the United States. The Better Buildings Initiative set a national target of improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 20 percent by 2020.

Job Order Contracting Process - Deployed via Technology

Achieving the President’s goal will reduce energy bills for American businesses by approximately $40 billion per year. Improving energy efficiency in our nation’s buildings can create good paying jobs in the construction industry.  The Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst supported by the Real Estate Roundtable and U.S. Green Buildings Council estimated a potential of 114,000 jobs associated with implementing the Better Buildings Initiative.

It is a trifecta, which is why you’ve got labor and business behind it. It could save our businesses up to $40 billion a year on their energy bills – money better spent growing and hiring new workers. It would boost manufacturing of energy-efficient materials. And when millions of construction workers have found themselves out of work since the housing bubble burst, it will put them back to work doing the work that America needs done. So this is an idea whose time has come. – President Obama

President Obama directed all Federal agencies to make at least $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next two months. Additionally, 60 private companies, hospitals, cities, states, colleges, and universities, among others, have collectively committed another $2 billion in energy efficiency retrofits to 1.6 billion square feet of property.

Goal of improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 20 percent by 2020. The initiative will reduce energy bills for businesses by $40 billion per year, and one report found it could create up to 114,000 jobs.
The Better Buildings Challenge is the public-private partnership component of President Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative. The Challenge seeks to catalyze private sector investment and has attracted business and community leaders who are committed to supporting innovative ideas with action, sharing their successes, and creating solutions for others to follow.  TheClinton Global Initiative (CGI) America, former President Clinton, Secretary Chu and Laura Tyson from the President’s Jobs Council announced an initial set of commitments totaling 300+ million square feet and $500+ million in financing support. The President announced commitments totaling 1.6 billion square feet and nearly $2 billion in financing support for building energy upgrades. This includes: Commitments from [60] Major CEOs, Universities, Mayors, Labor Leaders and Others – corporations, hospitals, financial institutions, cities and states, colleges and universities.

Data from the Department of Energy reveals a tremendous potential for efficiency investment opportunities in Federal buildings with less than 10-year paybacks. The Presidential Memorandum also directs Federal agencies to complete evaluations to identify specific energy conservation measures, including estimated cost and return on investment to prioritize and implement those energy conservation measures with the best payback, and to provide transparency and accountability through public reporting of results.

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ISO Energy Management “Standard” – ISO 50001 – Major Gains? – Framework for Facility Energy Management ?

Energy management – Early ISO 50001 adopters report major gains – Source: Lambert, G., ISO, 2011

Evidence that publication of ISO 50001 was eagerly awaited is borne out by the number of organizations worldwide claiming to be the first in their country or sector to have adopted the new ISO International Standard on energy management. And what’s more, several are already reporting significant benefits and energy cost savings from their early ISO 50001 implementation.

It has been estimated that ISO 50001:2011, Energy management systems — requirements with guidance for use, could have a positive impact on some 60 % of the world’s energy use by providing public and private sector organizations with management strategies to increase energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve energy performance.

Early adopters, early gains

This ISO Focus+ online bonus articles summarizes reports from five early adopters to find out what all the excitement is about. The organizations are power and thermal management solutions enterprise Delta Electronics in China, global energy management specialist Schneider Electric of France, the Dahanu Thermal Power Station in India, LCD TV maker AU Optronics Corp of Taiwan, Province of China, and the Austrian municipality of Bad Eisenkappel.

They report numerous early gains from implementing ISO 50001, including significant reductions in power consumption, carbon emissions and energy costs, and benefits to manufacturing plants, communities and the environment.

Delta Electronics – China

Delta Electronics, a leading provider of power and thermal management solutions, has confirmed that its Dongguan factory in China has achieved ISO 50001 certification. The energy management standard is fundamental to the company’s five-year energy saving goal of reducing power consumption by 50 % in 2014, compared with 2009.

Delta Electronics’ ISO 50001-certified Dongguan factory in China produces electronic power components and adaptors.

With headquarters in Taiwan, the Delta Group also operates manufacturing plants in Brazil, China, Europe, India, Japan and Mexico. In addition to power and thermal management components, the company produces visual displays, industrial automation, networking products, and renewable energy solutions.

Daryl Liao, Executive Vice-President of Delta Group’s China region and Rock Huang, General Manager of the company’s ISO 50001-certified Dongguan factory.

