Hub December 2024 Newsletter

December 19, 2024

Building Energy Resource Hub December 2024 Newsletter

Greetings -

As the Hub team wraps up 2024, there is much for us to be proud of. We have grown our team, recruited volunteers, built numerous partnerships, created new resources, hosted webinars, and so much more. Our momentum is a credit to the ecosystem of volunteers, partners, and allies working together to help buildings improve their energy efficiency.

This year, we introduced practical tools and guides to help building professionals identify cost-saving energy upgrades. Through collaboration with industry experts and by fostering peer connections, we developed resources and shared strategies to achieve measurable reductions in energy use and utility expenses. As we look to 2025, our focus will remain on delivering impactful programs and resources that help buildings save energy, cut costs, and improve overall performance.

Happiest Holidays to you!

Katie, Kindy, Matt & Rimjhim
The Hub Team

2024 Year in Review

One: New full-time Hub team member hired—Rimjhim Agrawal
Two: New Hub Advisory Board members welcomed
Three: Utility incentive webinars hosted
Four: Finance Friday education programs introduced
Five: Building Performance Partnership collaborators: BE-Ex NYC, BE-Ex St. Louis, BE-Ex Kansas City, Building Innovation Hub, IMT
Seven: Benchmarking data jams offered
Eight: Cool industry partner resources shared
Nine: New community partnerships formed
Ten: Adapted building guides added to our resource library
Eleven: Monthly Hub newsletters sent
Twelve: New volunteer subject matter experts recruited

Coming in 2025

The future is bright for the Building Energy Resource Hub! In the first quarter of 2025, we are excited to roll out new interactive resources including an online discussion forum, our help desk, and one-on-one technical assistance. Whether you need assistance with energy benchmarking, compliance with advanced building codes, accessing financial resources for retrofits, or technical guidance on energy efficiency measures, we’re here to help.

The Help Desk will provide free, comprehensive support for building professionals, including commercial and multi-family building owners, contractors, and municipal representatives.
One-on-One technical assistance will offer a variety of help through Hub staff and volunteers to provide customized guidance to community-based organizations and in-need buildings on energy benchmarking, financing tools and capital planning to reduce energy use and save money.

The online discussion forum will connect technical expert volunteers with building professionals to collaborate on topics like energy benchmarking, financing initiatives, efficient building technologies, and more.

Hub Resources Roundup

Over the last year we have created a variety of guidance documents and technical primers to assist all sectors of the building industry. Check out the list below and review any resources you haven’t discovered yet!

LED Lighting Technology Primer

This resource details how LED lighting retrofits can enhance building performance and occupant well-being.

Plug Loads and Tenant Energy Use Reduction Technology Primer

This adapted resource details how tenants use energy and lays out multiple strategies to reducing plug loads and tenant energy use in multifamily and commercial buildings.

Building Electrification Guide - NEW

The guide reviews provides an overview of the benefits of building electrification as well as the systems and components available for electrification.

Energy Efficiency Checklist - NEW

This resource provides beginner guidance for building professionals interested in starting the pursuit of energy efficiency for their building.

Architect's Playbook - NEW

This playbook provides guidance for architects to create energy-efficient, high-performing buildings by leveraging benchmarking data, staying updated on regulations, and incorporating early energy modeling.

Operations and Maintenance Guide - NEW

This document seeks to provide property owners and facilities managers, as well as operations, engineering, and maintenance personnel, with a guide for O&M procedures designed to increase energy efficiency.

Contractor Corner

Energy Skilled for Contractors

The DOE’s Energy Skilled™ program and ENERGY STAR are collaborating to bring together the leading efficiency technologies and the workforce to deliver them to consumers. Learn more about this new designation to discover the importance of the right workforce skills for optimized building performance. Jobs in building trades serve an important role in keeping occupants safe, healthy, and comfortable. They also have a significant impact on energy costs in a home. With the right training and certification, contractors can grow their skills and knowledge needed to perform high quality energy assessments and work with new energy-efficient technologies.

Learn More Here

Upcoming Partner Events

The Heating System Balancing Act: Heat Pumps and Beyond
Hosted by U.S. Department of Energy
January 7 @ 10:00 AM

Heat pump technologies are transforming the ways buildings are heated, with rapid advancements and widespread adoption across the market. This webinar explores effective strategies for implementing heat pumps across portfolios, examining the business case for installation and how to balance building load with equipment choices to optimize both costs and benefits. Learn about the successes, challenges, and cost-effective pathways for meeting energy efficiency goals with heat pumps.

