City of Pittsburgh
Date: 2020-09-25
At the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, the city of Pittsburgh has released and published the first information and data gleaned from its energy bench-marking ordinance.

The ordinance, passed in 2016, requires all building owners with 50,000 or more square feet to track and report information about their energy and water use in the hope of encouraging building owners and managers increase energy efficiency and reduce their energy use.

Under the city's program, building owners receive a report from the city on their building's energy performance compared to other similar buildings. More than half of the city's buildings have reported their energy use but hundreds of the city's largest buildings haven't yet complied with the ordinance.

In 2019, more than 500 of Pittsburgh's larger buildings collectively reduced energy consumption by 23 pct compared to 6 pct in 2014. (Source: City of Pittsburgh, Public Source Pittsburgh, 25 Sept., 2020) Contact: City of Pittsburgh, Grant Ervin, Chief Resilience Officer, 412-255-2621, www.pittsburghpa.gov

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USGBC
Date: 2020-08-30
In India, Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt reports its SRK House, the 2,25 million sq. ft. crafting unit of one of the largest diamond companies, has been awarded US Green Building Council LEED Platinum certification -- the US GBC’s highest rating for sustainable and environment-friendly building operations .

SRK House scored 86 points out of 100 in LEED certification eligibility eith energy efficiency initiatives that included: addressing the increasing demand of energy due to growth with the ISO 50002 Energy Audit; improved waste management practices; increased use of renewable energy sources; increased recycling; energy benchmarking; regular CIO2 disinfection for the indoor areas ; Natural Cooling through out; low-flow plumbing fixtures for water conservation; rainwater harvesting and other energy conservation and efficiency initiatives and features. (Source: SRK House, PR, Instore Mag., 25 Aug., 2020)

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Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2020-07-20
In Halifax, the Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines (NSDEM), along with program partners Efficiency Nova Scotia and the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) are touting the recently launched Nova Scotia Energy Benchmarking Pilot Program aimed at helping building owners and operators reduce energy consumption and transition to the mandatory building energy labeling initiative announced by the federal government in the Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

The Nova Scotia pilot, which is funded by Natural Resources Canada and NSDEM, plans to enroll 25 buildings in year one, 150 in year two, and 200 in its third year.

By using the free and secure web-based tool, ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®, owners of mixed-use, residential, commercial, and institutional buildings can discover the operational efficiencies of their properties, and benchmark against others in the sector to find ways to optimize energy and save money. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, July, 2020) Contact: Canada Canada Green Building Council, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

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Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2020-07-20
New Nova Scotia energy benchmarking pilot to help building owners manage energy InIIiHalifax, the Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines (NSDEM), along with program partners Efficiency Nova Scotia and the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) are touting their recently launched Nova Scotia Energy Benchmarking Pilot Program aimed at helping building owners and operators reduce energy consumption and transition to the mandatory building energy labeling initiative announced by the federal government in the Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

The Nova Scotia pilot is funded by Natural Resources Canada and NSDEM, supports building owners The Program plans to enroll 25 buildings in year one, 150 in year two, and 200 in year three.

By using the free and secure web-based tool, ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®, owners of mixed-use, residential, commercial, and institutional buildings can discover the operational efficiencies of their properties, and benchmark against others in the sector to find ways to optimize and save money. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, July, 2020)

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Pitkin County Colorado
Date: 2020-05-27
In Colorado, the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners last month adopted the Home Energy (efficiency) Rating System (HERS) and set strict energy requirements that apply to new construction and remodels and additions over 1,000 square feet.

Pitkin County will require that homes receive a score of 60 or lower HERS score before on-site renewable energy lowers that score to 30 or lower. Pitkin County calls this effort Net-30, a play on net-zero, which is expected to be the county's requirement by 2030. Pitkin County has long required that energy-intensive construction, including driveways with snow-melt systems, be offset with onsite renewable energy or payments to the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program. Now, the county also will require that homeowners with large solar systems that produce 10 or more kWh, install home batteries to store as much as 25 pct of that energy that can be fed back into the grid.

