The U.S is generally not on the forefront of setting energy efficient benchmarks or passing them especially with all the special interests doing all they can to be seen and heard through their lobbyists. However, the seat of our government is leading the way in the country by passing energy benchmarking rules with a committed effort to meeting those benchmarks.
In this piece, I present 3 ways in which Washington DC is trailblazing energy efficiency and how other states can improve their energy benchmarking initiatives.
Source: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/beyond-benchmarking-5-ways-washington-d.c.-is-leading-in-energy-efficiency
Setting the Benchmark Washington, DC takes the lead in requiring both private and public buildings to disclose their energy performance. A disclosure of energy performance of a building does not necessarily translate into energy efficiency, but studies suggest that the performance tests can go a long way in showing areas that need improvement for energy efficiency.
The study even suggests that benchmarking for energy performance can reduce energy use by 7% on the first run. One of the measurable effects of the benchmarking is that Washington, DC, occupies second place behind Los Angeles for the state with the highest number of Energy Star-Certified buildings per capital. Vision 20-20 Washington, DC, also leads with its vision 20-20 goal that seeks to reduce the energy use in 15-million square feet municipal facilities by 20 percent in 20 months.
The project, which is about halfway through is really a daring project with lots of challenges. However, the challenges are only part of what makes the goal worthy of the efforts. The major gain of the 20-20 goal is the that it reduces state expenses in utility bills while also yielding valuable data that can provide insight into energy consumption in the municipality for the smart grid of tomorrow. Catch Them Young Getting students involved in the energy conservation initiative is a laudable goal that pays huge dividend in both short and long terms.
In the short term, schools reduce their expenses on paying utility bills when you consider the fact that K-12 schools in Washington use 9 percent more energy than the national average for schools. However, the major gain of the initiative is values being instilled in the students such that they become supporters of energy efficiency, as they grow older. Final Thoughts. . .
Other states can learn a lesson or two by setting benchmark rules in requiring buildings to disclose their energy performance. Reducing energy consumption in government buildings can stretch budget dollars longer in reducing utility costs; yet, the more important benefit is the data that would be gathered over the course of the years.
Getting students involved in the energy efficiency conservation is a good way to guarantee the sustainability of improvements in energy efficiency.