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Existing Building Retrofits

Introduction

A building doesn’t have to be new to be green. Today’s building owners are retrofitting buildings, converting existing buildings into models of sustainability.  They are using new financing tools such as performance contracting to minimize financial risk and maximize energy savings.  With an emphasis on “whole building” rather than piecemeal approaches, existing buildings can significantly lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while producing financial rewards for owners.

Articles
New BPIE Report on Nearly Zero Energy Buildings for Europe

New BPIE Report on Nearly Zero Energy Buildings for Europe

The Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) has produced a new report on nearly zero energy buildings in cooperation with a team of consultants and researchers from Ecofys Germany and the Danish Building Research Institute. This 124-page paper is now available.

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A Roadmap to Net Zero Energy Commercial Buildings

A Roadmap to Net Zero Energy Commercial Buildings

It will be challenging – but it may become economically and technically feasible – to achieve net zero energy in a variety of new and existing commercial buildings by 2030. The basic steps are clear: make the building as energy efficient as possible through integrated design and the use of energy-saving technologies, add renewable energy on site and through the electrical grid, and ensure optimal building performance over time.

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New BPIE Report Provides Data on European Buildings

New BPIE Report Provides Data on European Buildings

For years there has been a need for better data on energy performance and other characteristics of buildings in Europe. Now “Europe’s Buildings Under The Microscope,” a report from the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), provides data on residential and nonresidential buildings covering 29 countries.

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DEEP Program Creates Incentives for Whole-Building Retrofits

DEEP Program Creates Incentives for Whole-Building Retrofits

Today’s energy efficiency incentives from utilities and governments support single measures and technologies and do little to encourage complete building retrofits that save much more energy. Under a proposed Deep Energy Efficiency Pays (DEEP) program, utilities could offer incentives based on the measured performance of entire commercial, institutional and industrial buildings. The program would benefit all three key groups of stakeholders: utilities, building owners, and third-party efficiency service providers.

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High-Performance Tenant Build-out: Timely Investment in Efficiency

High-Performance Tenant Build-out: Timely Investment in Efficiency

A tenant build-out is an opportune time to invest in improvements that make the space more energy efficient. A “high-performance” buildout can help tenants meet both business and sustainability goals. This primer provides guidance for the steps a tenant can take to implement their own high performance build-out.

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Proposal for a New Energy Efficiency Directive for the European Union

Proposal for a New Energy Efficiency Directive for the European Union

The European Commission recently proposed a new framework directive on energy efficiency for the European Union (EU).This fact sheet outlines some of the main elements of the proposal, which will be subject to negotiation and voting by representatives of EU Member States and by the European Parliament over the course of 2011-2012.

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Financing Energy Efficiency in Existing Building Retrofits and International Policy

Financing Energy Efficiency in Existing Building Retrofits and International Policy

Energy efficiency policy in recent years has returned to the full attention of Governments as the financial crisis forces focus on cost efficiency measures to help building owners save and reduce emissions. In a recent paper developed by the Climate Strategy & Partners Group, policy initiatives underway in the U.S., U.K. and Spain are explored.

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Can More “Usable” Thermostats Save More Energy in Small Buildings?

Can More “Usable” Thermostats Save More Energy in Small Buildings?

Many small commercial buildings use programmable thermostats, which many users find difficult to operate – negating intended energy savings. This study compared five common models of thermostats and found wide differences in the steps needed to complete six basic tasks. The results point the way to design features that could improve usability.

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Productivity Gains from Energy Efficiency

Productivity Gains from Energy Efficiency

Improving the energy efficiency of a building can result in gains in worker productivity in addition to generating energy cost savings.

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Data Matters: Importance of the U.S. CBEC Survey

Data Matters: Importance of the U.S. CBEC Survey

The move toward greater energy efficiency in buildings depends in part on good and timely energy-usage data. Now, the U.S. Department of Energy has suspended work on the 32-year-old Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey, an important source of data that has impacts on policymaking, building rating and labeling systems, and building owners’ and renters’ market-based decisions.