The new building requirements, which go into effect in late July, this year, lay the groundwork for the county to require net-zero buildings by 2030.. (Source: Pitkin County, Aspen Journalism, 27 May, 2020) Contact: Pitkin County, Cindy Houben, Community Dev. Dir., 970-920-5097, Cindy.Houben@pitkincounty.com, www.pitkincounty.com

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Columbus Ohio
Date: 2020-04-15
In the Buckeye State, the Columbus City Council is reporting passage of the state's first city energy benchmarking ordinance in March.

The ordinance, which will be phased in over three years, requires building owners to report data on building size, energy usage and utility bills using an EPA energy manager program.

Under the ordinance, city buildings and non-city properties greater than 100,000 square-feet must file their first reports by June 1, 2021. Other covered properties greater than 50,000 square-feet are due to report by the following June. Public data disclosures for each group will begin in 2022 and 2023, respectively. (Source: City of Columbus, Energy News, April, 2020) Contact: City of Columbus, Anthony Celebreeze, Dept. of Building and Zoning, (614) 645-5661, (614) 645-7433, www.columbus.gov › bzs

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Building Benchmark BC
Date: 2020-01-22
In British Columbia, Canada, the cities of Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey and Vancouver are reporting their participation in the Building Benchmark BC pilot project aimed at helping building owners and managers easily "benchmark" and disclose the energy consumption and emissions of their properties.

Participants will receive detailed energy and carbon performance data and a clear picture of how their building's performance relative to similar buildings. This information will help them make more informed decisions on capital investments, upgrades and energy efficiency rebates.

The pilot was developed by OPEN Green Building Society with funding from Natural Resources Canada and BC Hydro. (Source: Building Benchmark BC, HPAC, 21 Jan., 2020) Contact: Building Bench,ark BC, www.BuildingBenchmarkBC.ca

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Minneapolis
Date: 2020-01-15
The city of Minneapolis is reporting a city ordinance requiring one- and two-family homeowners to collect energy consumption and efficiency data before listing their homes for sale came into force Jan. 15, 2020.

Homeowners can comply with the ordinance by having a Truth In Sale of Housing (TISH) inspector collect the data during the mandatory pre-listing evaluation or by getting an energy audit from Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy's Home Energy Squad program.

In either case, an inspection evaluates a home's windows, heating system and attic and wall insulation and compiles the data into an "energy score" of the home's energy efficiency. The inspector will also prepare a report detailing the improvements a homeowner or homebuyer could -- but is not required to -- make, how much those improvements typically cost and how much could be saved annually by making them.

The Minneapolis Climate Action Plan calls for 75 pct of houses to undergo energy retrofits by 2025, and notes the city offers no financing for energy efficiency improvements. (Source: City of Minneapolis, Southwest Journal, Jan., 2020) Contact: www.minneapolismn.gov/ccs/ccs_tish; Home Energy Squad, www.homeenergysquad.net

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Energy Efficiency
Date: 2020-01-08
In the Badger State, the cities of Edina and St. Louis Park are reporting the adaptation of energy benchmarking to help landlords reduce natural gas and electricity consumption. They join more than 30 cities across the country that have benchmarking ordinances to reduce energy consumption and cut related costs.

In adopting energy benchmarking, both suburbs sought assistance from the Efficient Buildings Collaborative, a Hennepin County program that helps Minnesota municipalities develop energy benchmarking policies. Next summer, both cities will ask commercial, government and apartment owners to submit data that will eventually include properties of 25,000 square feet or larger. The suburbs will use the U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, a free online tool, and receive technical assistance from Denver-based Overlay Consulting.

According to St. Louis Park's director of Building and Energy, Brian Hoffman, benchmarking should be a significant asset in helping his city achieve its goal of cutting energy consumption by 30 pct in large commercial buildings by 2030. (Source: City of Edina, City of St. Louis Park, Finance & Commerce, 6 Jan., 2019) Contact: City of Edina, www.edinamn.gov; St. Louis Park, Brian Hoffman, Director of Building and Energy, 952.924.2584, bhoffman@stlouispark.org, www.stlouispark.org

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Philadelphia
Date: 2019-12-13
In the city of Brotherly Love, following on its Philadelphia Building Energy Benchmarking , 2019 Report, the city of Philadelphia has enacted legislation creating a Building Energy Performance Program that will impact about 2,000 buildings .

