Commercial Building Energy Alliances

Championing the Business Case The Alliances focus on the following sectors:
for Energy Efficiency • Retail

E
nergy is a substantial operating expense • Commercial real estate (leased space,
in commercial facilities. Energy- offices, shopping malls, and hospitality)
efficient buildings yield bottom-line
• Institutions (colleges and universities,
savings while providing the comfortable,
K-12 schools, hospitals, health care
productive, and healthy environments
facilities, government).
businesses rely on. They also benefit our
nation—with energy savings translating into Alliance members seek to reduce energy con-
lower carbon dioxide emissions, slower sumption by significant levels in their new
peak power demand growth, enhanced and existing buildings. The goals and priori-
grid reliability, improved environmental ties of each Commercial Building Energy
protection, and more stable energy prices. Alliance are driven by a steering committee
that consists of representatives who can influ-
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ence the energy footprints of their companies.
is facilitating the creation of three new DOE provides technical support to help meet
Commercial Building Energy Alliances that the Alliances’ goals and facilitates the work of
are designed to minimize the energy the steering committees.
consumption and environmental impact
of commercial buildings. These buildings
currently account for 18 percent of total
U.S. energy consumption. The Alliances
contribute to DOE’s overarching goal of
having cost-effective net-zero energy
commercial buildings on the market by
2025—grid-connected buildings that, over
the course of a year, generate as much
energy as they consume.

Bringing you a prosperous future where energy is clean, abundant, reliable, and affordable

Returns on energy efficiency
investments in commercial buildings
Architects, engineers, and builders can use
proven technologies and practices to construct
commercial buildings that use 25 to 50 percent
less energy than typical new construction.
These same technologies can be used to cut
energy consumption in existing commercial
buildings by 10 to 20 percent.
• Positive returns on investment. Investing
in energy efficiency—for new and existing
commercial buildings—yields bottom-line
savings.
• Risk reduction. Energy-smart business
strategies can improve equipment reliability,
reduce outages, and improve disaster
mitigation capabilities.
• Carbon reduction. Raising energy efficiency
in commercial buildings is one of the most
expeditious, effective, and economically
sound ways to achieve sustainable reduc-
tions in carbon emissions.
• Peak demand reduction. With smart energy
efficiency investments, communities can
ensure the plentiful and reliable energy
required for economic growth—while
slowing the need for new power plants,
transmission infrastructures, and natural
gas supplies.
How the Alliances Operate
Members of the Commercial Building
Energy Alliances benefit from twice-yearly
meetings, periodic conference calls, and
online networking. Members are able to:
• Discuss the unique energy challenges
facing particular building types and
business sectors.
• Share non-proprietary information that
can help them accelerate the adoption of
technologies in their companies.
• Work together to achieve cost reductions
in high-efficiency building equipment
through combined purchases.
• Engage building owners in their sector
in conducting energy savings assessments
that benchmark energy consumption and
identify process and equipment improve-
ments.
• Define potential areas of high-impact
research and development.
• Explore variations to system designs
suited to specific geographical locations
(e.g., evaporative cooling in the south-
western United States).
• Benefit from field testing of DOE research
and DOE analysis.
Member companies also have the option of
applying to become a “National Account.”
This involves committing to work with
DOE’s technical assistance to construct at
least one new building and retrofit at least
one existing building to achieve at least
a 30 percent improvement in efficiency
relative to ASHRAE/IESNA Standard
90.1-2004.
Spotlight on Commercial
Lighting Solutions
An example of the technical assistance
available through DOE for commercial
building owners and operators is a set of
lighting solutions now under development.
A full 26 percent of energy in commercial
buildings goes to lighting. Imagine the bene-
fits if the energy used by commercial lighting
could be reduced by 30 percent or more
relative to ASHRAE/IESNA Standard
90.1-2004—without compromising comfort,
safety, sales levels, or productivity.
 Commercial Building Energy Alliances

Reductions of this magnitude are entirely Energy Use Intensity (EUI) by Commercial Building Subsector
possible and affordable, and DOE’s
Commercial Lighting Solutions provide the
400
detailed instructions that building owners
and tenants need to achieve them. These
solutions, being developed by DOE in 350
partnership with top lighting designers and
commercial end-users, will be delivered
through an interactive Web tool that will 300
estimate energy savings based on project-
specific inputs. EUI (kBtu/ft2.year) 250
Lighting solutions have been developed Other
and analyzed1 for five types of retail stores 200 Gas Appliances
(big box, small box, grocery, specialty mar-
Refrigeration
ket, and pharmacy) and solutions for other
150 Service Hot Water
sectors are planned. The solutions—com-
plete with lighting layouts, specifications, Cooling
daylighting design, control schemes, and 100
Heating
commissioning guidance—meet or exceed Fans
the savings levels to qualify for Energy Plug and Process
Policy Act tax incentives. They are being 50
Exterior Lighting
developed in conjunction with an update
Interior Lighting
to the Advanced Lighting Guidelines,
0
supported by DOE and the New Buildings Warehouse Retail Food Service Food Sales Refrigerated
Institute.
9.55 billion sq. ft. 4,316,693,619 sq. ft. 1,653,529,809 sq. ft. 1,255,044,757 sq. ft Warehouse
525,656,595 sq. ft.

1 The lighting solutions were analyzed against a

reference building using the space-by-space
method as allowed in ASHRAE/IESNA Standard
90.1-2004. The design vignettes used in con-
junction with lighting control strategies showed a
modeled decrease in energy consumption (kWh)
of 30% or greater below the baseline design.
 Commercial Building Energy Alliances

Unique Features of the Commercial A Strong Energy Portfolio

Building Energy Alliances for a Strong America
Energy efficiency in the commercial sector
is attracting high-level attention from many
Energy efficiency and clean, renewable
professional associations, utility groups, energy will mean a stronger economy, a
regional and municipal agencies, research cleaner environment, and greater energy
institutions, and other organizations.
How are the Commercial Building Energy
independence for America. Working with a
Alliances different? wide array of state, community, industry,
1. The Alliances are independent groups and university partners, the U.S. Department
developed and directed by industry steer- of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and
ing committees. Facilitation and technical Renewable Energy invests in a diverse
expertise are provided by DOE.
portfolio of energy technologies.
2. All aspects of energy use and energy
sources will be on the table for considera-
tion in achieving energy savings in new
and existing buildings.
3. Effective engineering design and efficient
operation of energy-using systems will be
emphasized. The Alliances will provide
equipment manufacturers with real-
world/real-use locations for testing and
proving energy efficiency technologies
and quickly disseminating the results of
tests to other members.
4. The Alliances will set specifications
and stretch goals for equipment energy
performance and will provide valuable
information to manufacturers about
target markets for their equipment.
5. Alliance members will have access to
research results and demonstrations of
energy efficiency technologies in similar
For more information,
buildings via DOE’s technical assistance
contact:
partnerships.
Drury Crawley
Drury.Crawley@ee.doe.gov
Building Technologies Program
Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy
For more information about how your organization can participate in
U.S. Department of Energy
the Commercial Building Energy Alliances and for updates on Alliance
opportunities, see buildings.energy.gov/alliances.html.

May 2008

For More Information: buildings.energy.gov/alliances.html