TEAM ZERO,Net Zero Energy Coalition
Date: 2019-08-07
According to the recently released Zero Energy Residential Buildings Study from Richmond, California-based TEAM ZERO -- fka Net Zero Energy Coalition -- the market for residential zero energy buildings grew 59 pct across the United States and Canada in 2018,

The report findings include:

Larger multifamily buildings are increasingly dominating the zero energy housing stock;

More projects are seeking zero energy performance with integrated renewables;

The report shows a 7.2 pct increase in the percent of projects pursuing zero energy over zero energy-ready -- 73.8 pct and 21.7 pct in 2017, now 66.6 pct and 29 pct, respectively);

California leads in number of projects with 6,828 followed by New York with 3,022;

The Southwest is a stronghold with California, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas claiming a total of nearly 9,600 units;

In Canada, there was a 240 pct increase in the number of zero energy units over 2017. The study notes a city or region's dominance is often driven by a single major project;

Multifamily projects now represent 71 pct of the total zero energy residential stock. Although multifamily zero energy has shown steady gains over single-family since 2015;

In Canada, multifamily is even more dominant than in the U.S., with 90 pct of its zero energy units in multifamily projects, versus 67 pct in the U.S;

future trends to watch include community micro-grids, electrification, grid integration and harmonization, and zero carbon.

TEAM ZERO is working to unify stakeholders involved in promoting different 'paths to zero' with a common agenda and collaborative efforts that accelerate market adoption of zero energy and zero carbon homes, commercial buildings, developments, communities, and retrofits across North America. The goal is to build awareness about the value of zero energy and ensure zero harm homes and buildings are accessible and affordable to home buyers, renters and businesses in all communities.

Download the Zero Energy Residential Buildings Study 2018 Inventory of residential projects on the path to zero in the U.S. and Canada HERE. (Source: TEAM ZERO, PR, Aug., 2019) Contact: TEAM ZERO, Richard Willingham, (416) 524-2380, 219371@email4pr.com, www.teamzero.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Net Zero Energy,  Energy Efficiency,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Net Zero Energy Coalition,  

Bresaer
Date: 2019-08-05
According to the Eu news agency Cordis, buildings account for around 40 pct of energy consumption and revamping existing building envelopes -- facades and roofs -- for maximum energy-efficiency, when combined with a smart energy management system, can significantly cut energy consumption and costs.

One expert who has been working at the heart of this topic is Gonzalo Pinto Quijano, an architect specializing in sustainable buildings at Acciona. As part of the EU project BRESAER, he has helped design and test a pioneering lightweight structural mesh to boost the energy-performance building facades.

The BRESAER building mesh system is modular and flexible, allowing it to adapt to different climatic conditions and architectural constraints. The lightweight structural mesh allows other components to be easily integrated into an energy efficient building facade .

Download BRESAER system details HERE. (Source: UN Cordis, Aug., 2019) Contact: UN Cordis, www.cordis.europa.eu; BRESAER, www.bresaer,eu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Energy Management,  Bresaer,  

Carlton University
Date: 2019-08-02
In Ottawa, the Hon. Catherine McKenna, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change has awarded $5.1M in funding to Carlton University's Building Performance Research Centre (CU-CABER) and Prof. Cynthia Cruickshank's building energy efficiency work. The Minister also awarded $510,000 for Prof. Burak Gunay's Centre for Advanced Building Envelope Research project related to data analytics and energy performance metrics.

Cynthia Cruickshank, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Solar Energy Systems Lab will lead the CU-CABER project to develop and evaluate new building envelope technologies. The six-year project has $3 million support from Natural Resources Canada's Energy Innovation Program and $2.1 million from the Ontario Research Fund.

Prof. Burak Gunay is working to develop an open source software platform that will help building managers identify energy efficiency issues. Gunay and his team received $510,000 through Natural Resources Canada's Green Infrastructure Fund for his Next Generation: Actionable Building Energy Performance Metrics, Data Analytics and Visualization research effort. The researchers are partnering with CopperTree Analytics, Delta Controls, and Sensible Building Science, and BentallGreenOak will develop a suite of diagnostic algorithms and methods to help facility managers pinpoint problems, and solve them. (Source: Carlton University, July, 2019)Contact: Carlton University Building Performance Research Centre, 613-520-7838, vpri@carleton.ca, www.carleton.ca/bprc

More Low-Carbon Energy News Building Energy Efficiency,  ,  

DOE SBIR
Date: 2019-07-31
American small businesses received a near-$44 million boost from the U.S. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, according to an SBIR release. Five buildings-focused, Phase II Release 2 grants awarded approximately $5 million to five small businesses. The projects, which are making advancements in building envelopes, building energy efficiency and modeling, and lighting, have already demonstrated a level of commercial feasibility for further innovations in the second phase of research. The five projects:

Innovations in Opaque Building Envelope Performance -- Lightweight and Thermally Insulating Nanowood -- (Inventwood LLC., College Park, Maryland) Inventwood LLC is using delignified wood to create a new, bio-derived cellulose thermal insulation material that could be used in window frames, exterior insulating cladding, or prefabricated panels for new building construction or retrofit applications.

Transparent Conductive Anodes for Solid-State Lighting -- Printed Anodes and Internal Light Extraction Layers on Flexible Glass to Create Cost-Effective High-Efficacy Bendable OLED Lighting Panels -- (OLEDWorks LLC, Rochester, New York) OLEDWorks LLC will further develop and commercialize a highly energy-efficient lighting product in the form of uniquely thin and beautiful curved sheets of light to accelerate organic light-emitting diode (OLED) market growth.

High Performance Substrate Embedded Microgrids for High-Efficiency, Flexible Organic Light-Emitting Diodes -- (Electroninks Inc, Austin, Texas) -- Electroninks Inc. is developing an alternative, transparent conductor for optical-electronic applications like touch sensors, displays, and OLEDs that significantly outperforms today's indium, tin, and oxygen (ITO) conductors.

Building Energy Modeling -- Portfolio-Level Energy-Efficiency Simulation (PLES) -- (Maalka, Brooklyn, New York) Maalka is extending its customizable framework for energy efficiency program development and management. The framework leverages the increasing availability of building energy data and DOE's open-source data standards and platforms and energy analysis tools (EnergyPlus, OpenStudio). The project targets the large and growing energy-efficiency program market of cities, utilities, larger owners, and energy service customers with a focus on supporting a move from individual energy conservation measures to packages and deep retrofits.

