Upgrading a chiller, installing a solar photovoltaic system, undertaking a deep whole-building retrofit—all these projects require large upfront investments and have long payback horizons even as they deliver operational savings. External funding and innovative finance may complement the use of internal capital or operating budgets to support investments. And increasingly, new metrics for value are reshaping the discussion from straight financial “return on investment” of a technology to new metrics on building asset value and achieving co-benefits such as improvements in productivity, environment, health, and resilience. Photo Credit: Michael Fleshman/Flickr
As cities rapidly expand and new buildings are constructed, it’s time for cities to focus on building efficiency. The newly expanded Building Efficiency Accelerator helps cities accomplish this goal. Photo by BORIS G/Flickr
TheCityFix is covering cities at COP21.
To retrofit its public buildings, Mexico City should creatively adapt its internal budget and seek out external financing. (Photo: Alvaro Sánchez/ Flickr)
When it comes to improving energy efficiency in buildings, cities can lead by example to create a big impact.
It can often be difficult for residents–like those of Wuxi, China–to know how their homes perform compared to similar homes. Benchmarking fills this knowledge gap, helping the city improve building performance. Photo by Mr Thinktank / Flickr.
Retrofitting public buildings to be more energy efficient is an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China. Photo by Brendan Corey Benson/Flickr.
As China urbanizes, buildings in the country’s cities are a growing source of emissions and air pollution.
A growing coalition of cities, NGOs, and private companies are advancing building efficiency efforts that save money and greenhouse gas emissions. Photo by Omar Barcena/Flickr.
Urbanization is reshaping the economy, energy systems, and climate of our planet. By 2050, the world’s cities are expected to add 2.
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing reached a turning point in 2013. Twenty-five programs now make PACE financing available in nearly 500 cities and towns in nine states and Washington, D.C. More than 250 PACE projects worth over $75 million have been completed; programs report a total pipeline of more than $250 million in project applications. “Setting the PACE: Financing...
Deep building retrofits are attractive investments, yet they are often not completed because the full value of the retrofit isn’t taken into account. Such retrofits are typically evaluated based on energy savings alone, leaving the non-energy benefits out of the investment decision making process. A new Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) report, “How to Calculate and Present Deep Retrofit...
Green buildings provide many benefits to owners, developers and occupants that should translate into additional property value during a building’s appraisal. Green Building and Property Value: A Primer for Building Owners and Developers, explains why green buildings deserve higher value, then spells out how to document that value to lenders and appraisers. “The guide will help...
