Sieben Blog

"Carbon Nation" Nominated for Environmental Media Award

Sarah Barnes — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:11:00 GMT

A nominee for best documentary at the Environmental Media Awards, “Carbon Nation” is a film very close to Sieben Energy Associates. CEO Craig Sieben was a producer on the film which was released in February 2011. The Environmental Media Association (EMA) advocates for environmental responsibility in the entertainment industry. EMA’s annual Environmental Media Awards honors films and television programming that demonstrates achievements in delivering effective green messages. “Carbon Nation” discusses the issues and the solutions surrounding climate change through interviews with a diverse group of people combating climate change. The film documents how a low-carbon economy would provide not only solutions to climate change, but also address current pressing social and economic problems; including job creation, public health, and national security. The EMA presents their awards October 15, 2011.

Energy Star Unveils Residential High-Rise Program

Liz Brady — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:18:00 GMT

Energy Star has announced a new program focusing on multifamily residential high-rise buildings. According to the program website, this new designation for multifamily high-rises (dubbed “MFHR”) is intended for “new or substantially renovated” buildings. Energy Star aims to incorporate energy efficient design elements such as high-performance insulation and windows, efficient HVAC equipment, and Energy Star rated appliances into these new residential spaces. These elements not only minimize the building’s energy consumption, they also create a comfortable (and less costly) environment for tenants. The EPA highlights the ability of high-efficiency design and properly-installed systems and insulation to ensure temperatures and indoor air quality stay optimal despite temperature and weather shifts. Especially in a climate with significant seasonal changes like, say, autumn in Chicago, an energy efficient high-rise is designed to keep energy usage and costs to a minimum while keeping its tenants warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The EPA also stresses the significant role that energy efficient buildings play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The MFHR program builds on Energy Star’s existing “New Homes” program, available for new single-family homes and units in low-rise buildings. Existing multifamily residential buildings can also pursue an Energy Star rating through the existing building program. Across the board, rating and certification systems such as Energy Star and LEED are diversifying their offerings, an acknowledgement of the distinct energy usage characteristics and operating requirements for residential buildings. With the advent of LEED for Homes and LEED for Neighborhood Development, the new Energy Star MFHR label, and increasingly detailed space types available in Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager, buildings are getting more specialized treatment. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also announced a $25 million pilot program to spur energy efficiency projects in multi-family residential buildings.

The more nuanced space designations, program requirements, and resource investment will encourage sustainable design and building operations that are distinct to the needs of the space. In this case, meeting requirements of programs such as LEED ND, LEED for Homes, or Energy Star for multifamily high-rise will mean that sustainable practices and energy efficiency requirements represent the building as not just a building, but a place where people live. For energy efficiency and sustainability advocates, not to mention tenants in favor of clean air and lower electric bills—this is excellent news.

Energy Efficiency as an Energy Source

Sarah Barnes — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 13:08:00 GMT

We know energy efficiency to be a solid cost-saving strategy and a smart way to minimize one's carbon footprint; but it’s also one of America’s greatest energy sources. Reframing the debate about energy efficiency into one about energy resource and fossil fuel independence could generate it national attention and ultimately a national standard. The research surrounding Energy Efficiency Resource Standards explains energy efficiency as America’s cleanest, cheapest, fastest and most reliable energy resource. Energy Efficiency Resource Standards (EERS) are policies enforced by public utilities commissions mandating reduced energy use upon retail electricity and natural gas providers. EERS have been successfully implemented in 26 states; the first initiative was in Texas in 1999.

Illinois’ first EERS, SB1592, was signed into action in 2007. SB1592 requires electric utilities to reduce energy use by 0.2% through advancements in efficiency by 2009 and a further 2.0% by 2015. Illinois’ second EERS, SB1918, demands state gas utilities reduce their energy use 0.2% by 2012 and 1.5% by 2015. EERS are performing beyond expectations in states that have adopted them; more than half have met and exceeded their efficiency goals - and all have been creating new jobs, dropping household and business utility bills, and improving environmental conditions. Energy efficiency requires no power lines, no pipelines, emits no pollution, and can be assembled in a fraction of the time it takes new fossil fuel or nuclear facilities.

A 2005 study from the Energy Information Administration showed that the U.S. economy has been saving 90 quadrillion Btu’s per unit GDP since a similar study in 1973. This savings comes mostly from improvements in energy efficiency. With that staggering statistic, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) determined that because 90 quadrillion Btu’s is more than the United States’ own domestic energy production (from coal, oil, and gas combined) “energy efficiency can rightfully be called our largest energy source.”

A national EERS proposal was submitted to the House of Representatives in 2009. HR889, the “Save the American Energy Act” set out to amend the 1974 Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act and put in place “standards at levels reflecting the maximum achievable level of cost-effective energy efficiency potential.” America’s national agenda cites energy independence as a high priority and reframing the debate to include energy efficiency as an immediate solution for energy independence will only strengthen the chances of achieving that goal.

