March Top 10 Solutions
The 10 most-viewed resources from the past month include a new webinar on distributed energy and resilience, as well as solutions on financing, rooftop solar, and more. Check them out!
1. Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) Toolkit
This collection of resources enables state and local communities to benefit from the experience of partners who have successfully established and implemented performance contracting. It includes best practices and innovative approaches that states, cities, and K-12 schools have used. Users can easily find the information they need at each stage of their ESPC decision-making process. Read more.
2. Clean Energy for Low-Income Communities (CELICA) Toolkit
Low-income households spend about 8% of their income on energy costs, three times more than average. Better Buildings Accelerator partners committed $335 million to help 155,000 low-income households access energy efficiency and renewable energy benefits, collecting resources and lessons learned into the CELICA Toolkit. The toolkit includes a guide to program development and replicable program models for single-family and multifamily housing, as well as community solar. Read more.
3. Green Revolving Funds Toolkit
This collection of solutions provides guidance on establishing a green revolving fund to overcome a lack of dedicated capital. A green revolving fund is an internal capital pool dedicated to funding energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability projects that generate cost savings. A portion of those savings is then used to replenish the fund, establishing an ongoing funding vehicle to help drive energy efficiency and sustainability investment over time. Read more.
4. Save Money and Build Resilience with Distributed Energy Technologies Webinar – NEW
This webinar introduces two tools from DOE’s National Labs (Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model and REopt Lite) for assessing potential facility-level energy technology investments and explains how to use those assessments to incorporate distributed energy technologies that optimize your facilities’ unique energy needs. Read more.
5. Citizen Energy: Efficiency-as-a-Service in Multifamily Properties – Owner vs. Tenant-Occupied
Citizen Energy completed lighting upgrade projects at two multifamily properties using an efficiency-as-a-service financing solution. Despite the variance in ownership structures, efficiency-as-a-service worked for each property, resulting in cumulative annual savings of $93,000. Read more.
6. The Tower Companies: Installing Rooftop Solar on a 1960s Multifamily High-Rise
The Tower Companies installed a 122-kW rooftop solar PV system at a 75,000-square-foot apartment complex in Silver Spring, Maryland. Tower internally funded the project through a direct purchase ownership model, which is expected to yield a 100% after-tax payback in the first year and an internal rate of return of 30% over 20 years. The solar PV installation is estimated to produce 150,000 kWh annually, enough to power the equivalent of 75 apartments. Read more.
7. High-Efficiency RTU Replacement Toolkit
This toolkit helps HVAC contractors and service companies work with their customers through a step-by-step process of evaluating and managing their inventory of rooftop units (RTUs) and how to evaluate the business case for high-efficiency replacements. From an incentives database to a comparison calculator, the toolkit provides everything needed to make an informed decision regarding RTU replacements. Read more.
8. Efficiency-as-a-Service Toolkit
Efficiency-as-a-service (EaaS) is a pay-for-performance, off-balance sheet financing solution that allows customers to implement energy and water efficiency projects with no upfront capital expenditure. It is a relatively new financing mechanism, in which customers pay a provider for the service of energy savings. This toolkit provides resources and case studies for building owners, operators, and occupants who may want to take advantage of EaaS for energy and water projects. Read more.
9. InterContinental Hotels Group: Green Engage™ Sustainability Platform
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) created the IHG Green Engage™ system to manage its energy, water, and waste reduction efforts in a global, franchised business environment. The platform allows hotels to track, measure, and report on their carbon footprint and utility consumption and offers more than 200 ‘Green Solutions’ with detailed technical guidance that hotels can employ on-site to achieve greater sustainability. Green Engage can help hotels save up to 25% – about $90,000 – annually on energy. Read more.
10. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: John Ferraro Building Showcase Project
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power implemented several energy and water efficiency upgrades to the 50-year-old building’s lighting, plumbing, fan, and chiller systems. The upgrades resulted in 37% energy savings and over $1.7 million in cost savings; the building also achieved LEED Gold certification for Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance. Read more.