CAD-Integrated Web-Based Performance Simulation -- (Ladybug Tools LLC, Fairfax, Virginia) -- Ladybug Tools will use DOE's open-source EnergyPlus and Radiance tools, as well as OpenStudio's new elastic cloud capabilities, to deliver a greater range of analysis services (and subsequent revenue streams) for architects. Phase I of this project involved creating a working radiance-based daylighting simulation service; Phase II work will focus on energy simulation. (Source: U.S. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Small Business Innovation Research, PR, July, 2019) Contact: SBIR, EERE.SBIR@ee.doe.gov, www.energy.gov/science/sbir/small-business-innovation-research-and-small-business-technology-transfer

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE SBIR,  Energy Efficiency,  Energy Management,  

Building Energy Efficiency
Date: 2019-07-29
Architects and engineers are reportedly calling for all-glass skyscrapers to be banned because they are too difficult and expensive to cool. Although glass-fronted offices let in lots of natural light the sunlight also brings heat creating "greenhouse effect" that in sealed buildings ha nowhere to escape.

To avoid this greenhouse effect, air conditioning has been the standard solution, but, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy used on air condition has doubled since 2000 and presently accounts for about 14 pct of all energy consumed.

In obvious agreement with the IEA, in April NYC mayor Bill de Blasio said he would ban all-glass buildings and force developers to retrofit existing buildings to make them more energy-efficient, although the "ban" was later clarified to mean "excessive use of glass and steel." In the UK, London's mayor Sadiq Khan ruled out a similar plan but released regulations requiring construction firms to assess a building's energy use across its whole life-cycle and to use special types of glass that can block sunshine in hot weather, or even generate electricity themselves, such as the Edge building in Amsterdam. (Source: Various Media, Guardian, July, 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Energy Consumption,  Building Energy Efficiency,  

inteGRIDy
Date: 2019-07-24
Researchers from the EU-funded inteGRIDy -- Integrated Smart GRID Cross-Functional Solutions for Optimized Synergetic Energy Distribution, Utilization Storage Technologies -- project report they've developed a cloud-based platform to reduce energy use in buildings and battery energy storage systems.

Launched in 2017, inteGRIDy is running 10 pilot schemes in 8 European countries focused on electricity demand response, enhancing the operation of the distribution grid and energy storage.

Download one of the 10 projects -- A Demonstration of an Integrated Battery Energy Storage System in Residential and Commercial Buildings -- HERE. (Source: Cordis News, July, 2019) Contact: inteGRIDy, www.integridy.eu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Storage,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Energy Consumption,  

Energy Efficiency
Date: 2019-07-12
In Montpelier, the mayor of Vermont's capital city and the City Council report they are creating mandatory residential building energy efficiency standards that homes and apartments will have to meet before they can be listed for sale or rent.

Under the city's proposed standard, real estate agents and landlords will be required to inform potential purchasers and renters how the property they're interested in compares with other similar properties in terms of energy consumption and energy related operating costs. (Source: City of Montpelier, mychamplainvalley.com, 10 July, 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Energy Consumption,  

US DOE,
Date: 2019-07-10
Today, Energy Secretary Rick Perry kicked off the Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit by recognizing more than 20 Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge partners and allies who achieved their energy, water, or financial goals for 2019 and five who have recently set new Challenge goals after meeting their initial goals. These goal achievers are part of the hundreds of organizations that work with the U.S. DOE in the Better Buildings Initiative and are featured in the annual Better Buildings Progress Report.. The Secretary also announced the launch of the Better Buildings, Better Plants Waste Reduction Pilot.

In 2018, Better Buildings Initiative partners and allies saved 1.38 quadrillion BTUs and $8.4 billion in total energy costs. These organizations are leading the U.S. in energy efficiency by adopting emerging technologies, advancing the American workforce, and sharing their innovative approaches to energy and water efficiency.

The Better Buildings, Better Plants Waste Reduction Pilot was launched to address the 2.7 billion tons of industrial solid waste and more than 260 million tons of municipal solid waste the U.S. generates annually. By reducing waste, organizations also save energy. Manufacturers, companies, schools, and governments across the country can strengthen their competitiveness and sustainability by setting and realizing robust waste reduction goals. DOE will work with organizations who have signed up for the pilot to determine the appropriate metrics, goals and opportunities for different sectors.

Through the Better Buildings Initiative, DOE aims to make commercial, public, industrial, and residential buildings 20 pct more energy efficient over the next decade. Greater energy efficiency saves billions of dollars, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and creates U.S. jobs.

Download the Better Buildings Progress Report HERE. (Source: US DOE, PR, 10 July, 2019) Contact: Better Buildings Solution Center., betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Better Buildings Challenge,  

Building Controls Industry Association
Date: 2019-06-26
In the UK, the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) is reporting the launch of its One Small Change Campaign to drive a shift towards lower energy demand in buildings at an individual, as well as organizational level.

BCIA is seeking to encourage initiatives that increase energy efficiency; bring building performance in line the UK government's recent commitments to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050; and cut building energy waste. To that end, BCIA is calling on the buildings control industry to share knowledge on different means of saving energy in buildings. (Source: Building Controls Industry Association, PR, 24 June, 2019) Contact: Building Controls Industry Association, Jon Belfield, CEO, +44 0 118 940 3416 www.bcia.co.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Energy Management,  

Energy Efficiency
Date: 2019-06-12
Projects in six Minnesota cities participating in the Climate-Smart Municipalities program are being reviewed this week by visiting German climate and energy leaders as part of multiyear collaborations between Minnesota cities and their German counterparts seeking to expand the use of renewable energy and increasing building energy efficiency.

The western German city of Arnsberg was paired up with Warren, Minn., three years ago as part of the Climate-Smart Municipalities program. It was using planes equipped with thermal imaging cameras to see which buildings were losing the most energy.

Related Minnesota programs and initiatives include the use of drones to measure building emissions and heat loss, solar energy installations, energy-efficient lighting, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and others. The program is directed through the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment in St.Paul. (Source: MPR News Update, June, 2019) Contact: University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment, Jessica Hellman, Dir., (612) 624-6973Fax: (612) 626-5555 -- fax, ione@umn.edu, www.environment.umn.edu Climate-Smart Municipalities, environment.umn.edu/grant/climate-smart-municipalities

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Climate Change,  

Energy Efficiency
Date: 2019-06-03
In Washington, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) and Mike Kelly (R-PA) have introduced the Commercial, Low Emissions and Net Energy Reduction (CLEANER) Buildings Act of 2019 which would extend the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings. If this incentive is renewed, the deduction -- aka 179D -- could generate thousands of new design and construction jobs and contribute millions to the gross domestic product, according to the release.

