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Best Practice Guide |
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Commercial Office Buildings |
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Planning an Energy ProgramEnergy Policy
Adopting an energy policy ensures that energy management becomes part of a company's broader business plan. Because it clearly defines goals and objectives as well as executive expectations in terms of financial investment and bottom-line results, an energy policy is critical for guiding energy management planning and action. Goals describe the broad intentions of an energy policy. Energy-specific goals usually include commitments to improve the energy efficiency of facility operations and equipment, reduce peak energy demand, and lower energy costs. Beyond these, businesses can also include non-energy related goals as part of the energy policy. These secondary goals might include:
Objectives flow from the goals, setting quantitative, measurable tasks. Objectives are especially useful to verify the results of an energy program. Write objectives into contractual agreements so that contractors and vendors are clear about company energy goals and are held accountable for their work. Objectives can also serve as the basis for a more detailed measurement and verification (M&V) plan. The following is a list of areas addressable by energy policy objectives and an example of each:
In December 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger set clear energy efficiency goals for state and commercial buildings in the Green Buildings Executive Order S-20-04. These goals include a mandate to improve energy efficiency in existing state buildings by 10 percent per square foot by 2010 and by 20 percent by 2015 as compared to a 2003 baseline. Commercial building owners are encouraged to align company energy policy with the Green Building Initiative, as EO S-20-04 is commonly called. Appendix 3 contains a sample energy policy based on the Governor's green building goals. Goals, Objectives, and M&V
Business ExamplesQualcomm, Inc. has three primary energy goals:
One of the main goals of Glenborough Realty Trust's companywide energy program is to increase funds from operations (FFO). This allows Glenborough to stay competitive within its tight market. Across the company's entire portfolio, Equity Office Properties (EOP) has established best practices in building envelope, lighting, HVAC and central plants to limit energy utilization without capital expenditures. Resources Energy Design Resources Charette is an online tool that allows you to quickly investigate the energy impacts of various design scenarios on a typical building, and then review the analysis graphically in a web-based format. Scottish Energy Efficiency Office. Energy Policy webpage. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR, Guidelines for Energy Management. BPG Appendix 3: Sample Company Energy Policy (PDF download, 60KB) |