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Real Estate Journal — Fall Preview — September 25 - October 15, 2015 — 15C
M id A tlantic
E nergy E fficiency
By William Amann, PE, DCEP, LEED AP, M&E Engineers, Inc. Getting serious about energy efficiency
T
here have been lots of articles and talk about energy efficiency, but
creating jobs. The proposed revisions to the legislation will make it easier to use private financing instead of municipal bonds, and promises to attract a lot of private investment. Delaware and Pennsylva- nia are both still using the 2009 IECC/ASHRAE 90.1- 2007 for now. Virginia had already adopted the 2012 IECC/ASHRAE 90.1-2010, so they have been a little ahead of the game. Meanwhile in New York, besides the many efficiency initiatives offered by NYSER- DA, the REV4NY (Reforming
to provide natural light; and that vestibules or revolving doors are now required at most building entrances to reduce infiltration. The new requirements should make buildings approximately 12% more efficient than the previ- ous requirements, which were based on the 2007 Standard. Another analysis shows that for an additional $1.45 per square foot investment in new building efficiency measures, the net life cycle cost savings range from $3 to $6 per square foot. Financing energy efficiency
would get a lot easier in NJ if Governor Christie signs the PACE update bill on his desk. PACE (Property-Assessed Clean Energy) allows build- ing owners (or tenants) to pay for energy conservation and solar energy systems with property taxes. Because the term matches the life of the measure (generally 20 years) while energy costs are simul- taneously lower, this method provides the PACE consumer with net cash gains. This pro- gram has been a proven suc- cess in Connecticut and other states; reducing costs and
the Energy Vision) Exchange is the official conference and demonstration exhibition sup- ported by New York State to explore how new business models and partnerships can drive scale in the clean en- ergy economy. The goal is to develop clean, resilient and af- fordable energy systems. The September 24-25th conference in NYC was sold out. So it seems a lot is finally happen- ing after all the talk. Wi l l iam Amann, PE, DCEP, LEED AP is presi- dent of M&E Engineers, Inc. n
t h e r e a l - ity has been that a rela- tively small percentage of new build- i n g s ha v e actually in- cluded sig- nificant en-
William Amann
ergy conservation measures; and an equally small percent- age of existing buildings have undergone deep energy retro- fits. This year though we seem to have passed several mile- stones that will require the industry to get serious. The bar is steadily being raised for the minimum energy ef- ficiency code requirements, and government agencies are working with the industry to find new and creative ways to push the envelope. In July the Maryland Public Service Commission enacted an efficiency portfolio stan- dard that requires the elec- tric utilities to offset 2% of their total energy production with efficiency measures by 2020. The goal puts Maryland alongside Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont as a national leader in terms of efficiency goals. The Maryland regulators found the lifecycle cost of a Kwh for efficiency was 2.6 cents, significantly lower than utility power rates which range from 6.2 cents to 9.3 cents/kWh. “For ratepay- ers across the state, it contin- ues to be less costly to invest in energy efficiency than it is to pay for electricity,” the commission said. Previously, Maryland only considered the monetary costs of a program versus its avoided costs. In this analysis, the state also took into account health and environmental benefits using the Societal Cost test. This approach lets Maryland regu- lators fairly estimate both the direct and indirect costs and benefits of greater energy ef- ficiency. New Jersey has just ad- opted the 2015 codes, which Maryland adopted back in January. This includes the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which is based on the 2013 version of ASHRAE Standard 90.1. Many will be surprised to find out that skylights are now required in many spaces
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