What’s It Worth? Comparing ways to value solar PV installations Investments that save energy can improve property value, but when it’s time to sell a building, the question remains: what is it worth? As solar photovoltaic (PV) systems gain popularity, appraisers need a standard way to determine the value they add to buildings. Best practices have begun to emerge. Three...
Retro-commissioning is a process to improve the efficiency of an existing building’s equipment and systems. It can often resolve problems that occurred during design or construction, or address problems that have developed throughout the building’s life as equipment has aged, or as building usage has changed.
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs use a senior lien property tax assessment process to finance renewable and energy efficiency upgrades for buildings. Most PACE programs require property owners to get consent from existing mortgage lender before starting PACE-funded improvements – and that has the potential to derail projects if lenders don’t consent.
The state of U.S. energy and the role of new technologies Building energy efficiency is making its mark in the current energy economy, according to a new report from...
Richard Graves Executive Director International Living Future Institute (ILFI),
By Clay Nesler Superstorm Sandy forced many people to abandon the homes, offices, schools, churches and stores in their community for extended periods of time and seek refuge. This extreme event placed a tragic burden on those affected and was a test on how well these buildings were designed and operated. The results were mixed. As we reflect on how well our buildings and energy systems met the...
By Clay Nesler There continue to be significant differences of opinion within our industry about the value and best approach for measuring and verifying energy savings in energy efficiency retrofit projects. These opinions range from the perspective that measurement and verification (M&V) is a tax (i.e., additional cost) on projects and should be minimized to an opposing viewpoint that...
Scott Muldavin Executive Director Green Building Finance Consortium Senior Advisor, Finance and Valuation Rocky Mountain Institute...
Doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement economywide has become an important global policy goal. For some, it is critical to improve economic productivity, for others, it slows the rate of carbon emissions, and for countries without enough power to meet growing populations, it frees resources to help ensure access to energy. Sustainable Energy for All,1 an initiative launched by the...
Jennivine Kwan Vice President, International Operations U.S. Green. Building Council (USGBC)