Massachusetts Building Performance with Energy Star
Posted by Matt Beaton on Fri, May 07, 2010 @ 07:56 PM
As reported by Greener Buildings, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is partnering with utilities and states in a new pilot program that's designed to help improve commercial building energy efficiency
The program is called, "
Building Performance with Energy Star," and has set a goal of optimizing financial incentives and technical support for businesses and promote comprehensive whole-building energy upgrades.
According to the story, the focus is on:
- Incorporating use of the EPA’s Portfolio Manager, the agency's online energy measurement and tracking tool, to score building performance;
- Approaching energy efficiency opportunities in the context of findings from whole building assessments; and
- Creating a robust delivery network for whole building efficiency services.
While we always prefer to see a focus on performance driven by the market, it is encouraging to see a focus on upgrading the energy efficiency rather than on just blanket subsidies for renewable energy installations with no consideration given to how that energy is being used.
Related to this story, we've seen some interesting smart grid developments recently with regard to energy usage monitoring for homes and businesses. A product called
EnergyHub is currently involved in pilots and is said to allow you to monitor and control energy use from your home, from a mobile device, or from the internet.