Section 179D of the tax code offers a tax deduction to building owners and businesses for energy efficiency improvements such as lighting, heating and cooling, hot water systems, ventilation, or the building envelope like insulation or windows. It offers incentives for upgrades at new or existing buildings that cut the total energy and power cost by at least 50 percent compared to a building meeting the ASHRAE codes baseline for energy efficiency.

Jason Hartke, CEO, Alliance to Save Energy states, "This is a key tax incentive for encouraging energy efficiency in commercial buildings, which account for about 20 percent of U.S. energy consumption. It is important that Congress extend this incentive to give building owners and designers the certainty they need to make these investments." (Source: Office of Rep. Jeff Van Drew, PR, Cap May Herald, 31 May, 2019) Contact: Office of Rep. Jeff Van Drew, www.vandrew.house.gov; Rep Mike Kelly, https://kelly.house.gov; Alliance to Save Energy, (202) 857-0666, www.ase.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Alliance to Save Energy,  

US Green Building Counci, LEED Certification
Date: 2019-05-17
Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-headquartered consumer goods giant Unilever North America reports it headquarters building has been awarded US Green Building Council LEED Platinum certification sustainable buildings. he project was also recognized by the New Jersey Business & Industry Associate New Good Neighbor Award in support of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to reduce its carbon footprint by 50 pct while doubling its business.

The HQ building design incorporates smart technologies by EDGE that record data and automate the building's features and functions, including Internet of Things (IoT) systems enabling the building to learn from occupants' behaviors and remember their preferences. (Source: Unilever, PR May, 2019) Contact: Unilever, Catherine Reynolds MediaRelations.USA@unilever.com, (201) 894-7760, www.unileverusa.com; USGBC, Mahesh Ramanujam, Pres., CEO, (202) 552-1500, www.usgbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News USGBC,  LEED Certification,  Building Energy Efficiency,  

Energy Efficiency
Date: 2019-05-17
In the nation's capital, in a rare display of bi-partisan cooperation, Rep.. Earl L. Carter (R-GA) and Marc Veasey (D-TX) have tabled the All-of-the-Above Federal Building Energy Conservation Act designed to enhance federal building energy efficiency.

The Act, if passed into law, would remove the present ban on the use of fossil fuels in federal buildings while implementing energy efficiency targets. Under the legislation, federal facility managers could choose the energy mix that best meets their efficiency goals and saves on a building's operating costs as well as ensure significant renovations to existing facilities achieving 30 pct less energy use than the current requirements. (Source: Various Media, Energy Insider, 15 May, 2019) Contact: Rep. Earl L. Carter, (202) 225-5831, www.congress.gov/member/earl-carter/C001103; Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), (202) 225-9897, https://veasey.house.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Date: 2019-04-29
In London, the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) reports it will launch a consultation aimed at identifying actions that would drive improved energy efficiency and reduced emissions in the commercial built environment sector.

According to the BEIS release, around 60 pct of the built sector is rented, creating barriers to improve energy efficiency due to complex contracts between landlords and commercial tenants which often clash with the ownership, maintenance and long lifetimes of technological improvements. Roughly 40 pct of the UK's carbon emissions come from energy consumed in buildings, according to the release. BEIS estimates a 20 pct cut in building emissions will reduce energy costs for businesses by £6 billion, £2.7 billion of which will be saved by SMEs, with a new energy efficiency targeting scheme set to be introduced to assist smaller businesses. The government's Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) came into effect on 1st April 2018, imposing new rules on both domestic and commercial properties within the private rental sector. The new rules prohibit landlords from granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants if the property has an inefficient Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. (Source: UK BEIS, edie News, 25 April 2019, Contact: BEIS, Ben Golding, Director of Energy Efficiency, +44 0 20 7215 5000, enquiries@beis.gov.uk,www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy

More Low-Carbon Energy News Department for Business,  Energy and Industrial Strategy,  Energy Efficiency ,  

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Date: 2019-04-26
In London, the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) reports it will launch a series of consultations on the commercial buildings sector's energy efficiency which the Ministry describes as a "huge untapped area" for improvements. The consultation is intended to identify actions that would drive improved energy efficiency and reduced emissions in the commercial built environment sector.

Approximately 60 pct of the sector is rented, creating barriers to improve energy efficiency due to complex contracts between landlords and commercial tenants which often clash with the ownership, maintenance and long lifetimes of technological improvements.

The Ministry notes its Clean Growth Strategy includes a "package of measures" to support business to improve energy efficiency and productivity by at least 20 pct by 2030 and lead to the establishment of an Industrial Energy Efficiency scheme to help large companies cut energy use and bills in commercial properties.

BEIS estimates that the 20 pct target will significantly cut energy costs for businesses and, to that end, has also launched a £315 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to support high energy consumption businesses with the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Elsewhere, the UK Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) came into effect in April 2018, imposing new rules on both domestic and commercial properties within the private rental sector. The rules prohibit landlords from granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants if the property has a sub-standard Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. (Source: BEIS, edie Newsroom, 25 April, 2019) Contact: BEIS, Ben Golding, Director of Energy Efficiency and Local Department, +44 0 20 7215 5000, enquiries@beis.gov.uk, www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy

More Low-Carbon Energy News Department for Business,  Energy and Industrial Strategy ,  

US DOE
Date: 2019-04-24
The U.S. DOE has announced the Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) 2019 Funding Opportunity (FOA) for up to $47 million for innovative technologies to make energy more affordable.

According to the DOE, residential and commercial buildings account for approximately 40 pct of the Nation's total energy demand and about 75 pct of all electric power consumption. In addition, growing peak electricity demands are challenging the electrical grid, exacerbated by stresses from transmission and distribution infrastructure constraints and the increasing number of variable renewable electricity power generation sources. However, integration of more flexible and even dispatchable loads through building automation can optimize energy use leading to decreased energy costs while maintaining occupant preferences. Even greater optimization of energy supply, storage, and demand results in a more resilient and reliable grid that simultaneously improves energy affordability.

The DOE Building Technologies Office (BTO) designed the 2019 BENEFIT FOA to increase energy productivity -- both within and beyond a building's walls -- by supporting the R&D and performance verification of flexible and energy-efficient technologies for residential and commercial buildings across the following topic areas:

Flexible Buildings Technologies: This topic supports early-stage R&D that integrates advanced sensing, controls and communication with flexible, energy efficiency technologies to advance the role buildings can play in the modernizing power grid. The subtopics include cybersecurity through adaptive building controls, performance verification for flexible building loads, advanced actuators and thermal energy storage.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technologies: This topic supports the development of highly efficient technologies for thermal end-uses in buildings, including space conditioning, water-heating and refrigeration. Subtopics include non-vapor compression heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies and fuel-driven building equipment.

