Better Buildings Webinars

Join the Department of Energy for a webinar and peer exchange on financing for K-12 Schools. Learn about the use of bonds for energy efficiency retrofits as well as considerations for private financing. Experience a live demo of the new Energy Efficiency Financing Navigator. 
Featuring: 
• Crystal McDonald, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy 
• Toby Rittner, President and CEO of the Council of Development Finance Agencies 
• Joe Indvik, JDM Associates 

If you’ve been struggling to find funding for energy efficiency projects in your buildings, then this session is the one for you. This webinar (1) demonstrates the Efficiency Financing Navigator, a new tool to help you find financing that's right for you; (2) explains how to access incentives and tax credits using DSIRE and other resources; and (3) gives you practical advice about where to start and how to look out for pitfalls when finding financing.

Energy Management has evolved a lot over the past decade. As organizations move beyond just changing out light bulbs, investment in commercial and industrial building energy efficiency has more than doubled between 2006 and 2014, from $7 billion to $16 billion. This growth has been fueled by a mix of organizational sustainability commitments, the availability of enabling incentive programs, the proliferation of cost-effective technologies, and the promise of significant financial savings. Since 2008, the EDF Climate Corps program has played a significant supporting role in this growth, helping over 400 “host organizations” jumpstart energy management solutions by matching them with trained graduate student fellows who work onsite to identify actionable energy reduction strategies. This one-hour webcast will summarize findings from a comprehensive report that highlights key trends, opportunities and next steps for companies regardless of their sophistication on energy management topics.

You’ll learn how:

1. To be more strategic and sophisticated about energy management, beyond just energy efficiency
2. Companies are scaling up their energy projects to achieve greater results
3. To choose and implement energy projects, leveraging the latest technologies
4. To leverage your investments to provide better environmental returns

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This webinar was the inaugural meeting of the new Building Envelope Tech Team. The main topics discussed were:

• Online resources such as real world demonstrations, case studies, specification documents, and installation guidance for building envelope subcategories: windows, walls, and roofs
• Profiling Chesapeake College, a Better Buildings Partner, investments in building envelope wall, windows, and roof technologies
• Discussion of the pros and cons of new technology, such as: next generation windows, dynamic controls, window shading, and sprayable air sealing.

In parallel with decreasing system costs and new business models, public policy is driving energy storage adoption around the country. Organizations are beginning to consider energy storage options, but little information is publicly available on benefits, business models, or best practices. Energy storage is a broad category of technologies with many different capabilities that can be daunting to sift through and find the best opportunities. In this session, attendees will get an overview of energy storage technologies, use cases, business models and how it can help you manage energy spend. 

1. Understand types of energy storage available and what may work on your building 
2. Identify use cases for energy storage that provide you value 
3. Learn about potential business models and procurement strategies 
4. Identify additional resources to help you make decisions on energy storage 

While sub-meters on their own don’t save energy or water, they play a crucial part in successful energy and water reduction efforts. Get the low down from our expert panelists on the best practices, benefits and current costs to meter energy, water and data centers in your buildings.

Capturing the story behind energy savings projects helps catapult a culture around planning future projects, funding them, and growing a team's value in your company or organization. Hear from leading partners, learn about the innovative SWAP, and learn from media experts giving tips on telling your tale.

Workplace charging programs are successful when organizations choose the charging station design that best fits the needs of both, employers and employees. Taking into account the available budget, program goals, employee interest, and site specific requirements, an employer may choose to install Level 1, Level 2, or DC fast charging. During this webinar, Margaret Smith will present an overview of the types of charging stations and share examples of Workplace Charging Challenge Partners that use each type of charging.

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The Better Buildings Alliance is the leading peer-to-peer networking and education initiative for any organization that owns or operates commercial real estate and wants to know more about energy efficiency. Experts from the Department of Energy outlined their plans for 2017, and shared how your organization can get involved. This webinar provides an opportunity to learn more about the Better Buildings Alliance, tech retrofit campaigns, and energy savings strategies in your sector.

The commercial mortgage loan process involves high stakes and energy efficiency is generally not a motivating factor for lenders, with current mortgage practices not fully accounting for the risks and opportunities associated with energy use of buildings. After a scoping study and stakeholder engagements with lenders and building owners, Lawrence Berkeley Nat Lab and Haas School of Business identified several potential inventions to properly account for energy factors in the lending process. Here, they demonstrated how and where energy factors can "move the needle" on key underwriting metrics such as default risk, NOI, and economic or functional obsolescence. 

Presenters: 
Paul Matthew, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 
Nancy Wallace, Haas School of Business UC Berkeley