Bulletin

DECEMBER 2021

The Better Buildings Bulletin keeps you up to date on partner successes, program updates, opportunities to participate, and more. View the Bulletin online.

In This Issue

• News and Announcements
• Welcome New Partners
• New Partner Solutions
• Mark Your Calendar
• Partners in the News
• New Resources
• Stay Connected

News and Announcements

U.S. Department of Energy Announces Better Climate Challenge

DOE recently announced a new leadership challenge for companies, states, municipalities, multifamily housing owners, and other organizations. Through the Better Climate Challenge, DOE is partnering with organizations that set a portfolio-wide, greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals of 50% or more by 2030. Partners also agree to work with DOE to share real-world pathways to reduce operational carbon (Scope 1 and 2) to address climate change and be recognized for their leadership. DOE will support partners through robust technical assistance, roadmaps, and convening peer-to-peer sharing of solutions.

This effort builds on over a decade of experience through the Better Buildings Initiative and the experience of those working with DOE through the Low Carbon Pilot. Join the nearly 40 leading organizations that have already signed on to the Better Climate Challenge. Learn more here.

Welcome Better Climate Challenge Partners:

Explore the Decarbonization Resource Hub

Buildings and manufacturing plants account for roughly two-thirds of U.S. CO2 emissions, and many recognize that carbon reduction goals are central to efficient operations and robust financial performance. This resource hub is designed to help you learn more about decarbonization and the steps to implementing a successful strategy, from prioritizing energy efficiency to finding financing.

Welcome New Partners

Better Buildings Challenge

• Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh
• Riseboro Community Partnership
  
  

Better Plants Challenge

• Chemours
• Lear Corporation
• Nestlé Health Science
• Trane Technologies
  
  

Better Plants Program

• DENSO
• The Hershey Company

Better Buildings Accelerators

Sustainable Corrections Infrastructure

• State of Minnesota
• State of South Dakota
  
  

Workforce

• Greenwork
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)
• VHA Energy Engineer Advisory Board

New Partner Solutions

The following Implementation Models, Showcase Projects, and Solutions-at-a-Glance demonstrate the hard work and innovative thinking of Better Buildings partners. Check out these replicable solutions and others in the Better Buildings Solution Center.

New Implementation Model

Lineage Logistics: Data Science Team Drives Energy Savings in Cold Storage

Lineage Logistics’ Data Science team has evaluated and supported the implementation of energy-saving projects across the company’s portfolio of cold storage facilities addressing racking configuration, warehouse operations algorithms, blast freezing, control system optimization, and rate structure selection. Due to the pace of innovation and collaboration with the Data Science team, Lineage Logistics met its 10-year 25% energy intensity improvement target in only two years.

New Showcase Projects

Department of Veterans Affairs: Erie Medical Center

To support compliance with federal water efficiency targets, Erie VA Medical Center replaced water-cooled condensing units with air-cooled units, achieving monthly water savings of more than 55% and saving over 8 million gallons in the first year of operation. The new system cost $60,000 and contributes to annual cost savings of nearly $17,000, for a 3.5-year payback.

Nissan North America: Air Handling Units Control Upgrade Delivers Massive Energy Savings

Nissan’s energy team upgraded the controls on 35 air handling units (AHUs) at its Canton, Mississippi plant, realizing significant energy reductions and saving over 4.8 million kWh annually. The success of the project led Nissan to invest in 30 additional AHU upgrades at the plant.

New Solutions-at-a-Glance

Columbia Association: Decarbonization with Heat Pump Water Heaters

Columbia Association replaced a large propane water heater at its Kendall Ridge Pool facility with two smaller heat pump water heaters to eliminate a source of on-site fossil fuel combustion and utilize a high-efficiency heat pump technology.

Northwestern University: Using an Energy-as-a-Service Partnership to Reduce Emissions and Train Students

Northwestern University entered an energy-as-a-service financing partnership to assist in reducing carbon emissions through energy efficiency and engineering projects. The partnership also supports learning opportunities for students in the field of sustainability.

Mark Your Calendar

Upcoming Webinars

View the full Better Buildings Calendar of events and webinars here.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET
Take Your Lighting Further: Opportunities for Lighting and Electrical Technologies

Join the Better Buildings Lighting and Electrical Technology Research Team for a discussion of takeaways from 13 advanced lighting system projects recognized in DOE’s Integrated Lighting Campaign and resources needed to support the uptake of connected lighting systems. The team will also share how to get involved with the Lighting Prize (L-Prize).

Register Here ⇒

Thursday, December 16, 2021: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Roadmap to Carbon Reductions in Multifamily Housing

As more multifamily housing providers begin to develop decarbonization goals, it is time for a conversation on strategies to break down barriers. During this webinar, take a deeper dive into the challenges and opportunities for reducing carbon in multifamily buildings, and how multifamily organizations can get started.

Register Here ⇒

Thursday, December 16, 2021: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET
EMIS for Small Buildings

Join the Better Buildings Energy Management Information Systems (EMIS) Technology Research Team and UC Davis to learn a scalable approach for remotely controlling and monitoring HVAC systems in small buildings, using wireless thermostats with scheduling and setpoint control through a central interface.

