Resources - Smart Buildings Center

SBC Clean Buildings Performance Standard Technical Assistance Helpdesk

August 30, 2022 By SBC staff

Do you wonder what the Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard is about or don’t know where to start to bring your building into compliance?

The Smart Buildings Center’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard Technical Assistance Helpdesk offers support to building owners, managers, and facility personnel responsible for their building’s compliance with the Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard.

The utility-sponsored helpdesk offers:

Free one-on-one coaching during office hours via phone, virtual meetings, and email
A resource webpage including training videos
A searchable table for Qualified Persons and Qualified Energy Auditors
FAQs

For more information and to schedule a consultation, please visit https://smartbuildingscenter.org/resources/clean-buildings-performance-standard/

Thank you to our sponsors!

Upcoming Lighting Design Lab Courses

August 30, 2022 By SBC staff

Light Sources and Luminaires
Thu, Sep 15 | 10am-noon | FREE
Participants will learn the major characteristics of modern LED light sources and luminaires and how to effectively select and specify them for projects. This class will be suitable for newer lighting practitioners including designers, contractors, architects, engineers, building operators, sales people, and those seeking to update their knowledge and skills.
https://www.lightingdesignlab.com/education/event/light-sources-and-luminaires

Lighting Audits & Retrofits
Thu, Sep 22 | 10am-noon | FREE
Attendees of this class will gain access to tools to assist them on a variety of lighting upgrades projects.
https://www.lightingdesignlab.com/education/event/lighting-audits-and-retrofits

Electrification of the Built Environment – Day 1
Tue, Sep 27 | 10am-noon | FREE
DAY 1 OF 2. This class presents an overview of building electrification in residential and commercial settings. Attendees will explore various avenues that work toward electrification goals including heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and electrification. Challenges to electrification and ways to overcome them will also be examined.
https://www.lightingdesignlab.com/education/event/electrification-built-environment-day-1

Electrification of the Built Environment – Day 2
Thu, Sep 29 | 10am-noon | FREE
DAY 2 OF 2. This class presents an overview of building electrification in residential and commercial settings. Attendees will explore various avenues that work toward electrification goals including heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and electrification. Challenges to electrification and ways to overcome them will also be examined.
https://www.lightingdesignlab.com/education/event/electrification-built-environment-day-2

Online Open House: Seattle Building Performance Standards Draft Policy Framework, June 16th at 12pm

June 6, 2022 By SBC staff

Join the Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) for an online open house about potential Seattle Building Performance Standards (BPS) regulations — a powerful tool to reduce climate pollution and transition toward cleaner, healthier buildings where we live and work.

Participate in the open house for an update on work to date and highlights of stakeholder feedback received.

OSE will share the draft BPS policy framework for the legislation, the policy timeline, and take comments and questions. This 2nd open house is a follow-up to the April 5th event (visit link below for recording and summary).

Date: June 16, 2022 from 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Location: Online via Zoom
More information and pre-register here: www.seattle.gov/building-performance-standards
Questions: [email protected]

Performance standards are the single most impactful building policy the City can implement in the next few years and are projected to reduce building sector emissions 27% by 2050. This policy would gradually phase out carbon pollution from existing nonresidential and multifamily buildings over 20,000 sq. ft. through mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets beginning 2026 for the largest nonresidential buildings. Targets would become more stringent over time, to net-zero GHG emissions by 2045. Register for the open house at: www.seattle.gov/building-performance-standards

New Resources: Understanding Your Building’s Path to Carbon Neutral

May 23, 2022 By SBC staff

Buildings are one of the largest and fastest growing sources of climate pollution in Seattle, responsible for more than one-third of our greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions pollute our air, accelerate climate change, and harm people’s health and the environment, disproportionately impacting communities of color and people with lower incomes. Many U.S. cities, including Seattle, are developing Building Performance Standards (BPS) that set long term targets on climate-polluting emissions from buildings. To help building owners get started, the City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment has developed new case studies, most of which include cost estimates. View the case studies here.

Tool Lending Library Case Study – Hospital Electricity Use

April 13, 2022 By SBC staff

Photo credits: Walt Vernon, Mazzetti/2020

The Smart Buildings Center Tool Lending Library supported a yearlong project led by Mazzetti, a health care engineering, planning, and design firm, to study electricity use at eight hospitals across the country.

During the pandemic, Mazzetti, on behalf of the Fire Protection Research Foundation, studied electrical demand in hospitals. Although the study initially planned to look at electrical loads in multiple occupancies, after the pandemic started, Mazzetti realized there was a unique opportunity—for the first time in a hundred years, since the 1918 flu pandemic—to look at electrical loads in hospitals during a pandemic.

