USA: Best Practices in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Commercial Buildings Cary Bloyd EGNRET-28 Tokyo, Japan January 2007

2 Presentation Overview US Department of Energy Activities EE/RE Building Certification Examples of Best Practices –Walmart –Oberlin College (Ohio) Environmental Studies Center Solar Decathlon

3 US Department of Energy Buildings Activities US DOE EE/RE buildings activities are through the Buildings Technology Program ( –The program works in partnership with the private sector, state and local governments, national laboratories, and universities The Buildings Technology Program has 8 program areas –Appliances & Equipment –Building America –Building Codes –Emerging Technologies –Energy Star –High Performance Buildings –Rebuild America –Zero Energy Building

4 EE/RE Building Certification- GREEN by Design The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ was developed by the US Green Building Council a and is an nationally accepted comprehensive EE/RE building certification program LEED is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings LEED covers new and existing buildings as well as building operation Projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification depending on the number of credits they achieve. a

5 The Private Sector is Taking a Leading Role in US Commercial Building EE/RE Implementation Wal-Mart has set a goal of 100% renewable energy –Largest US commercial energy user –Proposed activities would place approximately 100 MW of PV on 3,900 stores across five states (RFP’s have been developed) –Stated goal is to reduce GHG emissions by 20% in 8 years and design a store that will uses 30% less energy –Wal-Mart opened 100 new stores (many +200,000 sq.ft.) in January 2007 Google has already started construction on a 1.6 MW PV installation that will be the largest single PV instillation in the US –Systems will supply 30% of peak energy needs Microsoft has an existing 480 kw PV system at its California campus

6 Oberlin College (Ohio) Environmental Studies Center The Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies contains over 150 environmental sensors installed throughout the building and landscape Real time monitors of both energy generation (60 kw) and use are provided The Center was conceived as an integrated building-landscape system Water use is tracked and treated using a “Living Machine”

7 US DOE/EERE Solar Decathlon The Solar Decathlon is a competition in which 20 teams of college and university students compete to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house The Solar Decathlon takes place every two years with each team displaying its building on National Mall in Washington DC Financial support is available. For 2007, proposals were issued October 6, 2005 and were due December 2, The 2007 Solar Decathlon will be held in the Fall (Oct.-Nov.) 2007 Building are judged on 10 criteria: Architecture, engineering, market viability, communications, comfort zone, appliances, hot water, lighting, Energy balance, getting around

8 Houses from 2002 Solar Decathlon

9 Thank you for your attention!