Daryl Liao, Executive Vice-President of Delta Group’s China region. Comments: “The Delta Dongguan factory is delighted about passing the evaluation for the ISO 50001 energy management system. This recognizes Delta’s long-term dedication to eco-friendliness and energy saving. In the future, Delta Electronics will promote Dongguan’s successful factory experience to factories around the world as part of our corporate social responsibility.”

“Confident of 50 % reduction”

“With the implementation of the ISO 50001 energy management system in the Dongguan region, and production capacity at an even level from January to May of this year, we have already reduced power consumption by 10.51 million KWH as compared to the same period in 2010. This is equivalent to a reduction of 10.2 thousand tons of carbon emissions and a saving of CNY 8 million.

“Power consumption was also reduced by 37 % as compared to the 74.3 thousand KWH/million USD production value in 2009. We are confident that our goal of 50 % reduction in 2014 is just around the corner.” Rock Huang, General Manager of Delta’s Dongguan factory, added.

Schneider Electric – France

Global energy management specialist Schneider Electric has been awarded ISO 50001 certification for its Paris, France, head office, as part of the company’s commitment to continuously improving the energy management of its buildings, reducing their environmental footprint and enhancing user comfort.

At Schneider Electric’s ISO 50001-certified Paris head office, electric vehicles for business use by employees are charged via a photovoltaic roof above the charging station.

Known as the Hive (Hall of Innovation and Energy Showcase), the 35 000 m2 building accommodates more than 1 800 employees in Rueil-Malmaison, in the suburbs of Paris.

The company was initially certified to the EN 16001 energy management system standard and commenced adaptation and implementation of its system to ISO 50001 in November 2010, achieving certification in May 2011.

Gilles Simon, Environment Manager, Schneider Electric France.

Framework to “do the best”

ISO Focus+ asked Gilles Simon, Environment Manager for Schneider Electric France, to comment on how ISO 50001 implementation helps his company.

“The ISO 50001 standard provides a framework and a toolbox to ‘do the best’ with energy in a continual improvement cycle. Many of our facilities around the world are already involved in energy efficiency action plans. The standard helps a building, such as the Hive, to manage the widest field of energy efficiency in a more accurate way.

“That framework, already established by EN 16001 certification, leads us to define our energy management mission more precisely. It also helps us to involve our purchase teams in applying energy efficiency as a criteria in the selection of suppliers, forces us to clarify the benefit of each independent energy action in the building, and puts us into a continual improvement loop, checked every year by a third party.

The Hive, Schneider Electric’s energy efficient ISO 50001-certified head office near Paris, provides electric vehicles for business use by employees, charged via a photovoltaic roof above the charging station.

Easily adapted and integrated

ISO Focus+ asked Mr. Simon about the benefits of ISO 50001 to Schneider internationally, and as a leader in energy efficiency.

“It is an International Standard, so it can be implemented in all our facilities and our customers’ facilities around the world,” replied Mr. Simon. “Since it is very close to EN 16001, the energy management systems at our Paris and Grenoble locations were easily adaptable to ISO 50001. It can also be easily integrated with other ISO standards such as ISO 14001. About 90 % of our facilities worldwide are ISO 14001-certified.

“It also enforces our leader position in energy management. The certification, and its maintenance in years to come, demonstrates our involvement and our walk-the-talk policy. The standard will be promoted to our customers, as it is fully in line with our energy solutions including diagnosis, instrumentation and monitoring,” he added.

Dahanu Power Station – India

Dahanu Thermal Power Station in Maharashtra, India, operated by Reliance Infrastructure Limited, the country’s largest private sector power utility enterprise, was successfully certified in conformity with ISO 50001 in January 2011. The 2x 250 MW coal fired power station, located some 120 kms from Mumbai, has been in operation since 1996 and is described as Reliance’s landmark facility in terms of energy conservation. It is also certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

ISO 50001-certified Dahanu Thermal Power Station in Maharashtra, India, has a 275 meter stack, the highest in the country, to ensure better dispersion of particulate matter.

Remarkable achievements

Among early benefits from implementing the new energy management system standard, Rajendra Nandi, Head of Dahanu Thermal Power Station, cites what he calls a number of “remarkable achievements” including a complete review of the consumption of all major equipment, auxiliaries and buildings, improvement in the monitoring of total energy consumption, the establishment of energy use and consumption limits for the most significant energy uses, and the implementation of deviation control by operations and maintenance personnel.