The program requires non-residential buildings of 50,000 square feet or larger to undergo a high-energy performance inspection, submit a certification to the Office of Sustainability and conduct recommended improvements and upgrades. Non compliant building owners could face a fine of $2,000 or more.

Download the Philadelphia Building Energy Benchmarking , 2019 Report HERE. (Source: City of Philadelphia, Dec., 2019) Contact: City of Philadelphia Building Codes, www.phila.gov › codesandregulations › Pages › codes

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CBRE
Date: 2019-11-08
According to the 2019 National Green Building Adoption Index published by CBRE Group Inc., Maastricht University and the University of Guelph, Chicago is the nation's leader in energy-efficient office buildings for the third year in a row. The city added a near 2 pct gain over 2018, outranking San Francisco, Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Los Angeles.

The index analyzed green-certified office space across America's 30 largest office markets and found the highest in the index's history at 42.2 pct -- up from 41.9 pct from 2018. According to the report, 71.1 pct of Chicago's office buildings are market-certified green and hold either an EPA ENERGY STAR® label, USGBC LEED certification, or both.

(Source: CBRE, Lawndale News, 7 Nov., 2019) Contact: CBRE, National Green Building Adoption Index www.cbre.com/about/corporate-responsibility/pillars/environmental-sustainability/green building adoption index; CBRE, Corpcomm@cbre.com, www.cbre.com

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Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2019-10-28
In Ottawa, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has issued a post-election statement congratulating the re-elected Liberal government of Justin Trudeau and urging the Prime Minister to spur Canada's building industry towards a low-carbon future.

The CaGBC statement also noted that Canada's building stock contributes up to 17 pct of the country's greenhouse gas emissions and that Investing in a low-carbon workforce transition would be a key driver to help Canada's construction workforce develop, construct and manage high-performing energy efficient green buildings. The CaGBC also called for the government to Stimulate the country's retrofit economy through the Canada Infrastructure Bank and to establish national building energy benchmarking and disclosure requirements. (Source: The Canada Green Building Council, Commercial News, 28 Oct., 2019)Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, Pres. and CEO, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

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Energy Efficiency
Date: 2019-04-24
In the Garden State, the city of Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla has signed an executive order adopting Hoboken's Climate Action Plan committing the city to "achieving carbon neutrality by 2050."

The plan establishes goals for greenhouse gas emission reduction for government operations and as a city based on: increased operating energy efficiency; building energy bench-marking; energy efficient upgrades in 11 municipal buildings resulting in over $100,000 per year in energy costs savings; LED street and traffic lighting; a commitment to 100 pct renewable energy and various other upgrades and initiatives. The city of 56,000 +- residents has also reaffirmed its commitment to exceeding the goals of the Paris Climate Accord. (Source: Hoboken Patch, 23 April, 2019) Contact: City of Hoboken, (201) 420-2000, www.hobokennj.gov

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Kansas City
Date: 2019-03-20
In the Show Me State, Kansas City Council is reporting a slower uptake and participation and compliance than expected with the city's municipal energy benchmarking requirement.

The ordinance, which was passed in 2015, requires owners of large buildings of 100,000 square-feet or more, to report energy and water use data to the city, which posts the information online so it can be used by tenants, investors and others. City officials had expected an 80 pct compliance rate, but just over 60 pct have reported data to the city.

Kansas City building owners' 60 pct compliance significantly lags behind Chicago's at 92 pct and Minneapolis, which began at began at 87 pct then rose to 93 pct for the 2017 calendar year. (Source: Kansas City Star, Mar., 2019) Contact: City of Kansas City, Dennis Murphey, Chief Environmental Officer, 816-453-1492, www.kcmo.gov

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ACEEE
Date: 2019-03-06
According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Florida -- which ranked 4th in energy efficiency jabs in 2017 -- could gain an additional 135,000 jobs by embracing new policies including: appliance and equipment energy efficiency standards; regular energy audits; greater use of combined heat and power (CHP); and an update of building energy codes; building energy benchmarking and other energy policies.