Mazzetti borrowed Fluke 1730 3 Phase Logging Power Meters from the Tool Lending Library to measure electrical loads at hospital panels. These meters were installed at hospital panels and helped in conducting a robust study.

Read the full case study

Better Buildings Top 10 Solutions for April

April 13, 2022 By SBC staff

The top 10 most-viewed resources on the Better Buildings Solution Center from the past month feature strategies for low carbon technologies, clean energy access in low-income communities, project financing, and more. This list also highlights solutions from partners New York City Housing Authority, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Ford Motor Company. Check out this month’s line up!

1. Low Carbon Technology Strategies Toolkit

To help building owners and operators reduce carbon emissions, this toolkit offers guidance on how to achieve deep carbon reductions in existing buildings with a primary focus on retrofits and operational strategies. Low carbon technology strategies are currently available for 10 building types, with a supplement for commercial kitchen equipment. Recommendations are grouped by technology, with actions categorized as either simple, intermediate, or advanced. Read more.

2. Clean Energy for Low-Income Communities (CELICA) Toolkit

Low-income households spend about 8% of their income on energy costs, three times more than average. Better Buildings Accelerator partners committed $335 million to help 155,000 low-income households access energy efficiency and renewable energy benefits, collecting resources and lessons learned into the CELICA Toolkit. The toolkit includes a guide to program development and replicable program models for single-family and multifamily housing, as well as community solar. Read more.

3. Smart Energy Analytics Campaign Toolkit

With analytic software applied to everyday building operations, owners are using data to their advantage and realizing cost savings through improved energy management. This toolkit collects the best resources from DOE’s Smart Energy Analytics Campaign to help facility owners and managers take advantage of savings opportunities and performance improvements from energy management information systems (EMIS) and ongoing monitoring practices. Read more.

4. Green Revolving Funds Toolkit

This collection of solutions provides guidance on establishing a green revolving fund to overcome a lack of dedicated capital. A green revolving fund is an internal capital pool dedicated to funding energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability projects that generate cost savings. A portion of those savings is then used to replenish the fund, establishing an ongoing funding vehicle to help drive energy efficiency and sustainability investment over time. Read more.

5. Showcase Project: New York City Housing Authority: 344 East 28th Street

To address energy challenges faced at its 344 East 28th Street multifamily apartment complex, Better Buildings Challenge partner New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) conducted an extensive lighting, heating, and hot-water modernization project. Energy-efficient upgrades made to these building systems, as well as NYCHA’s first-ever deployment of renewable technologies, resulted in nearly 40% annual energy savings and nearly $114,000 in cost savings. Read more.

6. Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) Toolkit

This collection of resources enables state and local communities to benefit from the experience of partners who have successfully established and implemented performance contracting. It includes best practices and innovative approaches that states, cities, and K-12 schools have used. Users can easily find the information they need at each stage of their ESPC decision-making process. Read more.

7. High-Efficiency RTU Replacement Toolkit

This toolkit helps HVAC contractors and service companies work with their customers through a step-by-step process of evaluating and managing their inventory of rooftop units (RTUs) and how to evaluate the business case for high-efficiency replacements. From an incentives database to a comparison calculator, the toolkit provides everything needed to make an informed decision regarding RTU replacements. Read more.

8. IHG Hotels & Resorts Green Engage™ Program

IHG Hotels and Resorts, a Better Buildings Alliance partner, created the IHG Green Engage™ system as a comprehensive online sustainability platform. It allows hotels to track, measure, and report on their carbon footprint and utility consumption. With over 200 Green Solutions, including detailed action plans, guidance, and case studies, Green Engage can help hotels avoid up to $67 million in utility costs while significantly reducing their carbon footprint. Read more.

9. Engaging Tenants in Energy Efficiency Toolkit

Building occupants can control up to 80% of energy use in a commercial building. Tenant engagement in energy efficiency initiatives is crucial to unlocking the full energy savings potential. This toolkit outlines successful strategies and resources for bridging the tenant-landlord divide through green leasing guidance, tenant improvement and build-out best practices, and examples of successful communication with tenants regarding energy efficiency opportunities. Read more.

10. Ford Motor Company: Dearborn Campus Uses a Digital Twin Tool for Energy Plant Management

A digital twin is the virtual representation of an object or system across its life cycle that helps operators quickly identify problems. Better Plants partner Ford Motor Company is using a digital twin of the new central energy plant (CEP) at its Dearborn Research and Engineering Campus, which is projected to reduce campus energy and water use by 50%. The digital model helps the Ford team manage potential risks by monitoring functions across the CEP and providing real-time data for increased visibility and more efficient operations. Read more.

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