In addition to these operational improvements, the plant has conducted a series of targeted investments since March 2010 which, aided by the organization’s new ISO 50001-based energy management system, are expected to yield annual savings of about INR 96.4 million from raised energy efficiency and management.

AU Optronics – Taiwan, Province of China

AU Optronics Corporation (AUO), described the second largest LCD TV panel maker in Taiwan, announced that its 8.5G TFT-LCD fabrication plant in the Central Taiwan Science Park has been successfully certified in conformity with ISO 50001. The company’s TV module plant in Suzhou, China, has also implemented the new energy management standard.

AUO’s ISO 50001-certified LCD TV panel fabrication plant in the Central Taiwan Science Park.

Shr-Kai Lin, AUO’s Vice-President of Global Manufacturing, comments:

Shr-Kai Lin, Vice-President of Global Manufacturing, AU Optronics Corporation, Taiwan.

“It is our great honour that AUO’s G8.5 fab plant in the Central Taiwan Science Park has obtained ISO 50001 certification. Energy management system certification has been gaining considerable attention from countries around the world. ISO 50001 will become the next global highlight following ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Receiving the verification will become a prerequisite for a company’s international competitiveness.”

Saving energy, reducing emissions

ISO 50001 implementation is expected to help AUO achieve 10 % energy conservation at the plant this year, save an estimated 55 million kWh of electricity and reduce carbon emissions by 35 000 tons. The company now plans to adopt an ISO 50001-based energy management system at all its manufacturing plants.

Municipality of Bad Eisenkappel – Austria

ISO 50001-certified Bad Eisenkappel, Austria’s most southerly municipality.

Climate change, growing energy consumption in municipality buildings and plants, increasing energy prices, over-dependence on fossil fuels and unused regional energy sources were the drivers that compelled Bad Eisenkappel, Austria’s most southerly municipality, to implement ISO 50001.

Franz Josef Smrtnik, Mayor of the municipality of Bad Eisenkappel, Austria.

According to Franz Josef Smrtnik, Mayor of the 2 400 inhabitant community, adopting an energy management system was important because “continuous energy savings make budgets available for other important issues, and local energy resources create added value in the region.”

A structured approach

Ferdinand Bevc, Energy Manager of Bad Eisenkappel.

Ferdinand Bevc, Energy Manager of Bad Eisenkappel, explained: “We wanted to have a structured approach with long term effects, and did not want to focus on small individual projects only.” He became convinced of the value of ISO 50001 to a municipality following a presentation of the framework and advantages of the International Standard by Rainer Stifter, an international energy expert.

The implementation and certification process was also supported by the desire of the local council and all six political parties to eliminate fossil fuels, and achieve sustainable development.

Cost and energy savings

Although the ISO 50001 certification project only started in November 2010, early results “clearly show that the head official took the right decision to launch this initiative”.

During the first year, consumption of electrical energy is expected to decrease by nearly 25 % with the main savings achieved by updating the waste water plant and reducing energy consumption by 86 000 kWh, equivalent to EUR 16 000. Street lights will be converted to LED bulbs in combination with movement sensors and PV-modules, all of which are estimated to save a further 45 000 kWh. In addition, LED-bulbs have been installed in public buildings and local schools, aerators fitted to taps, and improvements made to municipal ventilation systems and the warm water supply.

Potential savings have also been identified during thermal imaging of buildings, and from the planned installation of thermal solar collectors.

From industry to municipality

“In Bad Eisenkappel it was possible to transfer the successful concept, already used by industry, to a rural municipality. Bad Eisenkappel is a real showcase,” said Rainer Stifter, although he emphasises that the achievement was only possible with the active support of all council employees, schoolmasters, and an energy-aware community.

Mayor Smrtnik concluded: “This project clearly shows the results that can be achieved by motivated employees. But much more important is the joie de vivre because of commonly achieved actions and a clean energy supply. A plant for pellet production as well as small hydro power plants will help to supply all buildings with renewable energy in the future. In addition, the first car charging station was opened recently.”

Latest ISO 50001 adopters

ISO 50001 adoption is gathering pace around the world. Among the most recent organizations to implement and certify to the new energy management standard are:

• Dainippon Screen MFG. Co., Ltd. Rakusai Laboratory, Japan.
• Porsche main plant and central spare parts warehouse, Stuttgart, Germany.
• Samsung Electronics (Gumi), South Korea.
• Sunhope Photoelectricity Co., Taiwan, Province of China.

