Buildings
Energy Savings from Window Shades
Windows are a primary contributor to heating and cooling loads in U.S. residences, due to conductive heat loss in the heating season and unwanted conductive and solar heat gain in the cooling season. Insulating window shades, can reduce window heat transfer, and if used effectively, reduce unwanted solar heat gain…
Energy Efficiency and Net-Zero Buildings: GSA & RMI Answer the Call (Executive Summary)
THE GSA’S COMMITMENTThe nation’s largest landlord is answering President Obama’s call to pursue deep energy savings and net-zero energy in buildings. Earlier this spring, the President and Congress each issued directives that extended aggressive energy efficiency goals into the next decade, drawing attention to topics like net-zero energy and promoting…
How to Calculate and Present Deep Retrofit Value (Executive Summary)
Energy efficiency building retrofits in the United States and around the world are attractive investments, but receive far less attention and capital than they deserve. This is in part due to a narrow definition of their value, typically focused on energy cost savings alone, and in part due to confusion…
Deep Energy Retrofits Using Energy Savings Performance Contracts: Success Stories
Energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) have become a key mechanism for energy efficiency upgrades in recent years, with the federal market now exceeding $1 billion in gross annual revenue. ESPCs allow federal agencies to partner with an energy service company (ESCO) in order to complete energy savings projects without upfront…
Practice Guide: The Path to a Deep Energy Retrofit Using an Energy Savings Performance Contract
Seven key steps will help owners reach deeper energy savings through Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs). ESPCs are partnerships between a Federal agency and an energy service company (ESCO) that allow federal agencies to complete energy-savings projects without upfront capital costs or special Congressional appropriations.