The Biden-Harris administration announced on March 4, 2024, a $90 million initiative aimed at improving building efficiency, bolstering resilience, and creating jobs. [1] This investment aligns with their broader climate and economic goals. The initiative targets reducing carbon emissions by accelerating the adoption of energy-efficient technologies, supporting research and development, and promoting workforce development in the clean energy sector. Additionally, the funding aims to enhance building resilience to climate change impacts, such as extreme weather events, ensuring infrastructure readiness for future challenges. Collaborations with research institutions, universities, and private companies are key to driving innovation and creating job opportunities in green industries. This initiative reflects the administration's commitment to combating climate change, transitioning to sustainable energy sources, and promoting economic growth through environmental stewardship. By investing in building efficiency, the administration aims to address climate challenges while simultaneously stimulating job creation and advancing clean energy technology.
[USA] D.C. regulators approve Pepco’s 3-year energy efficiency and demand response program
On August 10, 2022, the District of Columbia Public Service Commission (PSC) approved the Potomac Electric Power Co.’s (Pepco) proposed Energy Efficiency and Demand Response (EEDR) Program to help reduce the amount of energy used by homes and businesses in the District.[1] Pepco will begin to implement the three-year EERD Program on January 1, 2023. The total budget for the program’s nine projects is approximately $92.4 million, with a third of the costs allocated to programs benefiting low- and moderate-income customers. The nine programs include the Efficient Products Program, Quick Home Energy Check-Up Program, Residential Behavior Based Program, Low- and Moderate-Income Home Energy Program, Commercial Behavior Based Program, Midstream Program, Existing Buildings Program, Low- and Moderate-Income Community Pilots, and Small Business Program.
According to the PSC, by the third year, the program is forecasted to achieve 226,831 MWh, or nearly 1%, in energy savings and cut CO2 emissions by about 181,000 metric tons. The PSC also approved Rider EEDR, a surcharge to recover program costs associated with the program based on usage and applied uniformly to all customers, excluding the utility’s Residential Aid Discount customers. Pepco will be required to file performance indicators, conduct program evaluations, and file semi-annual reports.
[1] https://edocket.dcpsc.org/apis/api/Filing/download?attachId=172220&guidFileName=2cb48217-3e48-4672-80dd-87518f756561.pdf
[USA] Biden administration announces new initiatives to cut building emissions and create jobs
On May 17, 2021, the White House announced new federal investments to energy efficiency in buildings and new opportunities to modernize buildings while creating new jobs.[1] The plans include developing the first building performance standards (BPS) for federal buildings. The new BPS will be spearheaded by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and will establish metrics, targets, and tracking methods to reach federal carbon emissions goals. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it will invest $30 million into workforce initiatives designed to train people to develop and construct high-performance buildings. In addition, the DOE is launching a low-carbon buildings pilot program, and in coordination with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the program will partner with 55 commercial, industrial and multifamily organizations to participate and share lessons about constructing and developing energy-efficient buildings. The DOE also announced a new initiative in partnership with the Advanced Water Heating Initiative to increase market adoption of heat pump water heaters in residential and commercial buildings.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that it is launching new residential and commercial sector partnerships to accelerate efficiency and electrification retrofits in underserved residential households through the ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade program. The White House also announced new ENERGY STAR standards to improve heat pump technology and fast chargers for electric vehicles.
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/17/fact-sheet-biden-administration-accelerates-efforts-to-create-jobs-making-american-buildings-more-affordable-cleaner-and-resilient/
[USA] Report: Rule changes at DOE could save U.S. households $230 a year on utility bills by 2050
On November 17, 2020, the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released a report that found that energy efficiency rules from the Department of Energy (DOE) for 47 products could reduce carbon emissions by 1.5 billion to 2.9 billion metric tons through 2050 which is equal to the closing 13 to 25 coal plants.[1] The standards that the report recommends could be met using current technology and completed over the next few years. The report noted that of the 47 products the report recommended standards for, strengthened standards for residential water heaters, commercial and industrial fans, residential furnaces, and light bulbs could provide the greatest potential emissions reductions.