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IBE Participates in “ISO 50001: Energy Management Standard” Panel

IBE Participates in “ISO 50001: Energy Management Standard” Panel

Institute for Building Efficiency staff member Kelly Smith took part in a GreenBiz webinar, “ISO 50001: Preparing for the New Energy Management Standard.” Smith and two other panelists discussed the upcoming ISO 50001 global energy management standard and how organizations can benefit from continuous energy improvement.

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Barriers & Opportunities: Experts Explore Expansion of Energy Efficiency and EPC in Europe

Barriers & Opportunities: Experts Explore Expansion of Energy Efficiency and EPC in Europe

Energy performance contracting (EPC) in Europe’s public sector is limited by agencies’ annual budgets and other factors including lack of staff expertise, uncertainty about the EPC model, and lack of technical support for smaller municipalities. EU experts in an April 12 workshop sponsored by the Institute for Building Efficiency offered their insights and ideas on helping public-sector EPC reach its full potential.

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Building Efficiency Retrofits in Europe: Exploring Barriers and How to Break Them Down

Building Efficiency Retrofits in Europe: Exploring Barriers and How to Break Them Down

Building efficiency is widely acknowledged as a high-potential and cost-effective means to increase Europe’s energy security, reduce carbon emissions, and create jobs. The Institute for Building Efficiency reports findings from original research on barriers to energy retrofits and energy performance contracting in public-sector buildings, and recommends ways to remove them.

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Unlocking Energy Performance Contracting in India: Encouraging Growth in ESCOs

Unlocking Energy Performance Contracting in India: Encouraging Growth in ESCOs

Energy efficiency in India is emerging as an important resource to support sustainable development and equitable growth. Buildings provide substantial energy-saving opportunities, but the market for building efficiency remains relatively small. Keys to growth in that market include development of energy service companies and uniform processes for energy performance contracting.

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Microsoft White Paper: The Central Role of Cloud Computing in Making Cities Energy-Smart

Microsoft White Paper: The Central Role of Cloud Computing in Making Cities Energy-Smart

Cities are home to more than half of people in the world today, and will be home to nearly 70% of our population by 2050. As such, cities that are economically and environmentally sustainable are critical to achieving the sustainability of our society as a whole. Cities that are designed and operated to be energy-efficient have the potential to be one of the most effective means to this end. This whitepaper explores how the integration of information technology can advance and accelerate the evolution to energy-efficient cities that provide economic growth and quality of life for generations to come.

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Interview with Mark Modera: Toward Super-Efficient Cooling Systems for Dry Western Climates

Interview with Mark Modera: Toward Super-Efficient Cooling Systems for Dry Western Climates

Space cooling is a major challenge in the dry climate of the western U.S. The Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC) at the University of California, Davis aims to develop breakthrough air conditioning technologies that meet local climate challenges and further California policy goals related to energy and greenhouse gas emissions. Director Mark Modera talked about the WCEC and its agenda in an interview with the Institute for Building Efficiency.

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Energy Performance Requirements for European Buildings: Cost Optimality

Energy Performance Requirements for European Buildings: Cost Optimality

As policymakers seek minimum building energy performance requirements across all countries in the European Union, one key goal is to construct those requirements in a cost-optimal (most affordable) way. However, cost-optimality cannot be the sole basis. Rather, costs for energy efficiency must be considered alongside investments in other components of a low-carbon energy system, such renewable energy and “smart grid” technology.

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Rocky Mountain Institute Launches Online Resource

Rocky Mountain Institute Launches Online Resource

RetroFit Depot helps building owners, managers and service providers cost-effectively undertake deep energy efficiency retrofits. The site includes best practices, case studies and software tools for successful projects.

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Institute for Building Efficiency Joins European BUILD UP Initiative

Institute for Building Efficiency Joins European BUILD UP Initiative

A new partnership with European Commission’s BUILD UP initiative enables the IBE to access building energy efficiency best practices and success stories from Europe as well as share original news, resources and case studies with the European community. BUILD UP is an interactive web portal for building professionals, public authorities and building occupants who want to share their experiences on how best save energy in buildings.

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BuildingRating.org: A Global Resource for Ranking Energy Performance

BuildingRating.org: A Global Resource for Ranking Energy Performance

BuildingRating.org provides a one-stop online source for the latest updated information on energy rating programs, policies and analysis.

