DOE invites Building Owners to Join Commercial Building Partnerships

As part of an ongoing effort to reduce energy use in new and existing commercial buildings, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites commercial building owners, operators, and technical experts to join its Commercial Building Partnerships (CBP) initiative.

(www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/commercial_initiative/building_partnerships.html) Three DOE national laboratories—Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)—will manage this new effort, which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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In support of this new CBP initiative, the national laboratories will issue two new opportunities for commercial businesses in mid-April 2010. Specifically, they are seeking:

•    Commercial building owners and operators constructing new buildings or retrofitting existing buildings that are significantly more energy-efficient than the current building stock

•    Technical Expert Teams and Measurement and Verification Technical Contractors to assist with CBP. At a minimum, Technical Expert Teams will include architectural, HVAC and controls, daylighting, lighting, energy modeling, building auditing and data collection, cost estimation, and commissioning expertise.

CBP accelerates the deployment of energy efficiency measures by teaming commercial building owners and operators (Participants) with laboratory researchers and private-sector technical experts to provide technical expertise to Participants in the design, construction, and validation of low-energy building designs. Participants benefit by learning about cost-effective energy saving measures that they can apply across their extensive building portfolios. Bringing private-sector consultants into the process to assist Participants further increases the likelihood that the energy efficiency measures and strategies used in CBP projects will move into the marketplace quickly and cost effectively.

In addition, each CBP building project will be documented in publicly available case studies. This detailed documentation will make it straightforward for building owners and operators outside of the CBP initiative to benefit from the work.

Here are the details for building owners, building operators, and technical experts interested in getting involved with CBP.

Call for Energy-Efficient Commercial Building Projects

Commercial building owners and operators can submit planned new or retrofit commercial building projects that will achieve significant energy savings by responding to the Call for Projects. Successful respondents will work with researchers at the national laboratories and with private-sector technical experts under contract to the national laboratories to achieve energy goals. Participants will receive no direct funding, but will have access to the technical expertise of both national laboratory personnel and private-sector consultants.

An online application is expected to be available at www.nrel.gov/cbp on April 19, 2010, and completed applications will be due by May 10, 2010. Those interested in applying are urged to begin considering planned building projects to submit. Note that this is a competitive process and not all projects will be selected.

Learn more about Commercial Building Partnerships and this new opportunity.www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/commercial_initiative/building_partnerships.html

Green Fannie Mae Data Center Has Saved Millions of Dollars in Energy Costs

Greener Buildings provided interesting coverage of the energy savings realized by a Fannie Mae Data Center.It is important to continue to look at just not the potential of new building projects but also actual performance numbers of existing buildings.

"With Earth Day around the corner, companies and organizations of all kinds are highlighting green achievements large and small. And mortgage company Fannie Mae is taking the opportunity to provide a look at the impacts of its green data center.Fannie Mae's 247,000 square foot data center was the first such facility certified by the U.S. Green Building Council to earn the LEED rating, back in 2005. In the ensuing years, the data center has saved the agency $1.7 million in energy use.

According to an article in TechTarget published at the time of the data center's launch:

    All of the mechanical, electrical and computer systems were selected for maximum energy efficiency, as well as lighting systems. The data center is expected to operate at a maximum of 125 watts per square foot.

    Other green strategies included putting catalytic converters on the backup power diesel generators, as well as minimizing the footprint of the data center.

    And while certifying a green facility can be an expensive process, Fannie Mae expects to save on operations and maintenance costs.

    "The Urbana Technology Center's LEED certification will translate into significant lifecycle savings, while providing our employees with a healthier, more comfortable work environment. It also allows us to be a good neighbor within the local community," Brian Cobb, Fannie Mae's senior vice president for enterprise systems management, said in a statement.

    The LEED standards cover more than just electrical efficiency, though. The UTC features recycled materials, low emission paints and carpeting, as well as sustainable landscaping features.Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/04/20/five-years-first-leed-data-center-has-saved-millions?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenerBuildings+%28GreenBiz.com+%7C+Buildings%29#ixzz0lk2QODTh

Sponsor: Redbird LED is an designer and distributor of energy efficient LED Tube lighting that can provide commercial building owners with energy savings of between 30 and 60%. For more information please visit their website www.commercialledretrofits.com

Lighting Retrofit Saves Energy Costs for Commercial Building Owners

Save energy and money by retrofitting your lighting

A hot topic among facility and energy managers today is lighting retrofitting.

