Resource Library
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Over the next two decades a majority of the existing building stock will undergo a renovation or equipment upgrade. This represents a critical intervention event for capturing significant energy savings from existing buildings. Through a careful examination of deep retrofits, key characteristics of their success are identified and provide examples for market, program and policy makers.
Presented at the 2012 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.
In recent years, model energy codes – which traditionally require the implementation of specific measures and strategies at the time of new commercial and residential construction – have set the stage for large increases in energy savings as states and municipalities adopt them over time. However this is a double-edged sword for utility programs. Each new state and local mandatory code adoption raises the baseline upon which savings achievements for energy efficiency programs must be measured. This paper lays out the challenges and opportunities for program administrators and utility management in aligning traditional program structures with rapid advances in energy codes.
Presented at the 2012 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.
COMNET is a quality assurance initiative to standardize building energy modeling,by creating consistent baselines relative to various energy codes and standards. Learn more in this print friendly factsheet.
The COMNET Portal is an online platform used to collect energy modeling simulation results, perform quality assurance checks, and submit the results to organizations and programs that requires energy modeling information. Learn more in this print friendly factsheet.
This report describes an investigation by NBI of metered key performance indicators (KPI) for commercial building energy use. These indicators can be observed or benchmarked using more detailed system-level meter data beyond whole-building energy data. The findings show that calculated system-level KPIs can reveal superior or inferior performance of certain aspects of design, operations and occupant behaviors. These KPIs can also be used to ensure that buildings compared using whole-building methods are similar in their design, operations and occupancy to improve the reliability of conclusions.
Plug loads can be managed through low- and no-cost measures that are relatively straightforward to implement. This Guide shows how simple changes can cut costs and save energy in offices.
Learn more about FirstView™, a new software tool that enables building owners and designers to extract more targeted and useful energy performance information from basic data inputs, through these frequently asked questions and their answers.
The Daylighting Pattern Guide (DPG) is a free, interactive tool that helps design teams incorporate proven daylighting strategies into commercial building projects for substantial reductions in lighting power consumption and overall building energy use. Learn more in this print friendly factsheet.
With rising demand for green building, lighting design professionals are called upon not only to deliver great lighting plans but also to incorporate the most advanced, energy-saving strategies and technologies. For nearly two decades, the Advanced Lighting Guidelines (ALG) has helped. Learn more in this print friendly factsheet.
Advanced Buildings® is a suite of tools and resources that helps design teams create high performance commercial buildings that stand out for their energy efficiency and healthy environments. The suite is managed by NBI. Learn more in this print friendly factsheet.