SEA Shares MBCx Success with BOMA Conference Attendees

SEAadmin — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:35:00 GMT

On Sunday, June 26^th, Jerry Burin and Chris Philbrick presented “Monitoring Based Commissioning Success” at the International Conference of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) in Washington, D.C. Their presentation explored the monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx) process, an innovative, data-driven approach to achieving improved energy efficiency. SEA’s MBCx assignment at 311 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, served as a case study for the presentation. 311 S. Wacker is one of the city’s most recognizable skyscrapers.

The presentation provided attendees an overview of the new technologies driving MBCx and the benefits of tracking and acting on building performance data. MBCx uses web-based data tracking that enables SEA to identify energy saving opportunities. Jerry and Chris demonstrated how MBCx generates information that enables building owners to optimize HVAC performance while maintaining occupant comfort. Data-driven energy management is nothing new to SEA. MBCx is an emerging trend in the industry, however, and Jerry and Chris were pleased to present SEA’s success in MBCx to the international conference audience.

For more information about SEA’s 311 S. Wacker Drive MBCX assignment, read our press release announcing it.

The Myth of Low Hanging Fruit

Jerry Burin — Tue, 17 May 2011 08:08:00 GMT

“Low hanging fruit” is a term commonly referring to targets or goals which are easily achievable and don’t require a lot of effort. The term is a convention in the energy efficiency space, referring to easily identifiable, readily achievable measures to produce energy savings.

Rooting out and replacing high wattage lighting with lower wattage lamps is often referred to as low hanging fruit. So is modifying operating schedules of energy-consuming equipment to meet occupancy needs, and turning off equipment that continues to run when it’s simply not required. Eliminating the waste associated with simultaneous heating and cooling and employing re-set strategies, for example, on chilled water temperature, are among energy saving initiatives commonly described as low hanging fruit. Finding and repairing leaks in compressed air systems is another energy saving opportunity the often earns a place in the low hanging fruit family.

To some, the term “low hanging fruit” is derogatory, even insulting, as if such opportunities are dangling right before our eyes – hitting us squarely in the face, completely aligned with the common sense we all employ in the workplace, long ago found, solved, done. Hasn’t all the low hanging fruit, in every enterprise, certainly in the energy efficiency space, been “picked” long ago?

Except it ain’t so.

There’s a corollary to the low hanging fruit dictum – it’s just as important for the “will” to change something to exist as it is to realize the obvious opportunity. Many obvious energy efficiency opportunities – the low hanging fruit of energy efficiency – are left to wither on the vine for lack of understanding the true impact of change. Missing is the understanding gained by sound analysis of the proposed modification – one reflecting both operating results and cost implications.

Those of us in the business of identifying low-cost energy efficiency opportunities are familiar with such common refrains as “Our employees will be uncomfortable if we change that” or “My boss doesn’t like the color of that type of lighting” or, the most prevailing reason to allow juicy, tantalizing opportunities to keep rotting away on the branch, “It’s not my priority right now.” Those boughs laden with ripe opportunities hang lower and lower to the ground, turning into waste, spoilage, and loss that can never be recovered, but invariably pointed to in the future, ever again, as low hanging fruit, the easy pickings for reducing energy use and saving money.

Don’t get me started on “the no brainer.”

SEA Featured in Environment Illinois Efficiency Report

SEAadmin — Thu, 12 May 2011 02:29:00 GMT

Environment Illinois highlighted Sieben Energy Associates in their “Saving Energy Growing Jobs” report , which was released today. The report describes SEA’s history and the growth of the energy efficiency industry in Illinois stating how “customers who wouldn’t have considered paying for an energy audit in 1990 now actively seek [SEA] out.”

It makes special note of our recent partnership with the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC), working with hospitals to tackle their specific sustainability and energy efficiency challenges. The partnership with MCHC demonstrates the increase in public and private awareness of energy efficiency, and the role that SEA has played in that development.

Visit the Environment Illinois Website to read the entire report that includes the SEA case study.

Free Energy Audits Available in Cook County

Jim Lyon — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:12:00 GMT

At the beginning of this year, the Cook County Energy Efficiency Block Grant Program opened to buildings in several communities and neighborhoods throughout Cook County. This program is terrific for small- to medium- sized buildings of nearly any type, including commercial, industrial, non-profit, places of worship, and health care. The program involves:

Either one or two site visits by SEA, depending on the size/complexity of the building being audited
Deployment of data loggers to trend temperature, humidity, light levels, and power draw on large equipment for up to one week
Analysis similar to what is found in an ASHRAE Level II Audit, including utility analysis, energy use analysis, building envelope examination, and energy saving measures
Peer-review of audit reports by the Delta Institute, a non-profit organization that is administering the program
A meeting with the Delta Institute and representatives from the building about financial and technical assistance available to implement the identified energy efficiency measures, including how to receive funding through government and utility incentives.

The building will receive all this at no cost.

Unlike many offers for free energy audits, the Cook County Energy Efficiency Program offers truly no-cost, no-commitment energy audits. It provides an excellent opportunity for facilities that may have never had an energy audit and are looking for ways to reduce their costs and carbon footprint.