Most commercial and industrial buildings have lighting selected for its relatively low capital cost – high intensity discharge (HID) fixtures that use metal halide (white light) or high-pressure sodium (yellow light) lamps. And while these lamps may meet your lighting needs, they're driving up your energy consumption and your electric bill.

Jackson EMC's Commercial & Industrial Marketing team has worked with a number of customers to analyze their lighting needs and make recommendations to save them money and energy. Retrofits using fluorescent technologies reduce lighting energy consumption (kWh) and lighting demand (kW) as much as 50 percent.

"Each type of space has different requirements for lighting, and one technology will not be suitable for every application; however Jackson EMC members have had great success replacing their HID fixtures for fluorescent fixtures using 4 or 6 lamp T8 or T5 lamps and electronic ballasts," says Commercial/Industrial Engineer Mark Zoller.

Zoller recently worked with Turnils North America in Suwanee, a manufacturer of high-end, custom order window covering and treatment systems, on a lighting retrofit project.

"The 40-45 percent monthly kWh savings has been excellent," says Operations Manager David Mitchell. "The light levels have been dramatically improved, making a safer working environment, and the warehouse is much quieter now without the constant hum of HID ballasts. Turnils North America is planning on making our Suwanee headquarters the model for energy savings for other locations across the country."

How much energy can you save? "The simple payback of a lighting retrofit depends on the price of new equipment, hours of operation, lighting controls and cost of electric service per kilowatt-hour. All of these parameters are unique to each facility, but common payback periods for HID to fluorescent lighting retrofits are 1-3 years with incentives," Zoller says.

While Jackson EMC doesn't offer retrofit incentives, the cost of the lighting retrofit is now more affordable with state tax credits and federal tax deductions. The state corporate tax credit (available until 12/31/2012) is $0.60 per square foot of building space capped at $100,000. Refer to O.C.G. § 48-7-29.14  and the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) for more details. The federal tax deduction is $0.60 per square foot of warehouse/manufacturing floor space for lighting reduced by 50 percent over AHSRAE 90.1 standard. Visit www.lightingtaxdeduction.org for more details.

But will you be sacrificing lighting quality for these savings? "Actually, though the amount of light you get per Watt of power will generally be about the same for both modern fluorescent lamps and modern HID lamps, fluorescent lamps have a higher Color Rendering Index (CRI) which improves the quality of light and is perceived to be brighter," Zoller notes.

And while both technologies are rated for about 20,000 hours of operation, you'll get higher quality lighting for a longer period because HID lamps have significantly higher light depreciation versus fluorescent lamps.

For more information, go to www.jacksonemc.com/lighting.

Sponsor: Redbird LED an Atlanta based designer and manufacturer of LED Tube lights can save companies even more on their energy bills if they retrofit their buildings with the newer lighting technology- LED lighting. Thousands of companies have used LED Lights in their retrofit projects with great success. Savings average between 30-50 percent. For more information please visit www.ledretrofit.org.

Darden Restaurants Reducing Energy and Water Usage

Chain Store Age reports:

Darden Restaurants announced it has committed to reducing energy and water usage by 15% by the year 2015 in each of its 1,800 restaurants across North America.

The company also announced that it has joined the Sustainability Consortium, an independent organization of diverse global participants working collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability.

"Darden is committed to sustainability," said Ian Olson, director of sustainability for Darden. "Our business relies on a number of natural resources, and these goals are designed to help us be the best stewards of those resources that we can be. At the same time, our membership in the Sustainability Consortium will allow us to build on our efforts by combining our knowledge and insights with organizations in other fields, effectively multiplying our impact."

Darden has set goals to reduce per-restaurant energy and water use by 15% by 2015 and, long term, to send zero waste to landfills. To date, the company has implemented water-saving measures estimated to cut usage by 700,000 gallons per year in each of its restaurants; installed energy-efficient lighting in all kitchens; and implemented fixed "Power Up" schedules to help reduce energy consumption.

LED Lighting A Strong Investment for PowerSecure

PowerSecure International’s LED lighting business saw 700 percent revenue growth last year, despite the global downturn. Now the Wake Forest company that also makes smart-grid products for utilities wants more. It announced Tuesday a move to double down on solid-state lighting, acquiring two-thirds interest in commercial and industrial lighting designer Innovative Electronic Solutions Lighting. It also decided to buy the remaining one-third of EfficientLights that it doesn’t own.

