The benefit of an Energy Star rating

For existing buildings that want to attain the Energy Star rating, it's a matter of recommissioning, said Mike Turzanski, operations manager at Cushman & Wakefield in Denver.

Turzanski said when he's trying to bring a building up to Energy Star code, he tries to understand from the original builders how the equipment was meant to be used, maintains it, and then starts building on that with new technology.

Building operation managers who want to achieve the Energy Star rating can use a special portfolio manager to benchmark how their buildings use energy, relative to similar buildings nationwide.

The rating system's is on a 1-100 scale with a rating of 50 indicating average energy performance, while a rating of 75 or better indicates top performance.

According to energystar.gov, the portfolio manager "does not by itself explain why a building performs a certain way, or how to change the building's performance. It does, however, help organizations assess performance and identify those buildings that offer the best opportunities for improvement and recognition."

The rating is calculated based on the information entered about the building, such as its size, location, number of occupants, number of PCs, etc. The rating system estimates how much energy the building would use if it were the best performing, the worst performing and every level in between. It then ranks the building relative to its peers.

Buildings that can earn the Energy Star include offices, bank branches and financial centers, courthouses, hospitals, hotels and motels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories and warehouses.

Industrial buildings that can earn the Energy Star include some manufacturing facilities and plants. Architecture firms can also display the "designed to earn the Energy Star " graphic to distinguish their projects as among the nation's best in energy performance.

Retail space and restaurants are among those not yet on the list.

Turzanski said they use low profile software to see where energy is being consumed and ongoing maintenance is another valuable tool in long term energy efficiency.

Colorado Springs Utilities offers rebates for business customers like Turzanski who want to conserve energy and save money.

Spokeswoman Rachel Beck said both the builder incentive program and the solar program have had good participation.

Business and residential customers that install solar electric panels or photovoltaics are eligible for a $3.75 per watt rebate. The new federal tax credits for solar cover 30 percent of the system cost and up to $2,000 for residential and unlimited for business. So, depending on the installation, 40 percent to 60 percent of the total system cost could be covered by rebates and tax credits.

Beck said the incentive for builders who build energy efficient homes to Energy Star standards is the savings of a couple hundred dollars a month.

The Peak Demand Rebate program is a custom rebate program for medium to large business customers with a goal of obtaining on-peak summer electric demand reduction.

Colorado Springs Utilities also offers rebates to help cover the cost of retrofitting T-12 fluorescent fixtures with new high- efficiency T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts.

Before purchasing higher efficiency equipment, Turzanski said they work with the local utilities to help pay for higher efficiency equipment through the rebate programs.

"You know in the industry what to look for as far as the brand name and equipment," he said.

As far as the money it saves, Turzanski said it is building specific, and there is usually a three-year payback on the equipment depending on how long the owner is going to use it.

"I think it is becoming very important for tenants to know they are leasing space in an Energy Star building," he said

Copyright 2007 Dolan Media Newswires
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