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Seattle City Light Energy Efficiency as a Service (EEaS) Pilot Program Update

December 16, 2020 By Britton Rife

City Light would like to share with you the following updates to the Energy Efficiency as a Service (EEaS) pilot program.

  1. The next project solicitation. We are preparing to open Phase 2 of project solicitations in January 2021. Phase 2 will seek an additional 10 projects with expanded use-cases. Phase 2 solicitation will stay open for 3 months. Upon closing, applications will be reviewed and scored similar to the first solicitation phase. Phase 2 prospective applicants will be provided updated program materials prior to the opening of the next solicitation window. In future solicitations (Phase 3+), City Light will seek an additional 15 projects. The timing for future project solicitations will be determined in Q4 2020. In this next phase, eligibility will be expanded from the first solicitation to include the following non-residential building types:
    1. Existing buildings:
      1. City Light account type: Commercial
      2. Primary City Light account must for more than 90% of the building’s electricity
      3. Lease type: any
      4. Ownership type: any
      5. Size: Min 50.000sf
      6. Savings target: Project must intend to save 25% of annual electricity consumption
    2. New Construction:
      1. City Light account type: Commercial
      2. Primary City Light account must for more than 90% of the building’s electricity
      3. Electricity must be sole fuel source for the building (back-ups excluded)
      4. Lease type: any
      5. Ownership type: any
      6. Size: Min 50.000sf
      7. Savings target: Project must take the C401.3 Target Performance Path code compliance pathway and intend to perform 25% better than code requirement
  1. M&V Implementation. In September 2020, Seattle City Light concluded a competitive solicitation process, selecting a M&V Consultant to support the program. We are pleased to announce that kW Engineering (with support from Facility Energy Solutions) was the successful respondent and will be implementing the M&V related activities for this program. This highly qualified team is actively developing the program’s M&V Plan, which is based on and will supplant the original M&V Guidelines as the technical rules for how energy savings are calculated and set the standard for information to be shared with City Light and the M&V Consultant in order to determine those savings.
  2. COVID-19. As you can imagine, COVID-19 has had a significant effect on performance-based programs like EEaS. Many of the brightest minds in the in the industry have worked together over the summer to develop industry standard methodologies for quantifying energy savings resulting from deep retrofits in buildings where operations may look very different than normal, due to the unprecedented times that we are living in. The Efficiency Valuation Organization (EVO)’s International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) committee on Non-Routine Events and Adjustments has recently released a new Application Guide on Non-Routine Events and Adjustments. This guide will be a cornerstone for how City Light and others will address the effects of COVID-19 on building performance, and quantifying energy savings resulting from energy conservation measures.
  1. Future Use Cases. We have received requests on whether the program can be expanded to include existing residential buildings. At this time, City Light is not able to include existing residential buildings. There are unique challenges associated with these building types that need to be explored in greater depth before we can determine if the program can be expanded to include them. The decision to proceed with a second project solicitation now, was made in order to open the door to additional participants who are ready to submit their applications, without allowing additional study further delay project timelines. The primary barriers in the existing residential use case are outlined below. Please do know we are interested in working internally and with stakeholders in the multifamily and master-metered residential property management community to determine if and how we might overcome these barriers. Barriers to residential building inclusion in EEaS:
  1. Our utility billing and metering system currently does not have the ability to aggregate over 10 unique multifamily residential meters into a single monthly read.
    1. This is something that may be overcome in future system updates.
    2. At this time, installing a physical totalizer meter at buildings with individually metered units is not feasible.
  2. While a policy decision to allow master-metering of multifamily buildings would be initially limited to buildings participating in the EEaS pilot, there are significant cost and revenue considerations that need to be further studied and better understood.
  3. Residents losing access to the Utility Discount Program and other low income programs offered by SPU, Office of Housing, etc. that are accessed through the residents’ City Light accounts.

City Light is excited to move forward with this next phase of the EEaS pilot. Please reach out to Colm Otten, Senior Program Manager, Customer Care and Energy Solutions, at colm.otten@seattle.gov or (206) 727-3576 with any questions you have.

