CBI works with industry partners and the Building Energy Codes Program to develop design and decision support tools and resources that demonstrate scalable and replicable approaches to achieve high-performance energy efficient new commercial buildings and major retrofits for a variety of building types. These tools and resources serve to inform and guide decision-makers to increase investment in energy efficiency and prepare the workforce to more efficiently design and build commercial buildings.
Advanced Energy Design Guides: Advanced Energy Design Guides offer information on how to improve building energy efficiency above mandatory code levels during the initial design and construction of a new commercial building or a major retrofit of an existing building. CBI works with the Building Codes Program, ASHRAE, and the national labs to develop advanced energy building design guides for new construction and retrofits for a variety of commercial building types. These guides provide building professionals with guidance on vetted solutions that can dramatically improve the energy efficiency of a variety of buildings.
Advanced Energy Retrofit Guides: The Advanced Energy Retrofit Guides (AERGs) were created to help decision makers plan, design, and implement energy improvement projects in their facilities. With energy managers in mind, they present practical guidance for kick-starting the process and maintaining momentum throughout the project life cycle.
Building Energy Modeling Guides: Building energy modeling tools are used to inform and drive energy efficiency design, optimize building operations, and inform policy, codes, and standards. This electronic library is intended to improve modeling consistency and address training gaps in order to raise energy modeling industry “techniques” to the same high level of confidence and rigor associated with the tools used to perform the analysis (EnergyPlus, etc.).
Energy-Performance-Based Acquisition: Energy-performance-based acquisition is the process of considering well-defined energy performance goals and incentives for the entire building lifecycle, including planning, design, construction, and operation.
Other Resources
Realizing High-Performance Buildings: How To Maintain Energy-Efficient Design Intent During Building Operation: This guide is a primer for owners and owners’ representatives who are pursuing high-performance buildings. It describes processes that have been successful in the planning, procurement, and operation of high-performance buildings with exceptional energy efficiency. Much of the guidance offered results from a series of semi-structured conference calls with a technical advisory group of 15 owners and operators of prominent high-performance buildings in the United States. The guide provides a prescription for planning, achieving, and maintaining a high-performance building.
Energy Efficiency in Separate Tenant Spaces – A Feasibility Study: While commercial building owners generally have control over building systems and operations, tenants play a critical role in achieving lasting reductions in energy intensity. In recognition of this collaborative role, the Department of Energy has studied the feasibility of improving energy efficiency in tenant spaces. This study finds significant potential to improve energy efficiency during the design and construction of tenant spaces and describes several possible steps to encourage owners and tenants to improve the efficiency of those spaces.