Renewables Integration

Renewables Integration

Strategic use of renewables can help businesses reduce energy costs and their environmental footprint. The Renewables Integration Technology Research Team is pleased to provide resources, information and guidance on integrating renewable energy into your building portfolio.
Explore How Different Sectors Incorporate Solar PV: View Solar Case Studies
Have Questions on PV and Roofing?: View the PV Roofing Guide
Overcoming the Owner-Tenant Split Incentive for Solar PV: Contribute Solutions
Events Calendar

Better Buildings partners participate in webinars, peer-exchange calls, meetings, and industry workshops and conferences. Browse upcoming events and opportunities to participate by month.

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Get Involved

The Renewables Integration Team collaborates with researchers and industry experts to promote awareness and energy reduction through new technologies. Contact the Better Buildings Alliance to learn how you can get involved.

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The 2019 Better Buildings Progress Report

To-date, Better Buildings partners have saved nearly 1.4 quadrillion Btus, achieving more than $8 billion in energy and cost savings.

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Featured Solutions

On-Site Commercial Solar PV Decision Guide for the Hospitality Sector Guidance
Solar PV has the potential to provide significant benefits to hotels by way of attracting guests and, more importantly, reducing operating costs. For more information on solar PV evaluation, visit the Renewables Integration Technology Solutions page.
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Promoting Solar PV on Leased Buildings Guide Report
This guide explores the benefits, barriers, and strategies to installing solar on leased buildings, including commercial real estate.
On-Site Commercial Solar PV Decision Guide for the Healthcare Sector Guidance
This document provides guidance for implementing Solar PV in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
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7 Steps to Selecting a Commercial Solar PV Provider Fact Sheet Fact Sheet
This resource highlights best practices to selecting a commercial solar provider. Business owners interested in going solar can take the following steps to install an on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) system.
Commercial Rooftop Solar FAQ Guidance
When a commercial building owner first considers installing solar PV, the first questions they ask typically involve how the system will be mounted to their roof and its impact on the roof warranty. This fact sheet addresses such common questions as identified by the Better Buildings Alliance’s Renewables Integration Team.
On-Site Energy Storage Decision Guide Guidance
This guide is intended for anyone investigating the addition of energy storage to a single or multiple commercial buildings. 
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Other Resources

Case Studies

Implementing Solar in Leased Retail Buildings Case Study
BJ’s installed nearly 20 systems that collectively produce 5.5 megawatts of direct c urrent (MW-DC) annually. The individual project sizes range from 260 kilowatts (kW) to 1.3 MW. 
Implementing Solar in Leased Buildings Case Study
Nixon Peabody has made a number of energy efficiency renovations to their Washington, D.C. office, including a three story living wall, which is watered using condensate from the HVAC system. The firm also is incorporating renewable energy.
Implementing Solar in Leased Office Buildings Case Study
The Tower Companies is committed to being an environmental leader in the real estate industry and pursued its first solar photovoltaic (PV) installation on a large, class A office building in Washington, D.C.
Ground Mounted Solar Array in Hospitality Case Study
TownePlace Suites discovered an unused four-acre piece of land adjoining one of its properties, and developed the land with a solar installation, decreasing electric costs and improving the hotel’s environmental reputation.
Ground-Mounted Solar Array in Healthcare Case Study
Madera Community Hospital worked with an energy service company (ESCO) to complete energy efficiency upgrades and select a partner to maintain a solar PV array under a 20-year PPA with the hospital.    
Installing Carport Solar Array Case Study
The Hampton Inn & Suites Bakersfield North-Airport, to mitigate electricity costs, installed a carport solar array that produced monthly savings of $8,800.
Installing Hotel Rooftop Solar Array Case Study
Bardessono, a hotel in Yountville, California was designed to be one of the most energy efficient hotels in the world, including a roof-top solar array in the design to achieve significant energy savings and LEED Platinum certification.
Roof-Mounted Solar Array Achieves Near Net-Zero in Leased Building Case Study
WDT Indio performed a whole-building retrofit on the 40-year-old concrete structure, installing a 138 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) array to contribute 80 percent of the building’s energy consumption.
Roof-Mounted Solar Array in Healthcare Case Study
North Shore-LIJ HS, recognizing that its healthcare facilities consume large amounts of energy because of how they operate and the complex technologies that are necessary to treat its patients, installed a 50 kilowatt solar PV array on the roof of its Materials Management Building.
Parking Ramp Solar Array In Healthcare Case Study
Gundersen Health System constructed one of the nation's first LEED parking structures for a hospital, complete with PV panels. As of 2014, the system is one of the first to offset 100 percent of its energy use with renewable energy.

Guidance

Solar Finance for Residential and Commercial Customers Guidance
This presentation examines solar finance for residential and commercial customers and potential roles of state and local government.
Solar PV RFP & Procurement Guidance Template Guidance
Use this template to develop your own Request For Proposal (RFP) document, which will effectively communicate the specifications of your desired PV solar project to vendors in your area.
Solar PV Cost Proposal Template Guidance
Use this template in conjunction with the Solar PV RFP & Procurement Guidance Template to develop a customized form for vendors to complete when responding to your Solar PV RFP.  
Procurement Specifications Templates for Onsite Solar Photovoltaic: For Use in Developing Federal Solicitations Guidance
This document is intended to reduce project development and operational risks while increasing the speed at which projects are completed -- two necessary components to reach the scale required to meet mandates and achieve cost savings for taxpayers. This guide is intended to act as a living document where lessons learned from the increasing number of projects can be incorporated and provide guidance for efforts.
On-Site Commercial Solar PV Decision Guide Guidance
This report provides guidance for businesses considering implementing solar PV, as there are widespread geographic differences regarding utility incentive structures, utility policies, regulatory structures, and permitting requirements.
Access for All: Pathways to Expand Solar Options to Renters and Multifamily Households in Seattle Guidance
Developed in partnership with Spark Northwest and the Center for Sustainable Energy, IREC’s guide outlines two potential pathways to enable greater solar access for renters and multifamily residents and LMI communities in Seattle.

Implementation Model

Regency Centers - Landlord-Retailer PPA (RILA Retail Energy Management Program) Implementation Model
Landlord-Owner Solar Helps Retailer Offset More than 65% of Energy Use.

Additional Information

Database of Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
Find policies and incentives by state.

SunShot Resource Center
The Solar Energy Resource Center has over 100 unique documents developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, national laboratories and SunShot awardees.

The articles below go into detail on the rationale and business case to do metering and monitoring of solar PV systems on commercial buildings:

Priorities

Meet the Technology Expert

Rois Langner has worked as a building scientist and architectural engineer in the Commercial Buildings Research Group at NREL since the beginning of 2010. Her past research efforts have focused on building energy efficiency projects that utilize OpenStudio software to analyze and optimize building design and performance for military and large commercial buildings. She has worked with organizations to develop, implement, and maintain energy management policies and systems for continual energy improvement. More recently, she has worked to support the small commercial building sector in overcoming barriers that inhibit the adoption of energy efficiency solutions. Additionally, Rois supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Alliance, leading the Renewables Integration Technology Research Team. If you would like more information on the Renewables Integration Team, please contact rois.langner@nrel.gov.