The U.S. Department of Energy says that facilities that install renewable energy systems are reaping considerable savings.
Examples include:
• Retailer Best Buy installed solar panels and upgraded energy conservation to realize a cost savings of 25% over the course of four years at a site in Richfield, Minnesota.
• A rooftop solar unit at a Super 8 motel in Ukiah, California provides 60% of the electric power and 100% of the hotel’s hot water production for guestrooms and the hot tub.
• Discovery Elementary School, in Arlington County, Virginia, reports that the 97,588 sf facility operates at a 66% lower energy use intensity (EUI) compared to the district’s average.
• Suncoast Credit Union in Bushnell, Florida, upgraded its service center with solar electric systems. After its first year, the facility delivered more than 31 megawatt-hours (MWh) to the grid and used 25 MWh to become a zero-energy building.
The payback on renewables for public and institutional clients is usually 15 years or shorter. In the private sector, typical paybacks are five to seven years.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Apr 7, 2021
Red tape ruined the U.K.’s home retrofit program
Lessons learned could help US avoid that fate.
Codes and Standards | Apr 6, 2021
Lendlease achieves net-zero carbon in Boston, Chicago multifamily portfolio
New projects in New York, Los Angeles on track to reach goal.
Codes and Standards | Apr 5, 2021
Specification for sliding door, lift and slide roller assemblies updated
Addresses market trend toward heavy sliding doors.
Codes and Standards | Apr 5, 2021
Construction employment rebounds in March following February drop
Rising costs, supply-chain woes, and cancellations threaten outlook.
Codes and Standards | Apr 2, 2021
Intl. Code Council’s new development system could be a brake on building decarbonization
Local governments lose influence on creating new energy efficiency rules.
Codes and Standards | Apr 1, 2021
Cuomo proposes strengthened NY building codes to boost efficiency
Would apply to appliance, equipment efficiency and reduce water use.
Codes and Standards | Mar 25, 2021
N.C.’s Outer Banks’ communities struggle for ways to keep the sea from overrunning them
Tax hikes for beach replenishment offer temporary solution.
Codes and Standards | Mar 24, 2021
Perkins&Will’s D.C. office pledges to eliminate embodied carbon in commercial interiors
Firm aims to reach goal on all designs by 2030.
Codes and Standards | Mar 23, 2021
The 15-minute city may not work in much of North America
Segregated neighborhoods and car-centric cities may not adapt to the European model.
Codes and Standards | Mar 22, 2021
Think tank offers plan for new approach to reduce neighborhood poverty
Strategy uses more targeted approach to invest in low-income areas.