Also, the Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) Bureau, set up to promote Thailand as a green meeting hub in Asia, will encourage Thai MICE operators to seek ISO 50001 certification, by subsidizing 70 % of the THB 400 000 consultancy fee.

Impact Arena is the first MICE venue in Asia to achieve ISO 50001 certification, while two venues — The Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre and The Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre — are in the process of obtaining certification.

The bureau will also encourage hotels, professional convention organizers and destination management companies to apply for ISO 50001 certification to strengthen their international competitiveness, and attract business from Europe and the United States.

---

*Garry Lambert is a freelance British journalist based in Switzerland

 

iso_50001_energy

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Sustainability and Energy Scorecards for Federal Buildings

OMB Sustainability and Energy Scorecards

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On April 19, 2011, 24 Federal agencies and departments released, for the first time, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Sustainability and Energy Scorecards. These scorecards enable agencies to target and track the best opportunities to lead by example in clean energy; and to meet a range of energy, water, pollution, and waste reduction targets.

Through the OMB scorecard process, agencies are assessed on several sustainability areas, including: energy intensity; water intensity; fleet petroleum use; greenhouse gas pollution; green building practices; and, renewable energy use. Agencies are also evaluated on demonstrating continuous progress towards implementing additional statutory or Executive Order targets and goals reflected in their annual Sustainability Plans, such as green purchasing and electronics stewardship. The scorecard employs a simple evaluation system: green for success; yellow for mixed results; and red for unsatisfactory.

Agencies are also evaluated on demonstrating continuous progress towards implementing additional statutory or Executive Order targets and goals reflected in their annual Sustainability Plans, such as fleet management and green buildings. CEQ and OMB will work with agency leadership to craft strategies for improvement and provide agencies with additional support and assistance as agencies begin to develop their Sustainability Plans for next year.  Agency Sustainability Plans, which are required by EO 13514, are due in June, and are posted publicly on agency websites.

High Performance Buildings – Energy Management Systems

Building Efficiency:
Building-wide, Proactive Energy Management Systems for High-Performance Buildings

Achieving and sustaining energy savings depends on advances in energy management (EM)–for example, the ability to exploit occupancy, energy prices, and weather trends when optimizing building system performance. Reducing the computational complexity of building-wide EM systems will make them more desirable.

Working with BuildingIQ, an Australian building automation start-up firm, Argonne is developing a proactive EM system to address these challenges. While building operations are inherently dynamic, with changes occurring quickly in external conditions, building systems respond slowly to these changes and provide an opportunity to optimize energy use, occupant comfort, and system responsiveness. To capture that opportunity, Argonne’s system will use adaptive building-wide predictive models that account for zone topology, energy and mass balances, HVAC systems, real-time occupancy, energy prices, and weather forecast information.

EM systems rely on iterative solutions of complex optimization problems, which need to be solved quickly and reliably to ensure appropriate real-time performance. Fast optimization algorithms also enable implementation with inexpensive, commodity hardware, thereby enabling widespread deployment. The research team is leveraging Argonne’s expertise in numerical optimization to deploy state-of-the-art and open-source optimization functionality and developing model reformulations and warm-starting strategies. These capabilities will enable set-point updates in a few minutes for large and highly detailed building models and long forecast horizons, enhancing system responsiveness and robustness.

The algorithms are being implemented in BuildingIQ’s system, which uses building models constructed automatically from sensor data and machine learning techniques. This approach avoids the need for expensive model development tasks and simulation engines that limit deployment.

A proactive EM system is currently in use in the Theory and Computational Science Building on the Argonne campus. A new generation of occupancy sensors, developed by global technology innovator Johnson Controls, will be field-tested as part of this demonstration project. Argonne and BuildingIQ will add new data mining capabilities to allow for association of occupancy patterns with building zones or other items of interest, while maintaining confidentiality of occupant identities.

This project is being funded by U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program.

 

via http://www.4clicks.com – Leader in Cost Estimating and Project Delivery for JOC, SABER, IDIQ, SATOC, MATOC, MACC, POC, BOA …

 

VA’s / Veteran Administration’s Sustainability Initiative

The VA is doing some cool things in the BIM and Sustainability areas.  Below is a recent assessment initiative.

