The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Preservation Green Lab initiative have released the report “Industry Research and Recommendations for Small Buildings and Small Portfolios,” analyzing untapped opportunities in energy savings. Reported barriers to energy conservation for owners and operators of small buildings (<50,000 sf) and portfolios (a small number of small buildings) include limited capital, higher transaction costs relative to energy cost savings, lack of time to research and implement solutions, split incentive obstacles between owners and tenants, and lack of available sector-specific resources and technologies.
In addition, service providers, utilities, and financial institutions often cater to larger players because ROI is typically faster and larger with big projects. NREL points out that the “small” sector is still important because more than 90% of U.S. commercial buildings fall into this category, accounting for 51% of total floor space and consuming more than 40% of the energy used in U.S. commercial buildings. The authors offer the Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office a potential course of action for engaging owners and operators, removing barriers, and establishing and achieving sector-specific energy goals.
Related Stories
| Sep 24, 2013
See who's attending BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in SF
Balfour Beatty, Gensler, HDR, and JE Dunn are among the AEC firms sending their rising stars to BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco, October 9-11.
| Sep 24, 2013
8 grand green roofs (and walls)
A dramatic interior green wall at Drexel University and a massive, 4.4-acre vegetated roof at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City are among the projects honored in the 2013 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence.
| Sep 23, 2013
The art of rewarding employees
What’s the best way to reward those employees who go the extra mile, particularly when it’s not always feasible to give large financial bonuses? According to author and “recognition expert” Dr. Bob Nelson, the most effective employee rewards are also the least expensive.
| Sep 23, 2013
$300k to $10 million in six years — How Ampirical spent the recession laughing to the bank
Ampirical went from three employees to being in Inc. magazine’s Top 500|5000 fastest growing private companies in just seven years. Find out how.
| Sep 23, 2013
Six-acre Essex Crossing development set to transform vacant New York property
A six-acre parcel on the Lower East Side of New York City, vacant since tenements were torn down in 1967, will be the site of the new Essex Crossing mixed-use development. The product of a compromise between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and various interested community groups, the complex will include ~1,000 apartments.
Sponsored | | Sep 23, 2013
Nichiha USA panels provide cost savings for community project
When tasked with the design and development of a newly constructed Gateway Rehabilitation Center, architects at Rothschild Doyno Collaborative first designed the new center to include metal panels. When the numbers came back, they were challenged with finding a product that would help cut costs and keep them within the construction budget. Nichiha’s fiber cement panels come in a half or less of the metal panel cost.
| Sep 23, 2013
After retrofit and PV array project, N.Y. beverage distributor gets to net-zero
Queens, N.Y.-based beverage distributor Big Geyser’s energy efficiency retrofit project and rooftop solar array installation have positioned the company’s facility to achieve net-zero power.
Sponsored | | Sep 23, 2013
HKS leverages Revu and Bluebeam Studio for IPD on the Banner Health MD Anderson Health Center project
Read how HKS is working collaboratively with all project partners and streamlining information flow using Bluebeam Revu and Bluebeam Studio to digitize communication and deliver the facility using IPD.
| Sep 23, 2013
What you missed: Top construction market news for the week of September 15
Construction market news was mostly positive last week, with the AIA, AGC, and Census Bureau all seeing an uptick in key metrics.
| Sep 20, 2013
August housing starts reveal multifamily still healthy but single-family stagnating
Peter Muoio, Ph.D., senior principal and economist with Auction.com Research, says the Census Bureau's August Housing Starts data released yesterday hints at improvements in the single-family sector with multifamily slowing down.