Register Here ⇒

Thursday, January 6, 2022: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET
GSA Webinar: Lightweight Quad-Pane Windows

Join the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for a webinar on a testbed evaluation of lightweight quad-pane windows. Researchers found that on average these windows saved 24% more heating and cooling energy compared with high-performance double pane windows. Learn more about these findings and get operational guidance from researchers and facility managers.

Register Here ⇒

Tuesday, January 11, 2022: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Glass Half-Full: Saving Money by Saving Water

Since 2015, Better Buildings and Better Plants partners have showcased how water management can reduce cost, energy, and environmental impact, saving more than 10 billion gallons. However, additional benefits can include more efficient operations and increased resiliency. Join partners from multiple sectors to learn how they've realized the many benefits of water reduction and hear what's next from the Water Savings Network.

Register Here ⇒

Thursday, January 13, 2022: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. ET
Energy Efficiency Trends in the New Year

Join the Better Buildings Residential Network, including some of the industry's top strategic thinkers, as they look ahead to 2022 and beyond. This discussion will range from trends to technologies and everything in between; attendees are sure to take away useful insights.

Register Here ⇒

Tuesday, January 18, 2022: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Classroom to Career: Advancement in Energy Efficiency Jobs

Better Buildings Workforce Accelerator partners support and grow our energy efficiency workforce by connecting to training, education, and job opportunities. Learn about the strategies and programmatic efforts they have implemented to support curricula development, job training, and career awareness to bolster future workers in the built environment.

Register Here ⇒

Thursday, January 27, 2022: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. ET
Smart Diagnostics: New Advances in the Efficiency Field

Space heating and cooling systems account for 44% of U.S. residential energy consumption. Improper installation and maintenance of HVAC systems leads to increased energy use, unnecessary repairs, and occupant comfort issues. Join this Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call to hear how smart diagnostics can reduce contractor callbacks, carbon, and energy use, along with delivering comfort and lower bills to homeowners.

Register Here ⇒

Tuesday, February 1, 2022: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
PV Valuation: How Solar PV Adds Value to Your Assets

Rooftop solar is a common renewable energy strategy, but owners and operators are now exploring potential financial benefits to the value of commercial and industrial properties. Learn from several building owners and managers how they made the business case for solar PV and found increased asset value during appraisal or at the time of sale.

Register Here ⇒

Tuesday, February 15, 2022: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Shelter from the Storm: Powering Community Resilience Hubs

During extreme weather, community resilience hubs can reduce the burden on emergency response teams by supplying power before, during, and after grid outages through onsite energy systems. Learn from Better Buildings partners who have successfully identified buildings and leveraged energy efficiency, distributed generation, and storage resources to ensure critical community facilities are online when they are needed most.

Register Here ⇒

Tuesday, March 1, 2022: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Creative Project and Process Implementation

Learn about Better Plants partners’ fun and innovative systems for choosing and executing processes and engaging employees on energy efficiency and sustainability. This webinar will also explore a new toolkit that includes a variety of templates and tools for helping organizations implement new projects and processes.

Register Here ⇒

Thursday, March 10, 2022: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET
Scaling Up HVAC Fault Detection in a Portfolio

In this webinar Kaiser Permanente, a DOE Smart Energy Analytics Campaign participant and recognition recipient, will share lessons on scaling up fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) tools from a large portfolio of over 150 sites and 16.5 million square feet. Learn how to sell the value of FDD within your organization and how to make FDD part of the way it operates.

Register Here ⇒

Tuesday, March 15, 2022: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Commercial and Industrial Solar: State of the Market and Solar Lease Best Practices

Join industry experts and practitioners in learning more about the state of solar in the commercial and industrial market. Speakers will share best practices that ensure both building and system owners get the biggest bang for their buck and optimize roof space, as well as discuss how community solar can be scaled to accommodate large commercial and industrial portfolios.

Register Here ⇒

Tuesday, April 5, 2022: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Low Carbon Technologies: Strategies for Different Building Types

It is possible for most building types to get to zero carbon emissions using technologies already available on the market today. Join this webinar to learn about the strategies some owners are already using – and those you could be using – to get buildings to low- and no-carbon.

Register Here ⇒

Latest Webinars

Explore more on-demand Better Buildings webinars here.

No Purchase Necessary: Low- to No-Cost Plug Load Management Strategies

December 8, 2021 – This webinar featured three organizations sharing their experiences and successes in managing their buildings’ plug loads. Hear from Community College of Allegheny County, Cornell University, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Assessing and Reducing Embodied Carbon

December 7, 2021 – In this webinar panelists shared real-world examples of tackling embodied carbon, exploring life-cycle assessments, and building design and renovation to reduce CO2 emissions.

Hardwire Energy Data Management into Your Organization

December 2, 2021 – The conclusion of this 3-part webinar series focused on how public sector organizations can hardwire energy data management into their operations. Learn about optimizing the organizational structure, driving engagement, and communicating results.