That said, the VA doesn’t have a standardized, efficient method to cost estimate and manage facility repair, renovation, sustainability, and minor new construction projects.  Most sites apparently rely upon the RSMeans Costworks product and ad hoc processes vs. a dedicated cost estimating and project management system.

The VA’s sustainability initiative would be well served to link dedicated tools to internal processes to improve accuracy, transparency, timelines, and scalability.

For example JOC / Job Order Contracting is being used, however, tools to support JOC would be a big win, especially if linked with BIM initiatives.  Costworks is not a cost estimating 0r project management system, but bascially RSMeans cost data in digital format.  Dedicated systems incorporate the various construction delivery methods and tools to dramatically increase collaboration among owners, contractors, and A/E’s, resulting in projects completed on-time and on-budget.

Veterans Administration Awards Contract to Green Building Initiative/Green Globes® for Online Evaluation Tool 01/25/2011 WASHINGTON D.C. — The Green Building Initiative, (GBI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the acceleration of sustainable building practices, was recently awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide online, green building self-evaluations for 173 hospital facilities using Green Globes® Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings environmental rating and assessment tool.  As part of the contract, GBI will provide training for VA facilities management personnel who will be performing the web-enabled assessments.  This recent award follows a 2009 pilot project by the VA in which 21 hospitals across the US were assessed and certified using the Green Globes system. The Green Globes Continual Improvement for Existing Buildings (CIEB) tool was selected and GBI was awarded the contract based on VA requirements that included:  tool compatibility with a third party green building rating system developed by an ANSI – accredited organization,  compatibility with the Federal High Performance and Sustainable Building Guidance dated 12/1/2008, cost, and demonstrated experience with the assessment and certification of other Federal Government facilities. The Green Globes CIEB program helps establish performance baselines, best practices and certification for operations and maintenance of a building in the environmental assessment areas of energy, water, resource management and emissions and pollution. The fully interactive, web-enabled tool also allows facility personnel to measure, document, and improve the sustainability of a building over time. On February 28, 2006 the Department of Veterans Affairs joined 21 Federal departments and agencies in signing the Memorandum of Understanding on Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings.  The MOU commits the signatories to demonstrate leadership in implementing common strategies for planning, acquiring, siting, designing, building, operating, and maintaining high performance and sustainable buildings. The Sustaining Guiding Principles employ integrated design, optimizing energy performance, protecting and conserving water, enhancing the indoor environment, and reducing the impact of materials as best practices to achieve these goals. “The 173 buildings to be assessed encompass some of the largest and most complex commercial buildings in the US. This project represents the first steps in what could be a broader sustainability assessment/certification initiative spanning entire campuses,” commented Ward Hubbell, President of the Green Building Initiative. “Green Globes is highly compatible with the elements of the High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance and is an important tool to help federal agencies evaluate compliance with the Executive Order,” he added. Upon implementation, this project represents the first large scale, nationwide deployment and application of online evaluation tools for comprehensive sustainability assessment within a major Federal Government agency. ABOUT THE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE: The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches.  A not-for-profit education initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction.  For more information on the Green Building Initiative, please visit www.thegbi.org

 

 

 

Obama Missing the Point on Sustainability?

President Obama’s  State of the Union Address calls for 80% clean power by 2035, but…  WHAT ABOUT ENERGY CONSERVATION!!!!

Clean energy is great, but likely a pipe dream.  Furthermore, none of the “renewable” energy sources will meet current demands and/or be deployable by 2035.

We need to get serious about implementing energy conservation measures and associated facility system upgrades.   It is no secret that existing building energy use can be reduced 30% to 50% by upgrading systems and adopting better utilization practices.

The real issues is that appropriate incentives and efficient  transparent project delivery methods are not being used.

The combination of objective facility assessments with efficient project delivery methods such as JOC – Job Order Contracting, and IPD – Integrated Project Design, associated mandates and financial incentives is sorely needed!

Time to stop talking and start acting?

 

 

The Top Three Requirements for Sustainability – High Performance Buildings & Green

1. Facility Life-cycle Management – Visibility into accurate building information from concept to design, bidding, procurement, construction, repair, renovation, maintenance, and demolition is a basic requirement for both new and existing buildings in order to impact sustainability on any type of broad scale.  Associated physical and functional conditions, costs, and what-if analysis tools are just an examples of the information needed.