Solid-state Lighting Technologies: This topic supports the development of highly efficient lighting technologies and systems to improve lighting energy efficiency. The subtopics address the green gap and droop in LEDs, quantum dot optical down-converters, stable and efficient white OLEDs, light extraction and utilization for OLEDs, and advanced lighting systems.

The BTO's demand flexibility strategy, called Grid-interactive Efficient Building, is a unique addition to this funding opportunity which has traditionally focused on R&D for the next-generation of energy efficient building technologies. The DOE's vision integrates advanced sensing, controls, and communication with flexible, energy efficiency technologies to advance the role buildings can play in modernizing the power grid.

Buildings have historically been passive consumers of energy, but next-generation flexible technologies give buildings and equipment the potential to provide a host of grid services that utilities currently receive from other, more traditional grid assets. Further research will help achieve this vision at-scale.

Download FOA details and application materials HERE. Information on the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Building Technologies Office is HERE. (Source: USA DOE, BLOG, 23 April, 2019) Contact: US DOE, www.energy.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE,  Building Energy Efficiency,  

Building Owners and Managers Association of British Columbia
Date: 2019-04-15
The Building Owners and Managers Association of British Columbia (BOMA BC), with support from Natural Resources Canada, has launched a new service for buildings to identify low-cost energy and emissions savings through recommissioning. BOMA BC endorses recommissioning as a tool to analyze building equipment and control systems to ensure they perform together effectively and efficiently.

The BOMA BC Building Tune-Up Program provides a free detailed assessment of operational energy conservation measures, a fixed value amount to implement the identified measures, along with the full cost to verify the measures after implementation.

The program is geared towards Class B and C buildings that are older than five years, a market segment with significant opportunities for energy savings. ESC Automation, a long-time BOMA BC member, was selected to conduct the assessments after a competitive bidding process. (Source: BOMA BC, REMI Networks, 15 April, 2019) Contact: BOMA, BOMA Green Buildings Program, www.boma.bc.ca/green-buildings/building-tune-up-program

More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Building news,  Building Energy Efficiency news,  

Food & Water Watch
Date: 2019-03-27
A just released report from the national advocacy group Food & Water Watch demonstrates the role improved building energy efficiency standards can and must play. The report focuses on what is by far the largest source of energy demand in the country -- 40 pct -- related to powering commercial buildings, homes, offices, schools and others.

The analysis finds that a $500 billion investment over 15 years in improving building energy efficiency would net: $1.3 trillion in savings on consumer utility bills; 1.3 million jobs created annually -- 20 pct more than current job creation rates; a 36 pct decline in building energy consumption from current projected demand; 300 million metric ton reduction in CO2 emissions from current projections; and completely eliminate the need to build new fossil fuel power plants.

Download the Building Climate Justice: Investing in Energy Efficiency for a Fair and Just Transition report HERE. (Source: Food & Water Watch, Mar., 2019) Contact: Food & Water Watch, www.foodandwaterwatch.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  

Green for Growth Fund
Date: 2019-03-15
The Luxembourg-headquartered Green for Growth Fund (GGF) reports it has loaned €2 million ($2.3 million) Bosnia's microcredit company Mikrofin.

The loan is intended for "on-lending" by Mikrofin for building and building energy efficiency improvements, equipment upgrades for micro agri-businesses, the development of energy efficiency lending products, and related initiatives and projects, according to the GGF release.

The GGF invests in measures which lead to reduced energy use and CO2 emissions and improvement of resource efficiency in Southeast Europe, the Caucasus, Ukraine, Moldova, the Middle East and North Africa. It provides financing to local partners that on-lend to enterprises and private households, and it invests directly in renewable energy projects. Mikrofin, a microfinance market leader in Bosnia, financially supports more than 57,000 clients, mostly low-income micro and small entrepreneurs. (Source: GGF, PR, SeeNews, 15 Mar., 2019) Contact: Green for Growth Fund, +49 (0) 69 271 035, www.ggf.lu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Green for Growth Fund,  Energy Efficiency ,  

Nature Conservancy
Date: 2019-03-15
In the Empire State, the Nature Conservancy, working with partners in the Green Roof Researchers Alliance, has released a comprehensive estimate of green roofs in New York City. The project merges publicly available data with remote sensing technologies to create data and maps that help better understand this asset and can be used to guide policymaking and city planning.

Green roofs absorb heavy rains, give buildings an extra layer of insulation, increase building energy efficiency, lower carbon footprints, combat urban heat island effect and improve air quality . About 730 buildings covering roughly 40 acres in the Big Apple presently have green roofs.

Download Green Roofs in NYC data HERE. (Source: Nature Conservancy, Mar., 2019) Contact: Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org; Green Roof Researchers Alliance, www.greenroofalliance.com, www.greenfoofs.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Nature Conservancy ,  Green Roof,  Energy Efficiency,  Green Building,  

Universal mCloud
Date: 2019-03-13
In British Columbia, Vancouver-based Universal mCloud Corp. is reporting it will launch new industry-leading energy savings technology for its Smart Buildings segment through mCloud's flagship AssetCare platform. The technology, using proprietary AI capabilities, targets up to 20 pct reductions in wasted energy in commercial buildings.

Universal mCloud's AssetCare solution offers an innovative zero-upfront subscription model that creates operational savings for the customer by analyzing numerous data sources such as space temperatures, outdoor weather, expected occupancy, and HVAC unit efficiency to pinpoint where a building's energy is being wasted. The data is integrated into a real-time intelligence model that enables AssetCare to make decisions on how to best respond moment-to-moment to changing comfort conditions in a building while simultaneously curbing unnecessary energy use.

These new AI-powered features are expected to go live to all current and new AssetCare for Smart Buildings customers later this year. (Source: Universal-mCloud Corp., PR, 12 Mar., 2019) Contact: Universal mCloud Corp, Russ McMeekin, CEO, (415) 635-3500, www.mcloudcorp.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Management,  Universal mCloud ,  Building Energy Efficiency,  

Willdan Group
Date: 2019-03-08
Anaheim, California-headquartered consultancy and energy efficiency specialist Willdan Group Inc. reports the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) to acquire The Weidt Group -- the energy practice of Albany-based design and engineering firm EYP.