The rule changes would save the average U.S. household more than $100 a year in utility costs by 2030, $230 a year by 2035, and nearly $350 a year by 2050. Cumulatively, consumers and businesses could potentially save $1.1 trillion on utility bills. The standards would also reduce peak electricity demand by almost 90 GW by 2050, which is equivalent to about 13% of total peak demand today. According to the report, the DOE could achieve greater emissions reductions by setting standards for products that do not currently have any standard and by improving test procedures used to rate products’ energy and water use. The report does acknowledge, though, that the DOE has not finished any updates for appliance standards since the beginning of the Trump administration, and as of November 2020, it has missed 28 legal deadlines for reviewing appliance standards.
[1] https://www.aceee.org/press-release/2020/11/report-biden-could-slash-carbon-pollution-energy-costs-efficiency-standards
[USA] 14 states sue DOE over failure to update appliance efficiency standards
On November 9, 2020, 12 states and two cities[1] filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District. against the Department of Energy (DOE) over the DOE’s failure to review and update 25 standards for a wide range of appliances including washers and dryers, dishwashers, microwaves, water heaters, room air conditioners, small electric motors, furnaces, and fans.[2] According to the lawsuit, the updated standards could save $580 billion in energy costs and avoid over 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. In the November lawsuit, the states say the Trump administration has violated the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) which requires standards to be reviewed every six years. The EPCA covers more than 60 categories of appliances; these appliances account for about 90% of the total amount of energy consumed in homes, 60% of the energy used in commercial buildings, and 30% of the energy used by industry. A similar lawsuit was filed on October 30, 2020 by six environmental and consumer groups[3] which asked that the court direct the DOE to "promptly initiate rulemakings and complete reviews" of the missed standards.[4]
[1] New York, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia and the city of New York.
[2]https://oag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2020%2011%2009%20Missed%20Deadline%20Complaint%20with%20Attachments%20FILED.pdf
[3] Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Citizen, Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, Consumer Federation of America, and the Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants with Earthjustice as their counsel
[4] https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/complaint-doe-standards-delay-20201030.pdf
[USA] DOE announces $11 billion in energy cost-savings from Better Buildings Initiative partners
On June 9, 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the roughly 950 public and private sector organizations in DOE’s Better Buildings Initiative have reached nearly $11 billion in energy-cost saving.[1] [2] Better Buildings Initiative partners have also saved nearly 1.8 quadrillion British thermal units of energy (Btu), which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 27 million homes in one year. Partners represent 32 of America’s Fortune 100 companies, 12 of the top 25 U.S. employers, 12% of the U.S. manufacturing energy footprint, and 13% of U.S. commercial building space. Of these partners, 20 reached their energy efficiency goals in the past year, including Bank of America, Michigan State University, and University of Utah. Other partners like Iron Mountain and Kohl’s Department Stores have previously reached their energy efficiency goals and have set new ones.
DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy also announced four new Better Buildings efforts: the Better Buildings Workforce Accelerator, the Better Buildings Sustainable Corrections Infrastructure Accelerator, the Integrated Lighting Campaign, and the Building Envelope Campaign.[3] [4] [5] [6] These new programs aim to increase energy productivity, encourage investments in renewable energy and energy storage in public facilities, integrate advanced lighting controls in buildings, and help building owners and managers develop more energy-efficient building materials.
[1] https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-11-billion-energy-cost-savings-better-buildings-initiative-partners
[2]https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/DOE_BBI_2020_Progress_Report.pdf
[3] https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/accelerators/workforce
[4] https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/accelerators/corrections-infrastructure
[5] https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/alliance/technology-campaigns/integrated-lighting-campaign
[6] https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/alliance/technology-campaigns/building-envelope-campaign
[USA] Energy efficiency continues to be cheaper than natural gas
According to new research released by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory on May 13, 2020, natural gas energy efficiency programs through utilities saved energy at a cost of about $0.40/therm (1 therm is equal to 100,000 Btu) from 2012 to 2017.[1] [2] Compared to natural gas—which averaged about $1/therm—energy efficiency programs are significantly cheaper. Researchers also found that commercial and industrial (C&I) programs had the lowest savings-weighted average cost of gas savings ($0.18/therm) during the study period. However, C&I programs represented only about 20% of overall efficiency program spending. For residential and low-income program savings costs were $0.43/therm and $1.47/therm, respectively. Savings costs varied widely by geographic region. For instance, savings in the Midwest averaged $0.29/therm while in the West saving averaged $0.59/therm. The study says this is likely due to higher spending on low-income programs in the West, as well as differences in savings opportunities between cold and temperate regions.
