Office of the Future
The Office of the Future (OTF) program is working to create opportunities for comprehensive energy savings in commercial office buildings through development of a carefully targeted, nationwide incentive program. Utilities customize and deliver local implementation, marketing and incentive rates suited to their customers and other program offerings.
Background
Office of the Future is supported by a consortium of some of the nation’s largest and most progressive energy utilities committed to creating and implementing a new energy efficiency program for existing, multi‐tenant commercial offices. The OTF Consortium is collaborating with commercial real estate representatives and product manufacturers to promote integrated design strategies that result in improved energy performance and more robust cost savings.
Current OTF sponsors and members of the Steering Committee include:
- Southern California Edison
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District
- Pacific Gas and Electric
- Sempra Utilities
- National Grid
- B.C. Hydro
- NSTAR
- Seattle City Light
New Buildings Institute (NBI) is the program and fiscal manager for OTF and is responsible for facilitating program development, managing the work plan, tracking and accounting, arranging and supporting meetings and facilitating communications.
Program Details
The goal of OTF is to create a more responsive and responsible office environment that better serves tenant needs while reducing energy costs, enhancing property values and delivering a reduced carbon footprint. Program phases include:
Phase 1: Energy Modeling. NBI modeled suites of energy conservation measures in various climate zones to estimate energy savings associated with the following integrated technical measures:
- High Quality Lighting Design and Controls
- Efficient Plug Loads
- HVAC Performance Review
- Advanced Metering
- Demand Response Thermostat
Phase 2: Pilot Projects. The OTF technical measures are currently being piloted in sponsor utility service territories. The purpose is to learn more about the tenant improvement process, evaluate the design and installation of technical measures, validate the energy and demand savings, and collect cost and benefit information.
Phase 3: Program Development. Pilot data from field testing of the technical requirements and energy modeling projections will be normalized to create incentives on an industry‐standard dollar‐per‐squarefoot basis.
Phase 4: Marketing Strategy/National Partnerships. The commercial office market is based largely on relationships. In order to develop these relationships, marketing to building owners and tenants will focus primarily on pursuing national partnerships with large commercial real estate companies and developers, key trade associations.
Program Launch & Future Efforts
A formal OTF program roll out is anticipated in fall of 2010. The exact timing may vary by utility. In addition, NBI and OTF Consortium members are continually researching opportunities to achieve greater energy savings in the office sector, specifically in the area of integrated controls and higher performing heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. An advanced set of measures will be developed as a subsequent offering of the Office of the Future, with another round of pilot projects taking place in 2011.