Specifically, the ACEEE noted that the state should set stronger energy savings goals for their utilities. By setting energy savings at a mere 1 pct per year, they said that alone could give the state more than 100,000 jobs. (Source: ACEEE, Energy Insider, Mar., 2019) Contact: ACEEE, (202) 507-4000, www.aceee.org

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ENERGY STAR
Date: 2019-02-06
In the Gopher State, the city of Minneapolis officials are reportedly considering a new energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinance requiring apartment and home sellers to complete two additional inspection tests and provide energy-efficiency information to potential renters and purchasers. Initially, the ordinance would apply to private residences and multifamily buildings of 50,000 square feet or more.

The ordinance also requires owners of sub-50,000-square-foot apartment buildings that meter each unit's energy consumption to submit data to a utility-created portal that will be available in 2021. The result will allow renters to compare the energy performance of buildings, using an annual per-square-foot measurement. The city's energy ordinance aims to upgrade 75 pct of the city's homes by 2025.

City officials believe building owners with low-performing properties would be more open to utility and city efficiency programs to reduce their energy use. Portland, Oregon; Austin, Texas; Berkeley, California; and Boulder, Colorado are among the cities with similar programs. (Source: City of Minneapolis, Finance & Commerce, 5 Feb., 2019) Contact: City of Minneapolis, Kim Havey, Sustainability Manager, 612-673-3666, Kim.Havey@minneapolismn.gov, www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@citycoordinator/documents/webcontent/wcmsp-215081.pdf

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Black Hills Energy
Date: 2018-12-17
Rapid City, South Dakota-based Black Hills Energy report it has pitched its B3 Benchmarking energy efficiency program to the city of Pueblo, Colorado. The program is aimed at identifying buildings that are underperforming and improving them, which they said would result in money savings.

The tool helps identify under performing buildings with the highest potential for energy savings and provides input to help understand the way buildings are using their energy.

The B3 tool works by customers inputting basic data about facilities, such as what the building is used for, overall square footage, number of floors/rooms, hours of use and number of employees, among other data. The information is then uploaded to B3 and then compared to similar buildings within its database. A results report is then generated. (Source: Black Hills Energy, Pueblo Chieftain 16 Dec., 2018) Contact: Black Hills Energy, Jim Dillon, Senior Manager, Energy Efficiency, www.blackhillsenergy.com

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BRE, US Green Building Council
Date: 2018-11-16
UK-based BRE Group and the US Green Building Council (USGBC) are reporting their partnership aimed at making the global built environment more energy efficient and more sustainable.

The partners aim to highlight the role that buildings can play in improving environmental and to encourage buildings and the built environment globally to raise sustainability standards and deliver greater value. The partnership also aims to promote their joint and separate expertise and a new approach to building energy benchmarking and building performance solutions.

BRE offers advisory services, innovative research, sets and monitors industry standards, develops and delivers professional training courses, and provides independent, third-party certification services related to built environment issues. (Source: USGBC, BRE, Construction Index, 14 Nov., 2018) Contact: BRE, Niall Trafford, CEO, +44 (0)333 321 8811, enquiries@bregroup.com, www.bregroup.com; USGBC, Mahesh Ramanujam, Pres., CEO, (202) 552-1500, www.usgbc.org

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RWDI
Date: 2018-11-14
The RWDI Consulting Engineers and Scientists firm is touting the EnergyCompass, a newly launched tool aiming to improve energy literacy in Ontario and help construction professionals make better use of green building designs to reach the goal of net-zero carbon emissions.

The EnergyCompass is a free data visualization platform that will streamline energy benchmarking and reporting during the design phase of building development projects. This tool seeks to accelerate the understanding and adoption of energy-saving solutions, improve conservation program delivery, reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from every proposed building development in Ontario.

Users will be able upload energy models to Compass which will automatically extract more than 400 variables and complete the submission requirements for six building standards, including US Green Buiolding Council LEED, TGS, and Ontario Building Code (OBC) The data visualization platform will allow users to see the modeled building against a database, which will then inform the design. "Previously, data available through energy simulation studies has not been leveraged en masse to analyze performance trends or to benchmark similar buildings to improve energy performance," according to RWI principal Mike Williams.