2. Efficient Project Delivery Methods. The best high performance building concepts, for new or existing buildings, are of no value if they can not be implemented in a timely, cost-effective, and quality manner.   The AEC sector is notorious for waste, poor planning, and lack of efficient business processes.   “Newer” construction delivery methods such as IPD – Integrated Project Delivery and JOC – Job Order Contracting must be employed on a widespread basis.

3. Performance-Based Building Codes and Legislation. Existing buildings are responsible for the lion’s share of carbon output and energy consumption.  Current green initiatives in the private and public sector have been mostly “window dressing”, and strong legislation is required, inclusive of ongoing monitoring and associated incentives and penalties.

Buildings and Their Impact Upon The Environment

Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)

Buildings responsible for over one-third of North America’s CO2 emissions

Report prescribes policies to slash buildings’ energy use

 

While this report tends to focus upon new buildings, and thus no directly address the major issue – existing buildings, a lot of the information is valuable.  Using existing methods and technologies it is possible to routinely reduce energy usage of existing buildings by 30, 40, or even 50 percent – should mandates, efficient construction delivery methods, such as JOC and IPD, and proven facility condition assessment/capital planning techniques be employed. – Blog Author

 

Promoting the green design, construction, renovation and operation of buildings could cut North American greenhouse gas emissions that are fuelling climate change more deeply, quickly and cheaply than any other available measure, according to the 2008 report issued by the trinational Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).

North America’s buildings cause the annual release of more than 2,200 megatons of CO2 into the atmosphere, about 35 percent of the continent’s total.

Rapid market uptake of currently available and emerging advanced energy-saving technologies could result in over 1,700 fewer megatons of CO2 emissions in 2030, compared to projected emissions that year following a business-as-usual approach.

 

The report, Green Building in North America: Opportunities and Challenges, is the result of a two-year study by the CEC Secretariat. It was prepared with advice from an international advisory group of prominent developers and architects, sustainability and energy experts, real estate appraisers and brokers, together with local and national government representatives.

Despite proven environmental, economic and health benefits, green building today accounts for a only small fraction of new home and commercial building construction—just two percent of the new non-residential building market, less than half of one percent of the residential market in the United States and Canada, and less than that in Mexico.

“Improving our built environment is probably the single greatest opportunity to protect and enhance the natural environment. This report is a blueprint for dramatic environmental progress throughout North America—mostly using the tools and technology we have on hand today,” says CEC Executive Director Adrián Vázquez.

Even with rapid growth projected in the green building market across all three countries, the report says public and private sectors must embrace substantial changes to the planning, development and financing of commercial and residential buildings to overcome what it says are significant barriers to the widespread adoption of high-performance buildings throughout North America.

Report authors describe a number of disincentives to green building to be overcome. For example, how to encourage developers to incur the marginal cost of green building features when the long-term energy-saving benefits will be passed on to the new owners or tenants, and recommends ways to accelerate the market uptake of green building and make it the standard practice for all new construction and renovation of existing buildings in North America. Among its recommendations, the report calls upon North American government, industry and nongovernmental leaders to:

• Create national, multi-stakeholder task forces charged with achieving a vision for green building in North America;

• Support the creation of a North American set of principles and planning tools for green building;

• Set clear targets to achieve the most rapid possible adoption of green building in North America, including aggressive targets for carbon-neutral or net zero-energy buildings, together with performance monitoring to track progress towards these targets;

• Enhance ongoing or new support for green building, including efforts to promote private sector investment and proper valuation methods; and

• Increase knowledge of green building through research and development, capacity building, and the use of labels and disclosures on green building performance.

The recommendations complement ongoing efforts by federal, state/provincial and local governments as well as industry and trade associations and nongovernmental organizations.

The CEC study notes several government and industry initiatives that promote aggressive energy performance improvements in the building sector. One study completed for the report signals the potential of green building to yield tremendous energy improvements and greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the building sector by 2030, and suggests a path toward zero net-energy and carbon-neutral buildings.

In Canada, buildings are responsible for:

• 33 percent of total energy use;

• 12 percent of non-industrial water consumption;

• 50 percent of natural resource consumption;

• 35 percent of greenhouse gas emissions;

• 10 percent of airborne particulate production; and

• 25 percent of landfill waste generation.