In response to the study, many efficiency advocates claim there are even more savings to be had through the electrification of end-uses, but the study did not consider this in their analysis. Additionally, efficiency advocates say the natural gas industry may be building unnecessary infrastructure; the Natural Resources Defense Council says around 90% of proposed gas power plants and their respective pipelines will likely be unnecessary by 2035.[3]
[1] https://emp.lbl.gov/news/energy-efficiency-continues-be-cheaper
[2] https://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/cose_natural_gas_final_report_20200513.pdf
[3] https://www.nrdc.org/experts/sheryl-carter/energy-efficiency-still-abundant-and-cheaper-gas
[USA] St. Louis becomes first Midwest city to pass a Building Energy Performance Standard
On May 7, 2020, St. Louis, Missouri Mayor Lyda Krewson signed into law a Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS) plan that requires buildings in the city to meet energy efficiency standards and establishes resources to help building owners achieve the savings associated with energy efficiency.[1] [2] St. Louis is the first Midwest city and one of only four jurisdictions (includes: Washington State, Washington, D.C., and New York City) in the U.S. to pass a BEPS. The BEPS plan will help the city achieve its goal of eliminating community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The BEPS plan only applies to buildings that are 50,000 square feet or larger and were already required to report their energy and water use under current city law.[3] Under BEPS, these buildings will be required to meet several levels of energy performance. The BEPS plan also requires several energy-saving actions, including upgrading HVAC units, ventilation, lighting and elevators. In addition, the new law sets up a Building Energy Improvement Board to help ensure buildings are complying with new standards and consider owners’ alternative plans when compliance is not possible. The board will be made up of nine members from utilities, labor, affordable housing owners and tenants, and commercial buildings.
[1] https://www.nrdc.org/media/2020/200506
[2] https://www.nrdc.org/experts/nrdc/st-louis-becomes-third-us-city-adopt-bold-standards-slash-energy-waste-buildings
[3] https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/internal-apps/legislative/upload/as-amended/BB219AACombined.pdf
[USA] Environmental groups sue DOE over revised appliance standards process
On April 14, 2020 the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) sued the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco over the DOE’s revised process for setting appliance standards.[1] Along with NRDC, parties to the suit include Earthjustice, representing the Sierra Club, Consumer Federation of America, and Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants; the U.S. Public Interest Research Group; and Environment America. According to the NRDC, this lawsuit is the 107th legal challenge to the administration’s rulings on environmental issues, and the third time in five months that groups have filed suit over the appliance standards program. DOE’s revised process requires a new standard to save 0.3 quadrillion BTUs of energy consumed by appliances on site over 30 years. However, the lawsuit argues that the new process sets an arbitrary baseline for “significant savings” to establish a new standard.
The DOE, however, argues that the current rules require too much investment for savings that are not always significant. The DOE is now taking public comment on how to prioritize its review of appliance standards under the revised process.[2] Environmental advocates say they will be following it closely and believe the move is unnecessary.
[1] https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/energy-efficiency-standards-20200414.pdf
[2] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/15/2020-07721/energy-conservation-program-procedures-for-use-in-new-or-revised-energy-conservation-standards-and
[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Launched an Energy Management Demonstration Project Using Solar Power and Storage Batteries
Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO, Headquarters: Osaka Prefecture) announced on February 17, 2020, that it has launched an energy management demonstration project that will be deployed in grocery stores using solar power systems integrated with battery storage.
As a part of the project, storage batteries will be installed at grocery stores operated by an Osaka-based grocery retailer, Kano Co.[1], which has contracted for a KEPCO’s onsite solar power service[2]. The project will verify the effectiveness of the battery storage in reducing electricity costs. It will also use a Kanden Virtual Power Plant Integrated Platform System (K-VIPs) to validate the performance of the storage battery control technology.
Storing surplus energy from solar power generation on batteries and discharging it at other times, such as during the night, is expected to reduce electricity costs. The stored surplus energy can also be utilized during emergencies or as part of a demand response (DR) program by responding to the signals from aggregators.
KEPCO aims to provide comprehensive energy management services by utilizing various components such as solar power generation with battery storage and energy resource aggregation services which are expected to grow. KEPCO’s energy aggregation services help customers to increase their revenues through operational improvements for energy procurement management and facility optimization by utilizing VPP and DR.[3]
[1] https://www.kk-kano.co.jp/
[2] The KEPCO provides commercial and industrial customers with a suite of comprehensive (one-stop-shop) solar power services, ranging from rooftop solar installations, to operations and maintenance.
