Linking big buildings to the grid: a gold mine for energy efficiency

By Doug Peeples

SGN News Editor

Commercial and industrial buildings suck up about 40% of U.S. electricity output. So it's a bit of a surprise that the building efficiency concept — and that includes commercial, industrial and residential buildings — took so long to heat up. But it is – finally – and what an obvious gold mine.

This is far from a comprehensive exploration of all things building efficiency. We just wanted to round up some of the innovations and projects that show what can happen by working with what you have.

First some things to think about:

·         What's the big deal? According to The Cleantech Group, energy efficiency will overtake solar as a top investment target in 2010 and commercial and industrial buildings are a major focus. Why? Lower investment costs, financial incentives and faster payback.

·         What's the government doing about it? The Energy Department is spending millions and millions of dollars on programs to improve building design with more efficient building components, systems and models for both existing building retrofits and new construction. DOE also is whipping out its checkbook for cool new energy efficiency technologies and worker training.

·         Who's in the building efficiency game these days? Companies big and small, old and brand new. Some are going it on their own and many are partnering and acquiring: big companies with huge global footprints but little direct experience snatch up the young technology innovators. Here's a sampling of the companies involved: Siemens, GE, IBM, Schneider Electric, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, Echelon, EnerNOC, SAP, Oracle. The list goes on.

Building efficiency projects and what they're about

Chicago office buildings = virtual generator: Chicago's Building Owners and Managers Association and an unlikely collection of partners are working on using about 260 downtown office buildings as virtual generators to better manage energy use and cut energy costs. The pilot program is said to be the country's first. BOMA/Chicago applied for — and didn't get — a $92.7 million Smart Grid Investment Grant, but decided to soldier on with the $185.4 million project without it.

Schneider Electric goes virtual too: French giant Schneider Electric was able to save 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour with the company's new virtual power plant installation in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Schneider covers the upfront costs in return for later sharing in revenues from the energy savings.

Downtown Charlotte gets green with Duke Energy and Cisco: Charlotte Center City Partners, a local economic and cultural development group, Duke Energy and Cisco are collaborating on a program to cut energy use in downtown core buildings by up to 20% by 2016. The project will involve about 60 buildings and the energy efficiency tools will be smart grid and building automation technologies, unique energy tracking tools and help for office workers in reducing their energy use.

USPS locations get energy efficiency makeover: Surprise, the postal service wants to be green, too. Smart energy solutions provider Gridpoint will install its advanced monitoring and control systems in up to 2,250 postal service locations throughout the country. The postal service wants to cut its facility energy use by 30% by 2015.

Utilities are doing it too: American Electric Power, one of the country's biggest utilities, won EPA's Energy Star status by cutting energy use almost 16% from its 2007 level at its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters. Updated technologies, more efficient HVAC equipment, a reflective and more contributed to AEP's reduction.

Of course, there are many more such projects on the drawing board and underway, and more to come as building efficiency gets more recognition as a practical way to save energy and money and cut emissions. Let us know using the comment form below if you know about or are involved in an innovative energy efficiency project.