In Mexico, buildings are responsible for:

• 17 percent of total energy use;

• 5 percent of potable water consumption;

• 25 percent of total electricity consumption;

• 20 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions; and

• 20 percent of the waste generated.

In the United States, buildings account for:

• 40 percent of total energy use;

• 12 percent of the total water consumption;

• 68 percent of total electricity consumption;

• 38 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions; and

• 60 percent of total non-industrial waste generation.

In Canada, more than 123,000 new single-family homes were built in 2006. In the United States, an average of 1.24 million single-family homes is built every year. Mexico projects an average of 1 million new homes every year for the next 25 years.

Hundreds of coal-fired power plants, a key source of greenhouse gas emissions, are currently on the drawing boards in the United States. According to one report, 76 percent of the energy produced by these plants will go to operate buildings.

According to the report, Canada’s residential building sector is responsible for approximately 80 megatons of CO2 emissions annually and its commercial building sector for approximately 69 megatons of CO2.

In the United States, residential buildings account for approximately 1,210 megatons of CO2 per year while commercial buildings are responsible for approximately 1,020 megatons of CO2.

In Mexico, residential buildings account for approximately 42 megatons of CO2 emissions annually, while commercial buildings are responsible for approximately 20 megatons of CO2.

In 2001, the carbon associated with energy services to United States buildings alone constituted 8 percent of total global emissions of CO2, equal to all emissions from Japan and the United Kingdom combined.

Beyond individual buildings, poor patterns of building development often lead to congestion and inefficient use of land, resulting in greater energy consumption and travel time, loss of productivity, polluted runoff to surface water and wastewater treatment systems, loss of agricultural lands, fragmented habitats, and fiscal stress to local communities. Two case studies from Toronto indicate that residents of sprawling neighborhoods tend to emit more greenhouse gases per person and suffer more traffic fatalities.

Buildings contribute significantly to the use of key resources such as energy and water. For instance, in the United States, building operations consume 12 percent of fresh water supplies. In Canada, the building sector consumes half of all natural resources used and generates a quarter of all landfill waste. Worldwide, buildings consume around 40 percent of all raw materials.

Urban water run-off is another important building-related impact. Buildings, and transportation infrastructure that serve them, replace natural surfaces with impermeable materials, typically creating runoff that washes pollutants and sediments into surface water. Urban runoff is the fourth-leading cause of impairment of rivers, third-leading for lakes, and second for estuaries in the United States, and a significant problem in many parts of Mexico and Canada as well. In Mexico City, most rainwater flows on impermeable surfaces to the city drainage system; only a small proportion (11 percent) is recharged into the aquifer, causing a greater dependence on neighboring basins and increasing the risk of flooding.

In the United States, the annual cost of building-related sickness is estimated to be $58 billion. According to researchers, green building has the potential to generate an additional $200 billion annually in worker performance in the United States by creating offices with better indoor air.

Studies show that the cost premium to deliver sustainable properties to the market has declined considerably in recent years, and that experienced teams are delivering them at costs competitive with conventional buildings.

Governments at all levels are working to address obstacles to the uptake of green building through the integrated use of building codes; zoning regulations; tax-based incentives; and preferential treatment for green developers (such as fast-track permitting). In addition, green building practices are also being spurred by demand offset programs (in which a developer reduces energy and water demand as a condition of permitting); preferred purchasing; tax shifting; and government-supported research, development, and educational programs.

The US green building industry—almost non-existent a decade ago—is now worth upwards of $12 billion.

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The report was produced by the Secretariat of the CEC, prepared under Article 13 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) and is not intended to reflect the views of the Parties to that agreement. Information for the report came from background reports prepared by independent experts and from two public meetings. The report and associated background reports, along with a portfolio of selected green buildings in Canada, Mexico and the United States, will be available to the public on 13 March 2008, at .

The CEC was established by Canada, Mexico and the United States to build cooperation among the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners in implementing NAAEC, the environmental side accord to NAFTA. The CEC addresses environmental issues of continental concern, with particular attention to the environmental challenges and opportunities presented by continent-wide free trade.

Contacts:

Mr. Eduardo Viadas
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Tel: 1-514-350-4331
E-mail: eviadas@cec.org

Mr. Terry Collins
Tel: 1-416-538-8712, 1-416-878-8712
E-mail: terrycollins@rogers.com