[Japan] Japan’s Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy Released its Interim Report on Building Sustainable Power Systems
On December 26, 2019, Japan’s Strategic Policy Committee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy released its interim report on Building Sustainable Power Systems. The interim report includes the Committee’s recommendations to rebuild Japan’s power systems and improve resilience.
Japan’s energy landscape is rapidly changing due: increasing resiliency needs; growing demand for decarbonization in response to the Paris Agreement; decentralization of networks through the introduction of renewable energy; and emerging new energy businesses that utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) has established the Building Sustainable Power Systems Subcommittee under the Strategic Policy Committee to develop policies and measures to adapt to these changes.
The subcommittee held four meetings in 2019 from November to December to discuss these issues and released its findings in the interim report. The report highlights the following: [1]
I. Strengthening stakeholder collaboration for faster disaster recovery: the subcommittee discussed the need for a disaster coordination plan to improve disaster response collaboration among utility companies to shorten the recovery period. The subcommittee also proposed the establishment of a cost sharing mechanism for disaster recovery.
II. Creating a resilient power network: Typhoon No. 15 (Faxai) caused serious damage to the power network. In order to mitigate power outages during large-scale disasters, the subcommittee discussed the need to replace aging equipment and improve the inter-regional interconnection of the distribution network for a robust and sustainable power system.
III. Promoting decentralized power system: Typhoon No. 15 highlighted the need to place distributed energy resources for remote and hard-to-reach areas in advance, in order to quickly recover from a disaster. The subcommittee emphasized the importance of promoting and investing in distributed energy resources in these areas to improve resiliency including microgrids, renewable energy, storage batteries, and electric vehicles.
[1] https://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/committee/council/basic_policy_subcommittee/#system_kouchiku
[USA] “Ameresco Helps Town of Westport, Massachusetts Transform Closed Landfill into Source of Renewable Energy and Revenue”
[Ameresco, 11 June 2019]
Ameresco, an energy efficiency and renewable energy company, has partnered with the city of Westport, Massachusetts to install a 622 KW DC solar panel facility at the city’s shuttered landfill. Ameresco will be responsible for the facility’s “design, construction, operations and maintenance of the solar farm, at its own expense.” This project has been a goal for this town for the past 10 years by turning a “non-productive asset (the closed landfill) for a revenue-generating activity” while also meeting the city’s clean energy goals. The project will begin operation in August of 2019.
[USA] “Local Leaders Celebrate Rhode Island’s First Net Zero Energy Ready Residential Development”
[National Grid, 1 April 2019]
Rhode Island has begun the construction of its first Net Zero Energy residential development. This development will be built by h.a. Fisher Homes and the development is expected to be completely energy efficient so that all (or most) energy consumed can be provided by local renewable energy systems. The development will be located in Warwick, Rhode Island- and the first homes will be finished by the fall of this year. There will be a total of 9 single-level condominiums involved in the project. It is interesting to note that Rhode Island is ranked 3rd nationally for its energy efficiency successes. Brian Schuster, Director of Customer and Community Management for National Grid Rhode Island said of the project, ““The Residential and Commercial Energy Efficiency programs we manage are reaching thousands of customers ever year to help to reduce energy costs and consumption. Just as importantly, these programs are helping to meet Rhode Island’s clean energy goals and the vision we have for the Northeast 80×50 Pathway.”
[USA] “President Donald J. Trump Prioritizes Efficiency in the Federal Government”
[The White House, 17 May 2018]
Trump signed an Executive Order on May 17, 2018 directing Federal agencies to better manage federal “buildings, vehicles, and overall operations to optimize energy and environmental performance, reduce waste, and cut costs.” This order also calls on the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to streamline requirements and directives regarding clean energy, procurement processes for federal facilities and assets, and energy and water consumption. The order also provides more flexibility to federal agencies in decision making processes and allows them to determine how best to meet operational and efficiency goals. Finally, the order directs agencies to record and report their efforts to comply with the Executive Order; this data will then be used to evaluate an agency and their operations via the annual scorecard issued by the OMB. Trump said of his order, “We’re going to run government smoothly, efficiently, and on behalf of the very hardworking taxpayers.”