EYP offers services in the areas of utility programs, energy design assistance, benchmarking, building performance, energy software and energy analysis data to help clients optimize their building energy efficiency investments.

Within its energy practice, Willdan helps utilities clients upgrade their grids and supports facility owners with the development of energy efficient buildings and other offerings. The acquisition is slated to close later this month. (Source: Wildan, consulting.us, 6 Mar., 2019) Contact: The Weidt Group, Jim Douglas, Pres., (877) 938-1588, info@twgi.com,www.theweidtgroup.com; WildanGroup Inc., Stacy McLaughlin, CFO, (714) 940-6300, smclaughlin@willdan.com, www.wildan.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Willdan,  Energy Efficiency,  

Climate Change
Date: 2019-02-25
In the Bay State, House Speaker Representative Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) on Friday announced GrrenWorks, a plan to invest $1 billion over 10 years to help Massachusetts cities and towns adopt climate-friendly technology. If the plan is approved by the Legislature, the money would be bonded, which means it would be borrowed, then paid back over a period of years.

The program is being tagged GreenWorks after a similar program called MassWorks which funds local infrastructure projects. Under the GreenWorks program, cities and towns would apply for competitive grants for specific projects related to energy efficiency, clean energy and climate change resiliency -- ie school building energy efficiency upgrades, renewable energy and energy storage projects. (Source: Mass. Representative, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, MassLive, 22 Feb., 2019) Contact: Mass. Speaker Robert DeLeo , malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/RAD1

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  

Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council
Date: 2019-01-23
In the Land Down Under, the recently released Built to Perform: An Industry Led Pathway to a Zero Carbon Ready Building Code prepared by the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) and ClimateWorks Australia, calls for a Zero Carbon Ready building code.

According to the report, improved energy efficiency and performance of buildings presents a win-win-win opportunity, reducing stress on the electricity network, offering bill savings, supporting a least-cost pathway to a zero carbon built environment, and improving health and resilience outcomes for households and businesses.

The National Construction Code is a ready-made policy instrument to influence the operational energy use of new buildings and major renovations. The Code regulates the building envelope and fixed equipment, including heating and cooling equipment, lighting and hot water. Built to Perform shows that setting strong energy standards for new buildings in the Code could, between now and 2050, reduce energy bills by up to $27 billion, cut energy network costs by up to $12.6 billion and deliver at least 78 million tonnes of cumulative emissions savings.

The ASBEC report was produced with the support of the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living, the RACV and dozens of building industry and government partners. The project has been delivered in partnership with CSIRO, Energy Action (EA), Strategy. Policy. Research. (SPR) and the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at the University of Wollongong (UOW). (Source: ASBEC, PR, Jan., 2019) Contact: ASBEC, Suzanne Toumbourou, Exec. Dir., (02) 8006 0828, admin@asbec.asn.au, www.asbec.asn.au; ClimateWorks Australia, www.climateworksaustralia.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  

Energy Efficiency
Date: 2019-01-16
As previously reported, the recently passed Washington D.C. Council bill aimed at addressing climate change by reducing the city's greenhouse gas emissions will force the owners of hundreds of buildings across D.C. to improve their building's energy performance. The bill, which is being widely lauded as the "strongest climate legislation" in the nation, calls for cutting D.C.'s greenhouse gas emissions by 50 pct by 2032.

According to the D.C. Green Building Advisory Council 50 pct of the city's buildings will need to improve their energy performance to meet as yet undermined standards. The bill gives the D.C. Department of Energy & Environment until 2021 to establish a standard Energy Star score that buildings must meet, and it requires that standard to be at least at the level of D.C.'s current median score. The new law will also establish a task force of commercial real estate industry representatives to help with the implementation.

Building Owners needing to make upgrades will be able to utilize multiple financing methods, including low-interest PACE bonds and the D.C. Green Bank, a new fund that allows owners to borrow money for building upgrades and pay it back out of their future energy savings. (Source: Bisnow Washington, 14 Jan., 2019) Contact: DC Green Bank, www.doee.dc.gov/greenbank

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Building Sustainability,  

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Date: 2019-01-14
In the Golden State, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board of Directors is reporting approval of a new Green Building Policy. The policy, which will apply to all VTA owned infrastructure and programs, is intended to encourage greater energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

VTA instigated a Sustainability Program and established a goal to incorporate green building principles into VTA projects in 2008. The program included new or renovated buildings or other facilities such as parking garages or bus rapid transit stations. VTA has since constructed and renovated several buildings with renewable energy, water and energy efficient fixtures, drought-tolerant landscaping, and other green building features.

The new VTA Green Building Policy is intended to help reduce energy consumption and costs and to formalize green building principles into all aspects of its infrastructure for greater environmental, social and economic responsibility. To date, the Santa Clara County VTA has implemented sustainability features such as solar panels at bus terminals, EV charging stations, low-flow plumbing equipment, solar-powered trash and recycling containers, transit platforms lit by natural light and water recycling as well as repurposing cut trees into retaining walls and mulch. (Source: Santa Clara County VTA, Silicon Valley Voice, 12 Jan., 2019)Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, www.vta.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Building,  Energy Efficiency,  Building Energy Efficiency,  

US Green Building Council
Date: 2019-01-11
In the Sunshine State, City officials in St. Petersburg are considering an ordinance that would require newly constructed and renovated city buildings and new city infrastructure costing more than $2 million to meet a "green" standard. The ordinance would "codify" 2017 vintage rules and further the city's commitment to "green" and energy efficiency standards.

Specifically, the ordinance would require all new and significantly renovated city buildings of more than 5,000 square feet to be U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold certified. (Source: City of St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay Times, Jan., 2019) Contact: USGBC, Mahesh Ramanujam, Pres., CEO, (202) 552-1500, www.usgbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News USGBC,  US Green Building Council,  Energy Efficiency,  

USGBC, University of Alabama
Date: 2019-01-09
Following their new sustainability strategic plan released in November, the University of Alabama (UAB) in Tuscaloosa is reports plans to complete the construction and US Green Building Council LEED certification of three campus buildings -- the new College of Arts and Sciences building, a Residence Hall, and the Snoozy Book Store -- by the year 2020.