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ARPA-E: Toward Game-Changing Technologies in Energy Efficiency (Podcast)

ARPA-E: Toward Game-Changing Technologies in Energy Efficiency (Podcast)

Program Director of Building Energy Efficiency through Innovative Thermal Devices, Dr. Ravi Prasher, speaks with IBE’s Kelly Smith on the government’s advancements in technology for buildings.

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Achieving Energy Efficiency: Interview with Clay Nesler

Achieving Energy Efficiency: Interview with Clay Nesler

VP Global Energy & Sustainability for Johnson Controls, Clay Nesler speak to the need to expand the scope of building retrofits, increase scale and financing, the importance of measuring and demonstrating value and other perspectives on trends around the world.

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Allocating Capital for Energy Efficiency in Corporate Budgets

Allocating Capital for Energy Efficiency in Corporate Budgets

Decades of experience show that investments in energy efficiency projects in buildings carry low risks and bring a strong return on investment, especially when undertaken in energy savings performance contracts. Now is an opportune time to invest in energy efficiency to save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and demonstrate environmental responsibility.

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Trust but Verify – M&V: The Key to Monetizing Energy Efficiency Improvements

Trust but Verify – M&V: The Key to Monetizing Energy Efficiency Improvements

Measurement and verification means different things to different stakeholders, and the challenge is to find a way to measure savings on which all parties can agree. As energy reductions play a larger role, rigorous M&V is the key to quantifying reductions in energy usage from efficiency programs and projects.

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Virtuous Circle: Frequent Monitoring Correlates With Stronger Energy Management

Virtuous Circle: Frequent Monitoring Correlates With Stronger Energy Management

A global survey of facilities decision makers found organizations that measure energy usage at least weekly are about twice as active in energy efficiency as those that monitor monthly or less often. Those that monitored frequently made more energy improvements and planned to invest more and save more through efficiency.

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Energy Performance Contracting in the EU, Part 2

Energy Performance Contracting in the EU, Part 2

Performance contracting has been used in the EU since the 1980s, yet the market remains underdeveloped. In Part 2 of this issue brief, we further explore the definitions, processes and contracts surrounding EPC in the European Union.

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From Barriers to Benefits: Energy Performance Contracting in the European Union

From Barriers to Benefits: Energy Performance Contracting in the European Union

Performance contracting has been used in the EU since the 1980s, yet the market remains underdeveloped. Barriers such as lack of awareness, policy and support, hinder the EU’s progress to reducing the operating costs and environmental impacts of buildings.

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Changing Culture: The Behavior-Based Approach to Energy Efficiency

Changing Culture: The Behavior-Based Approach to Energy Efficiency

In an interview with Dian Grueneich, Commissioner of the CPUC and the driving force behind California’s Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan, we explore how behavior-based efficiency programs will impact the goals of California utilities over the next three years.

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Why Focus on Existing Buildings?

Why Focus on Existing Buildings?

Each year, energy use by commercial buildings around the world results in several hundred million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing the efficiency of existing buildings through building retrofitting represents a high-volume, low-cost approach to cutting carbon.

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Energy Performance Contracting, a Key to Unlocking Capital for Efficiency Retrofits

Energy Performance Contracting, a Key to Unlocking Capital for Efficiency Retrofits

Energy efficiency improvements are often stuck at the starting gate for lack of capital. Energy performance contracting can help overcome financial hurdles and reassure owners by providing a guaranteed return on investment.

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Whole Building Retrofits: Reaching Deeper Levels of Efficiency

Whole Building Retrofits: Reaching Deeper Levels of Efficiency

For decades, building owners have pursued energy efficiency in “bite-sized” pieces—one burned out boiler or expired chiller at a time. In recent years, whole building retrofits have been catching on as a way to achieve deeper levels of energy efficiency. These retrofits represent a “systems thinking” approach that promises greater efficiency and bigger paybacks.

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Optimizing Energy Efficiency Across a Portfolio of Buildings

Optimizing Energy Efficiency Across a Portfolio of Buildings

For many building owners, the challenge is not just to dial down energy use in a single building, but to improve efficiency across an array of buildings--each with a distinct history and context. Establishing energy efficient building systems across a portfolio requires consideration of both a building’s unique characteristics and strategies that work across buildings.

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Resources & Tools
Existing Building Retrofits Overview


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