The no-cost, no-commitment aspect of this program appeals to buildings of all sizes and energy use. For the buildings SEA has worked with through the program, an average energy use reduction of 18% per building was identified. This includes all energy savings measures and has a simple payback of less than 2 years (before rebates are applied). These audits took place in both commercial and industrial buildings, ranging in size from 5,000 to 160,000 square feet.

If you believe your building could benefit from an analysis of its energy-consuming systems with a focus on increasing the overall building efficiency and reducing energy costs, check out more information about the program to see if your building is eligible to receive a free energy audit.

Time Well Spent Peeling the Onion

Phil Keuhn — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:41:00 GMT

My colleague Chris Philbrick recently posted a blog entry regarding the MEEA Midwest Energy Solutions conference. Chris highlighted ComEd receiving the Impact award for its retro-commissioning program. Sieben Energy Associates has been a service provider for this program since its inception, and I have had the opportunity to work with multiple buildings participating in the program and would like to share some of my experiences.

The ComEd program subsidizes the consulting fees associated with retro-commissioning, leaving the building responsible only for implementation costs. With an aggregate simple payback target of 1.5 years and no obligation to pay consulting fees, participation seems to be a no brainer. There is, of course, a time commitment required from building personnel to assist during site visits, collect information such as drawings and utility bills, and manage implementation.

I have found that this commitment results in more than just facilitating the retro-commissioning program. Based on my own observations and feedback from program participants, the retro-commissioning process has assisted in better documenting equipment operation and developing functional testing that can be continued after program completion. More generally, it has enabled them to develop an organizational culture that continually looks for energy reduction possibilities.

I have started to envision this program as peeling the outer layer from an onion. It provides an excellent foundation for energy management and, once the first layer is peeled away, it becomes clear that additional potential energy savings exists. We have seen buildings leverage the program to work towards LEED EB certification and to increase their Energy Star score with hopes to become Energy Star Certified. Many buildings have also continued to implement additional energy reduction measures after program completion, such as capital-intensive measures.

The program allows our engineers to take the time to collect and analyze large amounts of trend data—an effort that almost always uncovers operational issues that are not readily apparent by making spot checks. Correcting these issues, such as outside air damper modulation or simultaneous heating/cooling, provides a foundation for implementing more advanced and new processes, such as more sophisticated sequences of operation, or even starting monitoring-based commissioning or automated diagnostics.

For all of these reasons, the ComEd retro-commissioning program was definitely deserving of the Impact award. I look forward to working with the next group of properties that decide to take advantage of this great opportunity.

Inspiring Impact at the MEEA Conference

Chris Philbrick — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:23:00 GMT

I attended the 2011 Midwest Energy Solutions Conference January 12-14 in Chicago. This annual gathering, produced by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) and sponsored by the utility industry, brings many of the region’s experts together to network and strategize about energy efficiency.

As a MEEA member, Sieben Energy Associates follows the energy efficiency marketplace very closely so that we can provide our clients with the best service and information. This conference makes us aware of the latest utility programs, products, and new players in the region. This year we were updated on the progress of energy efficiency programs from several Midwestern utilities, including Detroit Energy, DTE, Ameren, and ComEd. And we were reminded that the U.S. will invest more than $1 billion in energy efficiency in 2011. This annual amount is expected to double by 2015.

The highlight of the conference for me was attending the Inspiring Efficiency Awards Dinner. The awards dinner is a chance to honor and recognize the Midwest’s leaders in energy efficiency. Awards for outstanding achievement were given for Education, Leadership, Marketing, Impact, and Innovation.

I was delighted to see the award for Impact go to ComEd for its Retro-Commissioning Program. Sieben Energy Associates has been a proud Service Provider for this program since its inception, and we feel a special connection to this honor. So congratulations to ComEd, Nexant, and all the Service Providers and clients that made it possible.

Energy Efficiency: The Recession’s Silver Lining?

Liz Brady — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:55:00 GMT

There is no denying the so-called “Great Recession” has not been kind to state budgets, federal budgets, many businesses, international markets, prospective student-loan recipients, job seekers, and countless others. But, according to the Department of Energy and numerous environmental organizations, it has been kind to something: the planet.

"Recession Special: Cleaner Air" in Saturday’s New York Times cites analysis by the US Department of Energy and several environmental research groups that the economic downturn has led to a marked decrease in carbon emissions throughout the United States. Efforts to cut costs through energy efficient appliances, lighting, and building systems are “all justified as saving money over their lifetimes [and] also save carbon.”

The efficiency push has also led to cleaner power generation. A smaller, more service-based economy has created less demand for electricity, causing utilities to use the most cost-effective means of power generation: more efficient, lower-emitting plants. A legislative and industry push for cleaner technology in coal plants, as well as lower natural gas prices and subsidies for renewable energy have also led to decreased emissions and a shift in the energy economy that experts hope signals long-term change.

While the piece acknowledges that its scope is limited (U.S. emissions are down, but global trends may prove to be different), the good news is that U.S. businesses, utilities, and individuals are taking advantage of the financial benefits of energy efficiency in a tough economy. And reducing carbon emissions. If there is a silver lining in “The Great Recession,” a cleaner energy economy just might be it.