Building Operating Management September 2011 - FacilitiesNet

uildingoperatingmanagement
SEPTEMBER 2011
67
veloped using data
from 1997, the
American Society
of Healthcare Engineering
worked
with EPA to collect
more recent energy
and operational data
from its members. EPA
is in the process of completing
its analysis of the data
to develop a revised energy performance
score, which is expected to be
released by the end of 2011.
In March 2011, EPA and Fannie
Mae signed a memorandum of understanding
to cooperate on improving
the energy and water efficiency of
the nation’s multifamily housing stock
through exploring the development
of an energy performance scale for
multifamily buildings. Depending on
the outcome of the analysis, EPA anticipates
rolling out an energy performance
scale for the multifamily sector
in late 2012 or early 2013.
As changes continue within the
Energy Star
worked with the
data center industry
for more than two years
to create a 1 to 100
rating scale for data
centers
Energy Star program,
outside factors
are increasingly
leading building
owners to use the
Energy Star rating.
A good example:
According to new
regulations mandated
by the Energy Independence
and Security Act of
2007 (EISA), any space leased by the
federal government as of December
2010, must be in buildings that have
an Energy Star certification.
There are exceptions to that requirement:
if no space is available in
an Energy Star building that meets the
needs of the agency, if the agency will
remain in its currently occupied building,
if the building is on the National
Register of Historic Places, or if lease
is for rentable square feet of 10,000
square feet or less. Nevertheless, the
requirement is significant. The federal
government is the largest tenant
for leased commercial space, with
over 370 million square feet under
contract. What’s more, if the building
that an agency currently occupies is
not Energy Star, the lessor may have
to renovate the space with all energy
efficiency improvements that are cost
effective over the life of the lease.
There’s a lot going on at Energy
Star. Consider taking a few minutes to
log on to the Energy Star commercial
buildings website. Become a partner,
use the many resources EPA has to
offer, benchmark your buildings, and
get Energy Star recognition. If you are
looking for ways to improve your Energy
Star score, evaluate whether using
an experienced SPP will help. ■
Robert Sauchelli (sauchelli.robert@
epamail.epa.gov) is Energy Star Buildings
program manager, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. Deborah
E. Miller (DEMiller@icfi.com) is vice
president, ICF International.
Email comments and questions to
edward.sullivan@tradepress.com.
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