The RWDI EnergyCompass was developed in partnership with the Ontario Association of Architects and Toronto's Architecture 2030 District. (Source: RWDI, Nov., 2018) Contact: RWDI, Mike Williams, www.rwdi.com

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Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge
Date: 2018-10-22
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that Pittsburgh -- the Steel City -- is a winner in the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge -- a $70 million initiative aimed at accelerating efforts to tackle climate change and promote a sustainable future.

Pittsburgh will use the money to create and implement a building energy benchmarking policy, develop a statewide clean energy financing program, scale renewable power through community solar programs, encourage a shift in transportation energy use operation, and reduce over-all energy consumption by 50 pct.

About 100 of America's largest cities applied to the challenge, submitting bold plans to cut carbon emissions, Bloomberg said. All aimed to reduce air pollution and citywide emissions with specific projects to reform transit and buildings sectors -- two areas traditionally responsible for 80 pct of all citywide emissions. Atlanta, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, San Jose and Seattle were also Challenge winners. (Source: Bloomberg Philanthropies, TRIB Live, 21 Oct., 2018) Contact: Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge, www.bloomberg.org/program/environment/climatechallenge

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Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation
Date: 2018-06-18
In Minneapolis, the not-for-profit Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation reports it is partnering with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the state of Minnesota to further, and provide, sustainability consulting, project funding assistance, energy bench marking and more.

Founded in 1994, the Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation and its state-wide supporters as well as energy companies, work to provide businesses with energy rebates and grants for more energy-efficient materials. (Source: Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation, Eco Press, 6 17, 2018) Contact: Minnesota Waste Wise Foundation, Jill Curran, Exec. Dir., (651) 292-4662, www.mnwastewise.org

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NYSERDA,Clean Energy Community
Date: 2018-06-11
In the Empire State, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has designated the Town of Westport as a Clean Energy Community in recognition of its leadership in reducing energy use, cutting costs and driving clean energy locally.

The $16 million Clean Energy Communities initiative provides grant funding to eligible municipalities to implement energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable development projects in their communities. To earn the Clean Energy Community designation, The Town of Westport:

Adopted a Benchmarking policy to track and report the energy use of the town's municipal buildings.

Streamlined the local approval processes for solar projects through adoption of the New York State Unified Solar Permit.

Completed energy code enforcement training on best practices in energy code enforcement for the town's code officer:

Installed an electric vehicle charging station at Westport Town Hall, and other upgrades and initiatives.

Program funds are provided through the NY Clean Energy Fund and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). (Source: NYSERDA, Town of Westport, June, 2018) Contact: NYSERDA, www.nyserda.ny.gov/cec: Town of Westport, www.westportny.net

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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

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NY Clean Energy Community
Date: 2018-05-02
In the Empire State, the Town of Elmira board has unanimously pass two resolutions that would see the community join the New York State Energy Research and Development (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Community program.

Under the program, municipalities or towns can implement ten impact items to promote energy efficiency or renewable energy. Recently, the town of Elmira passed resolutions on solar energy permitting and on building energy benchmarking. The town is also considering the installation of electric vehicle charging stations and the conversion of city street lighting to LED.

Building a more sustainable New York starts with building more sustainable communities. Local governments affect energy choices in their communities, from government operations to homes, businesses, and community institutions. Local governments in New York State can use the Clean Energy Communities program to implement clean energy actions, save energy costs, create jobs, and improve the environment. In addition to providing tools, resources, and technical assistance, the program recognizes and rewards leadership for the completion of clean energy projects, according to the program website. (Source: Town of Elmira, WENY, 1 May, 2018) Contact: NYSERDA, www.nyserda.ny.gov; Clean Energy Communities Program, www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Programs/Clean-Energy-Communities

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City of Providence
Date: 2018-05-02
Rhode Island's largest city, Providence, has unveiled RePowerPVD, a voluntary energy savings program aimed at helping the city meet its climate goals through energy efficiency. The energy benchmarking program challenges the owners of large buildings to commit to a 20 pct cut in energy consumption by 2025 measured against a 2015 baseline. Commercial buildings are the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions to the city and will help property owners save energy, reduce costs and improve their marketability.