LED Lights For Grocery Stores

PowerSecure's present LED lighting division, EfficientLights, sells to grocery stores. Revenue rose 700 percent last year.The transactions – valued together at $14.4 million – significantly expand the company’s bet on a market that CEO Sidney Hinton says will grow 50 percent in each of the next two years.

“Our first hand experience has confirmed to us that the demand for LED lighting is robust,” Hinton said on a conference call. “The opportunity for LED lighting is staggering.”

The company’s EfficientLights division currently serves the grocery-store market with LEDs for refrigerator cases. Hinton says expansion is underway. Customers have come seeking lights for drug and convenience store chains, he says.

Sponsor: Redbird LED is an Atlanta based designer and manufacturer of high quality LED tube lights for Grocery stores. LED Tube lights are especially suitable for refrigerated cases due to their superior performance in colder temperatures. For more information about the benefits of LED Lights in Grocery stores please visit their website www.groceryledlighting.com

Green Building Symposium In Atlanta to Feature LED Lighting Discussion

Georgia Interfaith Power & Light and Southeast Green are sponsoring a Green Building Symposium on May 8th at Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Fired up after Earth Day, but want to do more? This event will include over 15 speakers and a featured keynote address at lunch. Plus, find out how your church might qualify for some of the $400,000 GIPL received for energy efficiency programs in churches.

This forum, sponsored by GIPL and Southeast Green, will include two tracks of panel discussions with a focus on sustainable building practices, building maintenance, new buildings and energy conservation and efficiency .

Dr. David Gushee will be our keynote speaker discussing Faith, Ethics and the Environment. Dr. Gushee is a professor at Mercer Seminary and a nationally recognized figure for his role in environmental ethics.

Panelists Include:

Alexis Chase/Georgia Interfaith Power & Light
Jeff Dinkle/Sustainable Atlanta
Corey Arnold/Peachtree Pest Control
Tracy Yount/AECOM
John Noel/Energy and Environment LLC
Jeff Christiani/Red Bird LED Lighting
Aldan Hathaway/Sterling Planet
Carla Hathaway/Lights For Africa

To register fro the event-http://www.gipl.org/events.html

About Georgia Interfaith Power & Light- The Georgia chapter of Interfaith Power & Light was founded in 2003 by Rev. Woody Bartlett and Carol Bartlett.Georgia Interfaith Power & Light is hard at work developing ways for congregations to put their faith into action in caring for God's Creation. They work with faith communities to become active and responsible stewards of creation, with a focus on energy conservation. They offer an Energy Audit Pilot Program that provides concrete steps for congregations to take to increase their energy efficiency and use resources more responsibly. For more information please visit their website at www.gipl.org

About Southeast Green- A informative news source for green living and green Business in the Southeast. The mission of SoutheastGreen.com is to connect the business professional and consumer to the resources and services available in the Southeast. please visit their website at www.southeastgreen.com

Jeff Christiani of Redbird LED will be speaking on the many benefits of LED Lighting. Redbird LED is an Atlanta based designer, manufacturer and distributor of high quality LED Tube Lights that are offered at value pricing. Redbird LED is making LED lighting retrofits more affordable. Redbird LED has provided the host of the meeting location, Trinity Presbyterian Church with their new LED Tube lights. For more information on LED Tube lighting- www.ledtuberetrofits.com

Johnson Controls Offers Energy Retrofit Services and Tools

Johnson Controls offers a number of services that would be valuable for Facility Managers

"Energy efficiency retrofits optimize and modernize your facilities by introducing proven improvements that lower energy, operating and capital costs while simultaneously improving your indoor environments and reducing your impact on the outdoor environment. We align your facilities with your core business objectives.

We evaluate a wide array of systems, equipment and processes in order to identify energy and operational efficiency opportunities that will improve overall facility performance. We begin by addressing the two most common root causes of excessive costs: 1) aging, inefficient or misapplied building technologies; and, 2) undefined or poorly aligned service levels.

Typical improvements include enhancements to heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, lighting and electrical systems, controlsystems, motors and pumps, and eliminating leaks and waste. For example, most fan systems are oversize by 60% while chillers are
often 50-200% over sized."

For more information on their services please visit their website-http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/publish/us/en/products/building_efficiency/energy_efficiency/efficiency_strategies.html

Sponsor-LED Lighting Retrofit

For specific information on lighting retrofits and energy savings available from LED lighting please visit the website-www.commercialledretrofits.com. The website is sponsored by Redbird LED- a designer and manufacturer of value priced high quality LED Tube lights.