With the addition of the state's recently enacted new building energy efficiency code, UAB expects to achieve an additional 9.1 pct energy cost savings above the savings anticipated with the LEED certification. The state's new construction energy efficiency code is considered one of the nation's most stringent, according to the UAB release. (Source: UAB, PR, Bham Now, 5 Jan., 2019) Contact: UAB, Melody Gillezeau, Sustainable Development Project Manager , (205) 348-6010, www.ua.edu; USGBC, Mahesh Ramanujam, Pres., CEO, (202) 552-1500, www.usgbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News LEED Certification,  USGBC,  Energy Efficiency,  

Energy Efficiency
Date: 2019-01-04
In the Buckeye State, the Commits $9 New Albany-Plain Local School District reports it will spend more than $900,000 on building energy efficiency and upgrades beginning this April.

As part of the program, the school board is assessing its boilers campus-wide and is working with Columbus, Ohio-based utility American Electric Power (AEP)to improve overall campus-wide energy efficiency, energy efficient lighting, HVAC controls and trimming general energy related costs. The board' aims to save $650,000 in total by June 30, of this year. (Source: New Albany-Plain Local School District, This Week Community News, 30 Dec., 2018) Contact: New Albany-Plain Local School District, Superintendent Michael Sawyers, www.napls.us

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  

Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
Date: 2018-12-14
After two years of study, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER)on Wednesday released its long-awaited Comprehensive Energy Plan, to achieve a "clean, affordable, and resilient" in-state energy future by 2030.

The plan calls for aggressive and technology-based energy conservation, building energy efficiency, an increased reliance on renewable energy, increase transportation electrification, energy storage and other related measures. The plan also recognizes climate and energy achievements to date, but suggests more work to meet mandated emissions reduction goals and prevent winter price spikes in the power sector.

Access Massachusetts Comprehensive Energy Plan details HERE. (Source: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, MassLive, Dec., 2018)Contact: Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, www.mass.gov/doer

More Low-Carbon Energy News Mass DOER,  Clean Energy,  

California Rooftop Solar
Date: 2018-12-10
Following up on our May 11th coverage, in Sacramento, the California Energy Commission (CEC) reports it has given the final approval to the state's 2019 Title 24, Part 6, Building Energy Efficiency Standards requiring all new homes under three stories high install solar panels starting January 1, 2020. The solar solar systems must be sized to net out the annual kilowatt-hour energy usage of the dwelling.

The codes also incentivize "demand responsive technologies" including battery storage and heat pump water heaters. Combined with a host of other energy efficiency upgrades, the revised building codes are expected to slash energy use in new homes by more than 50 pct. (Source: Calif. Energy Commission, 5 Dec., 2018) Contact: California Energy Commission, (916) 465-4500, www.energy.ca.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News California Energy Commission,  Rooftop Solar,  Solar,  

NYC Energy Efficiency
Date: 2018-12-07
Members of the New York City Council have introduced a proposal to impose mandatory building energy efficiency standards. The standards, which vary by building type and use, would apply to buildings greater than 25,000 square feet, though rent-regulated buildings would be exempt.

The standards are expressed as annual limits on carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, based on different emissions intensity limits applicable to different categories of buildings. The limits would first be effective in 2022, with increasingly stringent limits over time. There are variance provisions, including one related to economic hardship. (Source: Foley & Loag LLP. Pr, Dec., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Building Energy Efficiency news,  Energy Efficiency news,  NYC Energy Efficiency news,  

Emirates Green Building Council
Date: 2018-11-21
In Dubai, the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) reports it will offer an advanced course under the Building Retrofit Training Programme. he course will be conducted in partnership with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) on December 12 and 13.

The advanced course is intended to instruct and train construction and energy industry professionals on the key elements of retrofiting existing buildings and to support their technical capacity for more effective post-retrofit maintenance and preventive care, according to the EmiratesGBC release.

The course covers the limitations, financial implications and risks and benefits of the retrofit measures. The training programme is based on the EmiratesGBC Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings and serves as a handbook for all industry stakeholders to achieve higher levels of energy and water efficiency by retrofitting existing buildings.

Course graduates are qualified as EmiratesGBC-certified Building Retrofit Specialists. (Source: EmiratesGBC, PR, TradeArabia News Service, Nov., 2018) Contact: Emirates Green Building Council, +971 4 346 8244, www.emiratesgbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Emirates Green Building Council,  Energy Efficiency,  

Latvia Central Finance and Contracting Agency
Date: 2018-10-12
In Riga, the Latvina Central Finance and Contracting Agency is reporting 32 energy efficiency-related projects have been approved for €8 million in funding support from the EU Cohesion Fund. The approved projects will support support increased energy efficiency of manufacturing enterprises.

Of the total €8 million Cohesion Fund investment, €4 is earmarked to finance replacement of inefficient manufacturing equipment. The balance will be applied to building energy efficiency upgrades, LED lighting systems, and other related initiatives. (Source: Latvia Central Finance and Contracting Agency, BNN, 10 Oct., 2018) Contact: Latvia Central Finance and Contracting Agency , +371 22 306 116, www.cfla.gov.lv/en; EU Cohesion Fund, http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/cohesion-fund

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  

ThinkProgress. D.C.
Date: 2018-09-28
According to ThinkProgress. D.C., the city and district of Washington, D.C. on Moday announced it will consider climate legislation aimed at increasing its clean energy goals by as much as 50 pct, making its standards among the strongest in the country.

The proposed "Clean Energy D.C." Act would require D.C. to source 100 pct of its electricity from renewable sources by 2032; increase fees for oil and gas; set new building energy efficiency standards, and authorize programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 pct by 2050. (Source: ThinkProgress. D.C., Pacific Standard, 24 Sept., 2018) Contact: Clean Energy DC, http://lims.dccouncil.us/Legislation/B22-0904; ThinkProgress. D.C., https://thinkprogress.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Energy,  Clean Energy,  Carbon Emissions,  

State University of New York College at Oneonta
Date: 2018-09-26
In the Empire State, the State University of New York College at Oneonta (SUNY Oneonta) reports it will offer a program to train students in sustainable and environmentally-friendly building design and construction.

Oneonta is partnering with SUNY Polytechnic Institute and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to establish goals and best practices for the program, which is supported by a two-year grant of $900,000, part of nearly $6 million awarded to SUNY campuses by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to train more workers in the state's clean-energy sector.

The initiative will also develop an in-house capacity of LEED associated professionals to certify new and existing campus buildings across the State University system. After the three-year pilot program, a SUNY Green Building Technology Learning Center will be developed to expand training SUNY-wide.

The specialized courses will lead to a new Sustainable Building Design certificate offered through the Geography and Environmental Sustainability department.