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Supporting Contractors in Workforce and Business Development
Hosted by Interstate Renewable Energy Council
January 22 @ 1:00 PM

Join this dynamic discussion with leaders from the IREC, Building Performance Institute (BPI), and Building Performance Association (BPA) as they explore critical opportunities for contractors in energy efficiency and home energy performance. This session will highlight pathways available for contractors to grow their businesses in this evolving sector, focusing on the tools and resources designed to help them succeed. Participants will hear from each organization on their unique contributions to developing and supporting contractors, with practical guidance on certifications, workforce training, and access to additional programs and resources that drive contractor success.

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How Architects Can Drive High-Performance Office Fit-Out Projects

March 10, 2025

Resource Overview Architects are essential players in designing, constructing, and operating high-performance spaces for tenants, the demand for which continues to rise. Half of all commercial buildings in the US are leased, and retrofitting existing buildings is a must for meeting our evolving climate and emissions targets. How can architects take advantage of this opportunity, and get involved in these projects? TEOP for Architects takes ULI’s established Tenant Energy Optimization Program (TEOP), a 10-step process for embedding energy efficiency into leased spaces during initial fit-outs or significant renovations, and shows how architects can plug in and use it to streamline their work. Drawing on interviews with architects and real estate professionals from firms leading in sustainability, TEOP for Architects is filled with practical advice and data points for addressing common barriers, whether it’s how to approach clients that are new to sustainability, how to integrate energy modeling into your practice, or how to ensure building operations help meet initial performance goals. TEOP for Architects shows that tenant spaces are just as ripe for design excellence and innovation in performance as new construction. Whether you’re an experienced architect just getting familiar with tenant fit-outs or you’re entirely new to the world of sustainability, TEOP for Architects can help you get situated and start delivering the efficient, elegant projects that clients and the climate both need.

Fitting Out Spaces for Net Zero

March 10, 2025

Resource Overview Fit-outs tend to attract less attention than the construction and operation of buildings, despite the fact that it has a significant impact on the operational performance of the occupied space. In addition, in nondomestic buildings, the interiors can be replaced every three to 10 years, making fit-outs a crucial part of a building’s life cycle. This tenant primer focuses on the importance of fit-outs.

Tenant Energy Optimization Program

March 7, 2025

Resource Overview The Tenant Energy Optimization Program Infographic provides stakeholders with an overview of ULI's TEOP program as well as an outline of the 10-step process which outlines steps you can take to integrate energy efficiency into tenant space, design, and construction.

Green Leasing as Part of a Sustainable Tenant Fit-Out

March 6, 2025

Resource Overview Building owners and tenants are often characterized by conflicting interests and split incentives, hindering joint efforts towards energy efficient buildings. However, both parties play a vital role in embedding sustainability into the built environment and ultimately have common ground that can be leveraged to achieve shared goals. The Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Tenant Energy Optimization Program (TEOP) and the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) and U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Green Lease Leaders program share complementary, actionable steps for landlord-tenant collaboration in advancing sustainability in leased spaces. Green Leasing as Part of a Sustainable Tenant Fit-out: Tenant Energy Optimization Program and Green Lease Leaders Program provides an overview of TEOP and Green Lease Leaders, highlighting how the two programs can work together to offer a robust roadmap for landlord-tenant energy efficiency achievements.

Green Lease Leaders

January 20, 2025

Resource Overview Launched in 2014 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Alliance and the Institute for Market Transformation, Green Lease leaders sets the standard for what constitutes a green lease. The program provides guidance in leasing practices to advance mutually beneficial landlord-tenant relationships that lead to higher-performing buildings and healthier, more sustainable communities. Participants benefit from established guidelines and free support while developing their leases, as well as peer leadership recognition and substantial energy savings when leases have been implemented. Honorees are announced annually at the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Conference .

Energy Treasure Hunt

September 25, 2024

An Energy Treasure Hunt is a collaborative quest where your employees uncover opportunities to save energy.

Build for the Future Funding Navigator

September 13, 2024

The Build for the Future Funding Navigator provides a listing of funding opportunities across federal agencies to support efforts to enhance climate resiliency, energy efficiency, renewable energy integration, healthy housing, workforce development and environmental justice for HUD communities.