The program will provide building energy benchmarks and help owners track changes in building energy use. Ten city-owned buildings are enrolled in the program. (Source: City of Providance, AP, Bristol Herald, 30 April, 2018) Contact: City of Providence, www.providenceri.gov

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NYSERDA
Date: 2018-04-09
In the Empire State, the community councils of Hanover and Silver Creek are reporting participation in the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities Program . The program aims to incentivize municipalities to adopt various efficiency "impact actions." Municipalities that complete four of the 10 available impact actions will receive a $5,000 grant and be eligible for future NYSERDA grants.

The first and major resolution passed by both Hanover and Silver Creek involves establishing building energy benchmarking using the EPA's internet-based Energy Star Portfolio Manager to track and assess the relative energy consumption and performance of community owned buildings of 1,000 square feet or larger. The aim is to identify energy consumption and cost cutting opportunities.

Other approved resolutions include the New York State Unified Solar Permit program; energy and building code upgrades, training and enforcement; and electric vehicle charging stations. (Source: NYSERDA, Observer, 2 April, 2018) Contact: NYSERDA, Alicia Barton, Pres., CEO, (518) 862-1090, www.nyserda.ny.gov; Clean Energy Communities Program, www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Programs/Clean-Energy-Communities

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Milwaukee
Date: 2018-03-30
To date, the City of Milwaukee has reduced energy use intensity by 5%, saving taxpayers on energy-consumption costs. The city of Milwakee is reporting it met previously this month with business and energy industry leaders to discuss energy efficiency opportunities and technologies and how the city can take advantage of them. The meeting -- tagged the second "Benchmarking Jam" -- was part of the city's public-private partnerships and the Milwaukee Better Buildings Challenge and community engagement strategy.

Milwaukee Better Buildings Challenge (BBC) partners have achieved particular energy-efficiency success by securing PACE financing for energy efficiency projects. The city encourages local businesses and K-12 schools to implement energy efficiency projects and to participate in the city's comprehensive energy efficiency program which aims to assist 200+ buildings, particularly Class B & C commercial buildings, small commercial buildings, and K-12 schools, in every aspect of energy efficiency projects, including assessment, financing, and implementation. To date, more than 100 non-city buildings are participating in BBC-MKE. The City of Milwaukee has committed to reduce the energy used in city buildings by 20 pct by 2022. (Source: City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Better Buildings Challenge, Energy Manager, 29 Mar., 2018) Contact: Milwaukee Better Buildings Challenge Download Better Buildings Challenge details HERE

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NYSERDA
Date: 2017-12-18
In the Empire State, the village of Livonia -- pop.7,800 -- reports it has been designated a Clean Energy Community by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). To achieve Clean Energy Community status, Livonia instituted:

building energy consumption earmarking to track and report the energy use of the community's municipal buildings;

installed an electric vehicle charging station in the village's municipal parking lot;

instituted a building and energy code training, best practices, compliance and enforcement program; and

adopted the New York State Unified Solar Permit to streamline the approval process for local solar projects.

With the designation, Livonia is now eligible to apply for up to $50,000 in state grant funding which it will use for the conversion of tradition street lighting to energy efficienct LED models. (Source: NYSERDA, Various Media, ec., 2017) Contact: NYSERDA. Clean Energy Communities, www.nyserda.ny.gov/cec; Livonia, www.livoniany.org

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World Bank International Finance Corp.
Date: 2017-12-01
A recent study by the World Bank International Finance Corp. (IFC) has found that investments in "green" or environment-friendly buildings could top a cumulative $3.4 trillion by 2025 "if countries adopt better building codes and standards, create targeted financial incentives such as green-building certification and mandatory benchmarking of energy use, encourage new utility business models; green mortgages and energy-service companies.

In 2010, buildings accounted for 36 pct of the country's total annual power consumption and emitted 33.28 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. In seven years, rapid urban migration is expected to increase the number of new buildings by 20 pct annually.

Since 2005, the IFC has invested $18.3 billion in long-term funding for climate-smart projects and mobilized an additional $11 billion from other investors. (Source: World Bank, International Finance Corp., ProudGreenBuilding, 29 Nov., 2017) Contact: World Bank IFC, www.ifc.org

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