Hub March 2024 Newsletter

Kindy Kruller • May 22, 2024

Building Energy Resource Hub March 2024 Newsletter

 Welcome to the newsletter of the Building Energy Resource Hub! Inside you'll find upcoming events, featured resources & case studies, partner programs, and more information on how to get involved. 

 

Tools & Resources


Looking for an energy efficiency contractor? We've got you covered!


The Building Energy Resource Hub wants to connect you with contractors that can assist with your building decarbonization and energy efficiency efforts. 
 
Illinois Green maintains an online directory of companies that offer fee-for-service support for energy benchmarking, data verification, and other efficiency efforts. Contractors can submit their names to the list here. 


Search Ourt Directory


Partner Tools & Resources


Slipstream provides on-bill financing services for building owners interested in building retrofits and maintains a contractor list that can help implement energy efficiency improvements. Learn more about their on-bill financing here. 

 ComEd also maintains a list of Energy Efficiency Service Providers that includes contractors, distributors, engineering and design firms, and more who have been trained on the processes and procedures of the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program. Find a service provider here. 

Technology Primers


Learn more about Air to Water Heat Pumps today!


The Hub Technology Primers are intended to introduce an array of audiences to high-performance technology in buildings. These solutions can help cut energy costs and improve comfort in your building. 


  Air to water heat pumps (AWHPs) are a deep energy retrofit option to electrify a building’s domestic hot water system. By either replacing or supplementing a traditional gas, oil, or steam system, AWHPs can significantly reduce carbon emissions and save energy. Download the AWHP technology primer here to learn how you can incorporate these systems into your retrofit. 

 

     You can access other great AWHP resources here: 

       

 Focus on Finance

 

 Financing is an essential step in the journey to emissions reduction, turning great decarbonization ideas into actionable plans. Watch this webinar to learn from our Better Buildings Initiative partners how to best leverage financing for decarbonization projects and about the recently developed Emissions Reduction Planning Framework that can help make financing decisions easier and more accessible. 

Watch the Webinar

Upcoming Events from Friends of the Hub


B4 Webinar Series: Heat Pump Water Heaters

March 27 at 8:00 AM CT


Join this exciting webinar that offers an introduction to the design of heat pump water heaters (HPWH) and their real-life applications. This one-hour virtual event will review the basics of heat pump technology and explore how the various types of HPWHs are designed. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about HPWHs, how they work, and hear about how industry professionals are incorporating them in their businesses. 

Register Now

School Finance Power Hour: How to Leverage IRA for Your District
 March 29 at 11:00 AM CT


The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 is a landmark federal law that invests in domestic clean energy energy production, in part by providing a range of tax incentives and programs that can help schools reduce their energy costs, improve their energy efficiency and adopt renewable energy sources. Join us for this complimentary CPE webinar by Baker Tilly to discover how the IRA can help you achieve your school district’s energy performance and sustainability goals. 

Register Now

School Finance Power Hour: How to Leverage IRA for Your District
 March 29 at 11:00 AM CT


The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 is a landmark federal law that invests in domestic clean energy energy production, in part by providing a range of tax incentives and programs that can help schools reduce their energy costs, improve their energy efficiency and adopt renewable energy sources. Join us for this complimentary CPE webinar by Baker Tilly to discover how the IRA can help you achieve your school district’s energy performance and sustainability goals. 

Register Now

Additional Resources from Hub Partners

  Building decarbonization, also known as building electrification, is the process of reducing or eliminating the emissions that contribute to climate change from a building’s energy sources. Check out this video from Elevate's Quick Takes series.

 

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.

ASHRAE: Advanced Energy Design Guides

September 6, 2024
This is a series of publications designed to provide recommendations for achieving zero energy buildings or building energy savings over the minimum code requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1.

ENERGY STAR Action Workbook for Small Business

August 23, 2024
This guidebook provides step-by-step guidance on ways to increase energy efficiency in facilities by implementing realistic and cost-effective energy improvement projects.

ENERGY STAR Product Finder

August 19, 2024
This resource helps you find all the information you need to start shopping for ENERGY STAR certified products, including product details, rebates, and retailers near you.
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