Hub November 2024 Newsletter

Building Energy Resource Hub November 2024 Newsletter

New Hub Resources

Measure to Manage: Building Benchmarking and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Explained

Check out the Hub’s new online resource primers: Benchmarking 101 and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions 101, which are designed to help organizations save energy and prepare for evolving energy codes.
 
Benchmarking 101 provides a structured approach to measuring energy performance, identifying inefficiencies, and implementing targeted improvements that enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions 101 explains the essentials for understanding carbon footprints, offering valuable insights to help organizations align with emerging standards and achieve decarbonization goals. These resources are essential for organizations aiming to enhance energy management and stay ahead of future compliance requirements.

Contractor Corner

Contractor Connection Recap!

Thanks to everyone who joined our first Contractor Connection earlier this month. It was a great crowd of both new and experienced contractors along with the convening team of Illinois Green Alliance, Elevate, HACIA, and Builder’s Avenue, who facilitated table conversations to identify contractor resources. The group shared their desire to continue connecting and asked for educational opportunities including building tours, guest speakers, and short seminars. 

Want to join us in 2025? Complete this quick survey to let us know topics and locations you prefer!

Illinois Winners of ACEEE

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently released its fifth national review of exemplary energy efficiency programs, highlighting outstanding efforts across the U.S., including notable winners from Illinois. These programs, serving electric and gas utility customers, have evolved since the 1970s to include goals like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting energy equity, and supporting electrification. Programs were evaluated for customer-friendly services, effective design, cost-effectiveness, and results, with top performers recognized as "Leaders of the Pack." Illinois winners exemplify innovation and impact in advancing energy efficiency and sustainability. Check out the winners here and Illinois projects below.

Low-Income Households

Leader of the Pack: Illinois Home Energy Solutions (HES), jointly administered by Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, Nicor Gas, ComEd, and Resource Innovations in Illinois.

Industrial

Leader of the Pack: Strategic Energy Management, administered by ComEd with CLEAResult in Illinois.

Upcoming Partner Events

Learn How Energy Skilled™ and ENERGY STAR Work Together
Hosted by U.S. Department of Energy
December 4 at 10:00 AM

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. Join this webinar to discover the importance of the right workforce skills for optimized performance in heat pump systems.

Making Data Actionable: When and How Data can Trigger Decisions
Hosted by U.S. EPA
December 5 at 1:00 PM

Continuous improvement of energy performance requires establishing effective energy management practices and processes. With current technology and a drive for energy efficiency, organizations of any kind can effectively use the endless data available to them to create an actionable energy management strategy. Join this webinar to hear from representatives across two different sectors—schools and real estate—about how they are doing just that.

New DOE Tools to Help Qualify for Thousands of Tax Credits from the Inflation Reduction Act
Hosted by U.S. Department of Energy
December 12 at 12:00 PM

Hear about DOE’s new resources to help American households and home energy-efficiency contractors understand how to qualify for thousands of dollars in federal tax credits, made available by the Inflation Reduction Act, for home upgrades. The resources include a Tax Credit Product Lookup Tool to help determine if new equipment is eligible for tax credits; information that walks contractors through key elements of home insulation products that can lower utility bills and qualify for tax credits; and a training module on how contractors can leverage a range of home energy-efficiency incentives.

Known Unknowns: Key Energy Efficiency Trends in the New Year
Hosted by U.S. Department of Energy
January 9 at 12:00 PM

Hear from some of our industry's top strategic thinkers as they look ahead to 2025 and what may impact the residential energy-efficiency landscape. From trends to technologies, innovations, and everything in between, you're sure to take something away from this look ahead.

On-Demand Resources and Webinars

Go Boldly: Decarbonization Strategies for
Commercial and Industrial Operations

Decarbonization strategies lay critical foundations for businesses to address the challenges of climate change, comply with regional legislation, and become more efficient with energy consumption and cost. Emerson is an ENERGY STAR Industrial partner and 2024 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year that has developed and begun acting on a long-term decarbonization strategy in support of its target to achieve Net Zero across Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions by 2045 from a 2021 baseline.

Portfolio Screening and Prioritization for Onsite Energy
 

What:  This primer provides guidance to screen and prioritize a portfolio for onsite energy based on favorable project development criteria.
Why: Sustainability managers need a way to prioritize investment in onsite energy across their portfolios. This guide provides a framework to identify projects that are favorably positioned for successful financial performance.
How:  This document presents three approaches for prioritizing onsite energy projects: (1) qualitative screening, which focuses on assessing geographic, state and utility, organizational, and other factors for project success; (2) data modeling, which uses techno-economic analysis tools to evaluate facilities; and (3) outcomes by technology, which focuses on criteria for project feasibility based on specific onsite technologies.

Site-Level Technology Screening for Onsite Energy

What: Site-level screening provides key insights to organizations for identifying and prioritizing technology opportunities quickly.
Why: Site-level screening helps organizations identify the potential value of onsite clean energy technologies and make detailed analyses for future investment in renewable energy projects.
How: This guide outlines the screening processes for organizations to apply when conducting site screenings and offers recommendations for organizations to identify a path forward in their decarbonization journeys.