Put Your Money on It: Investing in Energy Efficiency

November 30, 2021 – This webinar explored how financial institutions can market energy efficiency to their customers and lend them the money they need at low risk, all while creating a more efficient U.S. building stock.

Cleaner, Better, Faster, Stronger: Industrial Adoption of Renewables

November 16, 2021 – This webinar navigated the renewable energy market by providing background on renewable technologies and their benefits, as well as a wide range of purchasing options that can benefit U.S. industrial organizations.

Finance Your Way to a Low-Carbon Future

November 9, 2021 – Leading organizations are increasingly using financing mechanisms to achieve their carbon reduction targets. This webinar explored how three such organizations are using finance to address carbon emissions.

Build a Solid Foundation for Your Energy Data Management Program

November 4, 2021 – Part 2 of this 3-part webinar series focused on how public sector organizations can build a solid foundation for their energy data management programs, in particular: creating a central energy database, streamlining access to utility data, and leveraging data management tools.

Understanding Your Utility Bills with Better Plants

November 3, 2021 – These webinars are designed to help industrial organizations learn about and analyze their utility bills. View each of the three installments below:

- Electricity
- Natural Gas
- Water

Better Climate Challenge: An Overview

October 29, 2021 – Watch this webinar to learn more about the new Better Climate Challenge. Get an overview of the partnership, the value to your organization of participating, and hear answers to audience questions.

Field Validation of High Impact Technologies (HIT)

October 25, 2021 – DOE partners with GSA to evaluate innovative technologies targeted at improving existing buildings. In May 2021, five technology finalists were chosen for field validation. This webinar explained field validation site expectations and provided detail about the five technologies.

Partners in the News

Decarbonization Download: 5 Questions with Low Carbon Pilot Partners

Decarbonization Download is a video blog series that highlights the important work of partners in the Better Buildings Low Carbon Pilot. These partner conversations explore the importance of decarbonization, challenges, and their goals for the future. Check out all five episodes below:

- Episode 1: Preservation of Affordable Housing's (POAH) Julie Klump
- Episode 2: Gundersen Health System's Tim Wilson
- Episode 3: City of Orlando's Ian Lahiff
- Episode 4: Zebra Technologies' Mani Balakrishnan
- Episode 5: Steelcase's Mary Ellen Mika

Three Multifamily Partners Win Grants to Prove Passive House Projects

Congratulations to three Better Buildings Challenge multifamily partners who successfully competed for Passive House Design Challenge grants from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center: POAH, Community Builders, Inc., and Beacon Communities. The design challenge seeks to demonstrate that multifamily affordable housing that meets Passive House energy efficiency standards can be built at a low- to no-cost premium in Massachusetts.

Recent news articles featuring Better Buildings partners are listed below.

• Maryland joins federal program pledging to reduce state government's greenhouse gases by 50% CBS Baltimore
• Cleveland-Cliffs joins Energy Department's Better Climate Challenge Crain's Cleveland Business
• Waste, Water, Wendy's? Food 280
• University of Utah: Breathing in the benefits of energy incentives Salt Lake City Patch
• Brewing up energy savings Environmental News Bits

For a full listing, please visit the Better Buildings Partners in the News page.

New Resources

Low Carbon Technology Strategies Toolkit

DOE developed this suite of Low Carbon Technology Strategies guidance documents to support you in your journey to reduce carbon emissions in your buildings. They are currently available for 10 building types, with a supplement for commercial kitchen equipment. The recommendations are grouped by technology, with actions categorized as either simple, intermediate, or advanced.

Decarbonizing HVAC and Water Heating in Commercial Buildings

This report can be used as a starting point when conducting the technical, economic, and feasibility assessment for converting to all-electric heating solutions, including heat pumps.

Fact Sheet: Internal Financing for Carbon Reduction Projects

This fact sheet summarizes six common internal financing methods that can be used for carbon reduction projects: capital expenditure/operating outlay, self-funded energy performance contracts, carbon fee funds, green bonds, green revolving funds, and capital investment funds.

Fact Sheet: External Financing for Carbon Reduction Projects

This fact sheet summarizes seven common external financing methods that can be used for carbon reduction projects: energy-as-a-service, energy savings performance contracts, power purchase agreements, sustainability-linked loans, green loans, property assessed clean energy, and on-bill financing/repayment.

Integrated Systems Packages for Deep Energy Savings

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory developed the integrated systems packages (ISPs) as a scalable approach to achieving deeper energy savings in existing buildings that can be easily incorporated into routine real estate life-cycle events. Each ISP is designed to yield around 20% validated site energy savings, and includes an overview guide, applicability checklist, template specifications, and functional test procedures. Access each ISP below:

- Building Renovation
- HVAC Equipment Replacement
- Tenant Fit-Out

Better Buildings Residential Network

Recent Peer Exchange Topics

Recent topics from the Better Buildings Residential Network include:

• Overcoming Homeowner Lack of Efficiency Knowledge
• Remodeling: The Biggest Untapped Efficiency Opportunity?
• The Future of Investments in Residential Energy Efficiency and What It Means Now

Review these and other past peer exchange calls here.

Stay Connected

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