Legislation will improve green performance in commercial buildings.
With goals to boost commercial energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions, the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015 has been enacted after being passed by Congress and signed by President Obama.
The new law has three key focus areas, including the establishment of Tenant Star, a voluntary program administrated by the EPA and DOE to recognize energy efficient commercial facilities. Tenant Star, which is designed similarly to the ENERGY STAR program, will be the first government-approved certification for leased spaces and will help to align the interests of tenants and facility owners by incentivizing and recognizing sustainable operations.
Also included in the bill is an exemption for certain electric grid-enabled water heaters used in demand response programs from DOE regulation that is pending. Additionally, federal facilities that are not ENERGY STAR certified will now need to benchmark and disclose energy usage data, though facilities where benchmarking is not practical will be exempted from the requirements.
Looking to cut down energy use in your own building? Take a look at these 8 Areas Energy is Wasted in Facilities to identify the culprits behind high utility bills.
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