As previously reported, SUNY College at Brockport, New York, offers a similar program. (Source: State University of New York College at Oneonta , Daily Star, 25 Sept., 2018) Contact: State University of New York College at Oneonta, (607) 436-3500, https://suny.oneonta.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Building Energy Efficiency,  LEED Certification,  

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Date: 2018-09-14
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) wreports it has been awarded $3 million over three years in grant funding for a three-year project aimed at using building energy more efficiently to shave peak electric energy usage. The grant was awarded by the DOE Building Technologies Office (BTO) and the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE).

LLNL's work seeks to establish metrics of peak energy usage and energy shaving capabilities that can be used by grid operators to lower the cost of their services. To that end, LLNL will work with the Contra Costa County Public Works Department in California, which will provide energy consumption data on more than 50 buildings which they manage. They will also work with New York University, which will provide similar data on about 20 buildings.

The project is scheduled to begin in October. (Source: LLNL, Sept., 2018) Contact: LLNL, Jhi-Young Joo Joo, Research Project Leader, www.llnl.gov; DOE Building Technologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,  Energy Efficiency,  DOE Building Technologies Office ,  

Date: 2018-09-14
In Kiev, the Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Ministry of Ukraine is reporting the launch of a building energy efficiency certification program. The program includes a building energy efficiency--energy consumption audit and recommendations on improving the building energy efficiency and cutting energy costs. The launch includes an energy auditor training program of study in higher educational institutions in the Ukraine and abroad. (Source: Interfax Ukraine, 13 Sept., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Building Energy efficiency,  Energy Management,  

Emirates Green Building Council
Date: 2018-08-31
In the UAE, the Emirates Green Building Council (Emirates GBC) has called upon all businesses, entities, and cities in the region to formally endorse and sign the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.. The Commitments aims to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and motivate national and regional governments to regulations or planning policy to drive construction of new buildings operating at net zero carbon from 2030, and enable all existing buildings to operate at net zero carbon by 2050.

These targets are set to meet the Paris Agreement ambition of below 2 degrees of global warming. This month, 19 global cities, representing 130 million urban citizens, committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by ensuring that new buildings operate at net zero carbon by 2030.

Emirates GBC recently established the Net Zero Centre of Excellence think tank and accelerator platforms to advance energy efficient net zero carbon buildings in the UAE. (Source: Emirates Green Building Council, PR, 30 Aug., 2018) Contact: EmiratesGBC , Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, engagement@emiratesgbc.org, www.emiratesgbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Net Zero Energy,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Green Building Council,  

Carleton University Dept. of Engineering
Date: 2018-08-31
On Ottawa, the Carleton University Dept. of Engineering and Design is reporting receipt of $350,000 in grant funding from the Canadian Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.

The funding is earmarked for the university's Green Building Project to design more energy-efficient building plans by developing more effective ways to monitor energy consumption and quantify occupant behaviors in buildings. The National Research Council (NRC) is also partnering in the multi-discipline project. (Source: Carleton University, The Charlaton, 30 Aug, 2018) Contact: Carleton University Dept. of Engineering, (613) 520-5790, info_engdesign@carleton.ca, https://carleton.ca/engineering-design/

More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Building,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Energy Management,  

Siemens
Date: 2018-08-31
In the Empire State, the East Syracuse Minoa (ESM) Central School District is reporting the near completion of a seven school, 18-year energy efficiency-energy savings performance contract (ESPC) with Siemens. To date, the ESPC energy efficiency upgrades have delivered approximately $598,000 in energy savings -- exceeding annual guaranteed savings by more than $4,000.

Under the ESPC, Siemen's provided a district-wide energy management system with direct digital controls allowing for implementation of energy conservation strategies and room occupancy scheduling; HVAC and chilled water plant upgrades; LED lighting retrofits; new high efficiency, condensing gas-fired hot water boiler plants in four ESM buildings and other upgrades.

ESPCs are part of Siemens' Total Energy Management approach to reducing energy costs and funding building energy efficiency improvements through energy savings (Source: Siemens USA, 28 Aug., 2018) Contact: Siemens, www.usa.siemens.com/k12. Siemens Building Technologies, w3.usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies/us/en/Pages/buildingtechnologiesusa.aspx

More Low-Carbon Energy News Siemens,  Energy Efficiency,  ESPC,  

Date: 2018-08-20
Effective October 1, the Keystone State is adopting a new energy conservation code through an update of the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC). The 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will be the new building efficiency standard statewide except in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, which is adopting the newer 2018 IECC standard.

These energy efficiency upgrades are expected to deliver a better then 26 pct increase in building energy efficiency over the current standard.

Under the 2015 IECC as adopted by the state are requirements for automatic daylight-responsive controls for windows and skylights; a new automatic lighting shut off provision requiring the use of occupancy sensors in 12 building space types including classrooms, conference rooms, lunch rooms, private offices, and restrooms; and exterior lighting control provisions that now require building façade and landscape lighting to be controlled independently of all other site and parking lighting.

The more stringent 2018 IECC in Philadelphia includes: occupancy sensor control of lighting in open plan office areas with control zones limited to 600 square feet; occupancy sensor shut-off time delay decreased to 20 minutes from the 30 minutes under the prior code; and use of Luminaire Level Lighting Control technologies as an alternate lighting control compliance option. (Source: LeGrand, EC&M, 17 Aug., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  

Mass DOER
Date: 2018-08-13
In the Bay State, the Town of Rockland (pop. 17,800) is projecting the town's energy costs will fall $27,831 per year with the upcoming retrofitting of energy efficient LED lighting at several town buildings this year.

The town recently received $210,531 in grant funding from the Mass. Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Program -- its fourth DOER grant award since 2013. Rockland was also awarded $75,521 in energy reduction incentives by National Grid.

The Mass. DOER Communities program incentivizes cities and towns to adopt energy efficiency policies. In 2017 the program committed $65 million in grant funding to 15 cities and towns last year.

Technical assistance for the program is being provided by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and the LED lighting is being installed by Real Term Energy a firm with headquarters in Annapolis and Montreal, Canada. (Source: The Enterprise, Mass. DOER, 8 Aug., 2018) Contact: Town of Rockland, Marcia Birmingham, Interim Town Administrator, www.rockland-ma.gov; Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, www.mass.gov/doer

More Low-Carbon Energy News Mass DOER,  Energy Efficiency,  LED Light,  

Energy Efficiency
Date: 2018-08-08
In a Facebook posting from Kiev, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has announced the soon to be launched State Energy Efficiency Fund. The Fund aims to support the comprehensive modernization of the country's residential sector including: energy efficiency initiatives; implement tools and support measures aimed at improving building energy efficiency; cut energy consumption; contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions in order to implement the Paris Agreement; conduct communication activities related to raising the level of awareness of the population in the field of energy saving and energy efficiency; promote compliance with Ukraine's international obligations in the field of energy efficiency.