Filed Under: Resources

Tomorrow: King County Sewer Heat Recovery Program Overview

December 6, 2020 By Britton Rife

Filed Under: Resources, Webinars

Support SBCEP on Giving Tuesday!

November 30, 2020 By Britton Rife

You can support the Smart Buildings Center Education Program (SBCEP) today for Giving Tuesday, a global day of Giving!

Launched in 2012 as a charitable answer to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday retail shopping days, Giving Tuesday is a worldwide movement to encourage giving and celebrate generosity. You can support SBCEP this Giving Tuesday and together we can continue to work to accelerate the adoption and commercialization of smart buildings technologies and practices through education and demonstration.

SBCEP is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that believes the smarter use of technology and practices in the built environment, particularly as they relate to building operations and management, will enable a cleaner, healthier and more productive future. We seek to establish thought leadership in the Pacific Northwest for smart technology within the commercial and residential building sectors, and pursue our objective through the following pillars of activity: delivering training programs to educate the building workforce of the future; enabling industry leading demonstration projects; and connecting the industry through hosting and participating in smart buildings events.

We welcome your support to help us sustain our educational programs.

Click here to support SBCEP this Giving Tuesday! Any and all levels of support are greatly appreciated and go a long way. Thank you!

Filed Under: SBC News

Webinar: Strategic Energy Management in K-12 Schools, Dec 3rd

November 30, 2020 By Britton Rife

Thursday, December 3rd
1:00-2:30 pm PT
Register

In partnership with Puget Sound Energy, the Smart Buildings Center brings you an engaging webinar exploring concepts of Strategic Energy Management (SEM) specific to K-12 schools, and the unique characteristics, challenges, and opportunities this sector brings. In this lively panel discussion moderated by Romana Cohen of Stillwater Energy, SEM experts will share their on-the-ground experience with overcoming challenges and adopting best practices in K-12 buildings. Attendees will come away with practical resources for implementing strategic energy management in their own school facilities.

Panelists include:

  • Ilana Cember, McKinstry/Highline School District
  • Phil Johnson, Seattle Public Schools
  • Bonnie Meyer, Tacoma Power; formerly Seattle Public Schools, Tacoma Public Schools, and Olympia School District
  • Jackie Wilson, The Environmental Center

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Filed Under: Education & Training, Webinars

Save the Date: Giving Tuesday is December 1st!

November 18, 2020 By Britton Rife

Join the Smart Buildings Center Education Program (SBCEP) on December 1st, 2020 for Giving Tuesday, a global day of Giving!

Launched in 2012 as a charitable answer to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday retail shopping days, Giving Tuesday is a worldwide movement to encourage giving and celebrate generosity. You can support SBCEP this Giving Tuesday and together we can continue to work to accelerate the adoption and commercialization of smart buildings technologies and practices through education and demonstration.

SBCEP is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that believes the smarter use of technology and practices in the built environment, particularly as they relate to building operations and management, will enable a cleaner, healthier and more productive future. We seek to establish thought leadership in the Pacific Northwest for smart technology within the commercial and residential building sectors, and pursue our objective through the following pillars of activity: delivering training programs to educate the building workforce of the future; enabling industry leading demonstration projects; and connecting the industry through hosting and participating in smart buildings events.

We welcome your support to help us sustain our educational programs.

Click here to support SBCEP this Giving Tuesday! Any and all levels of support are greatly appreciated and go a long way. Thank you!

Filed Under: SBC News

Recommended Reading: Treat Air Quality to Safeguard Buildings Against COVID-19

November 18, 2020 By Britton Rife

In a recent Seattle Times editorial ‘Treat Air Quality to Safeguard Buildings Against COVID-19,’ Gus Simonds, President of MacDonald-Miller, highlights approaches for building owners and property managers to safely bring people back into buildings by following the research and guidelines from the CDC, the state, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Simonds addresses the challenge of each unique building requiring a customized solution and discusses some of the recommended approaches such as increasing outdoor air intake, regulating humidity, and utilizing bipolar ionization that can be taken to ensure safe and healthy indoor environments.

Read the editorial HERE.

Filed Under: Resources

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