Building energy efficiency is widely recognized as the most cost-effective way to reduce reliance on non-renewable fuel sources and avoid the costly development of more power plants. Two key policy mechanisms available to assist with reducing building energy consumption are energy codes and benchmarking and disclosure policies. While building energy codes have been around since … Continued
Small commercial buildings (less than 50,000 square feet) make up more than 90 percent of the U.S. commercial building stock. Of those small buildings, most are considered “simple commercial buildings.” Many of the complex requirements in the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) do not apply to simple commercial buildings, so this compliance guide was created … Continued
What to expect under the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code Building Officials descended upon Atlantic City, New Jersey in October to attend the International Code Council’s (ICC) Public Comment Hearings and decide the final version of the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The IECC is updated every three years and serves as the national … Continued
Leading utilities are helping building owners, property managers, businesses and governments benchmark the energy performance of their buildings. Utilities benefit by supporting benchmarking in many ways including: improving customer, helping drive peak demand reductions, enabling utility programs to achieve greater energy efficiency results per dollar, and increasing the cost-effectiveness of portfolios. The National Association of … Continued
The Standard Bearers Award distinguishes jurisdictions that are using cost-effective code compliance strategies that have achieved energy code compliance and energy reduction. IMT and GBPN congratulate the winners of the 2013 Awards. Read about them in the PDF and be sure to sign up for the IMT newsletter to stay informed on applications for the 2014 Award and more!
Together, the Leading Builders of America–which represents 20 of the nation’s largest builders accounting for 40 percent of the new single-family homes market–the Institute for Market Transformation, the Britt/Makela Group and the Natural Resources Defense Council have proposed a change to the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) that would result in significant energy savings, … Continued
[PLEASE NOTE: THE 2013 APPLICATION PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED.] Standard Bearers: The Excellence in Energy Code Compliance Award 2013 Applications due August 30, 2013 For the second year, the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) and Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN) will recognize jurisdictions and code officials using strategies that have improved building energy code compliance … Continued
The Retail Green Lease Primer is a two-page document that helps guide retailers and retail owners to improving the efficiency of their facilities. The goal of the document is to educate real estate and leasing agents on the specific retail lease provisions necessary for achieving reductions in energy, waste, and water use—and cost. When it comes to … Continued
A new policy is taking hold across the U.S. that could help motivate owners of apartment buildings and condo complexes to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings, slashing as much as $9 billion from energy bills for 40 million Americans. This policy – energy benchmarking and disclosure – requires property owners to annually measure … Continued
Transparent energy ratings can help drive investment in energy efficiency by enabling tenants, investors, and lenders to compare building energy performance, creating demand for efficient buildings that have lower utility bills and/or operating costs. This fact sheet gives an introduction to commercial building energy rating and disclosure policies, now in effect in six U.S. cities … Continued