The posting also notes the government's program "Warm loans" is delivering good results with over 19,000 loans worth over UAH 585 million ($21.7 million) issued. (Source: MENAFN, UKRAININFORM, 6 Aug., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Energy Efficiency Funding,  

NEFCO
Date: 2018-07-05
The Scandinavian Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) has reportedly pledged € 2.83 million to support public building energy efficiency and renewable-alternative energy programs in Georgia. The projects will also receive €1.87 million from the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P).

The projects, which are planned for 2018-2020, will be implemented by the Municipal Development Fund of Georgia.(Source: NEFCO, Georgia Today, 5 July, 2018) Contact: Scandinavian Environment Finance Corporation, www.nefco.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  

NRDC
Date: 2018-06-13
In the Keystone State, Pittsburgh City Council reports it has approved Climate Action Plan 3.0 -- a holistic vision for how the city will achieve dramatic greenhouse gas reductions.

Unlike the previous 2008 and 2012 versions, the new plan tracks progress and adds new measures to further slash emissions as needed with a new goal of cutting the city's CO2 emissions by 80 pct below 2003 levels by 2050.

Under the new plan, the city will have divested city funds from fossil fuels and transitioned city operations to use 100 pct renewable electricity and a fully fossil fuel free fleet of vehicles, by 2030. The plan also identifies a wide range of additional strategies for buildings to achieve a mid-term goal of 50 pct energy reduction by 2030. For example, the city intends for all newly constructed buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030 by using passive house standards and to use energy usage transparency to reduce consumption among residential buildings, using energy labeling and transparency strategies. The city also plans to implement a PACE program to fund building energy efficiency retrofits, upgrades and renewables projects. (Source: City of Pittsburgh, NRDC, June, 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Carbon Emissions,  NRDC,  

Emirates Green Building Council
Date: 2018-06-04
In the UAE, the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) is touting its Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) Benchmarking Project for schools. The "first-of-its-kind" in the MENA region BEA project assesses the energy and water performance of existing buildings against similar buildings within the same typology. The project aims to establish the first industry energy and water benchmark for schools in the UAE.

The BEA project is a global initiative led by World Resources Institute (WRI) under the UN program Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll), which aims to double the global rate of building energy efficiency by 2030. Dubai is the first and only city in the Middle East committed to the BEA, and EmiratesGBC is serving as the BEA City Liaison in partnership with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) to measure energy performance of 100 buildings in Dubai across hotels, schools and malls.(Source: Emirates Green Building Council, ME Construction News, 3 June, 2018) Contact: Emirates Green Building Council, bea@emiratesgbc.org, www.emiratesgbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Emirates Green Building Council,  Energy Efficiency,  Energy Benchmarking,  

City of Reno
Date: 2018-05-21
In the Silver State, the City of Reno is touting its first annual Green Building Awards celebrating the accomplishments of local leaders in building energy efficiency. The event took place on May 8th.

Award recipients included four organizations that have invested in green and high-efficiency buildings: the Glenn Group, Harrah's Reno Hotel and Casino, the University of Nevada, and the Veterans Administration Hospital. Reno also recognized two notable ENERGY STAR certified buildings -- JC Penney's Logistics Center and Silver Lake Apartments -- both of which had recorded significantly lower energy consumption than their peers across the nation.

In addition, the City lauded eleven leaders in the city's ReEnergize Reno energy efficiency challenge program. Through the program, launched in October of last year, commercial, industrial, and multifamily buildings have committed to cut their energy consumption 20 pct by 2025.

Details on the ReEnergize Reno program are HERE. (Source: City of Reno, NRDC, May, 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Energy Star,  Green Buiding,  

PG&E
Date: 2018-05-18
In San Francisco, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reports it will double new construction energy efficiency incentives for residential and business customers who lost their homes or businesses in the October 2017 Northern California wildfires. To that end, PG&E is teaming up with Sonoma Clean Power and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to offer a "one stop shop" for residential green building incentives for customers in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties who lost their homes in the October 2017 Northern California wildfires.

California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards -- Title 24, Part 6 -- guide residential and non-residential building and construction across the state. The standards help to ensure energy efficiency in new construction to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions associated with buildings, as well as to lower energy costs for California customers. As a result, single family homes built to the latest 2016 standards will use approximately 28 pct less energy for lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation and water heating than homes built to the 2013 standards. The state programs offer incentives for building above energy efficiency code requirements based on standard energy design ratings.

Based on PG&E's existing California Advanced Homes Program for new home construction, eligible customers can apply for the new Advanced Energy Rebuild Program to receive up to $17,500 for rebuilding sustainably. Condominiums, apartments and in-law units will be eligible for a portion of the incentives. The program is available through December 31, 2019 or until funds are exhausted.

For business owners, the Savings by Design program currently offers incentives up to $150,000 per building. PG&E will increase the incentives to up to $300,000 per building. Additionally, PG&E will increase its comprehensive design assistance, offer expedited application reviews and engineering and sales support for business customers who lost their property. These changes will be available as they exist today through 2023.

Access California Advanced Homes Program details at cahp-pge.com and Savings by Design at www.pge.com/savingsbydesign. (Source: PG&E, 176 May, 2018) Contact: PG&E, www.pge.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News PG&E,  Energy Efficiency Incentives,  Energy Efficiency,  

Green Business Certification Inc
Date: 2018-05-14
In the UAE, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) reports it has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Washington, DC-headquartered Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), an independent organization that recognizes excellence in green business industry performance and practice in 160 countries.

Under the MoU, the two organizations will collaborate on building energy efficiency and related issues using the US Green Building Council's LEED Platinum certification standards and programs.

The MoU supports DEWA's efforts to achieve the Demand Side Management Strategy to reduce electricity and water use by 30 pct by 2030, and the Carbon Abatement Strategy to cut carbon emissions by 16 pct by 2021. (Source: DEWA, Dubai Government Media Office, 13 May, 2018) Contact: Green Business Certification Inc., www.gbci.org; Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Saeed Al Tayer, CEO, +971 4 601 9999, www.dewa.gov.ae; USGBC, Mahesh Ramanujam, Pres., CEO, (202) 552-1500, www.usgbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News USGBC,  Green Business Certification Inc.,  DEWA,  USGBC,  LEED Certification,