Laws across the U.S. have been trending towards mandated energy efficiency for commercial buildings. Large cities like Denver, Boulder, and Washington, D.C. are the natural focal points for this effort, but it’s been under way for years now throughout the Tolin Mechanical service area.
Improved standards that apply to future construction will make a more noticeable impact down the road, but the renewal and renovation of existing commercial buildings is being pursued now to see immediate improvements.
Commercial buildings account for more greenhouse emissions than vehicles do, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Tough vehicle emissions laws have required adjustments in many areas, including retrofitting older vehicles with catalytic converters and similar equipment, so it only makes sense for commercial buildings to do the same.
On the federal level, April of 2016 saw the signing of The Paris Agreement, an international agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions. However, state and local governments have been moving in that direction for years now. For example, California’s goal is to cut building energy use in half by the year 2030. More states will likely follow California’s example by introducing aggressive measures to control building energy use.
Office and residential buildings are now on the regulators’ radars
In the past, factories and other large industrial complexes were the main target of commercial facility regulations when it came to energy usage and environmental impact. These days, however, office buildings and multi-unit residential buildings are increasingly under the microscope as well. That translates to owners needing to focus on replacing inefficient heating and cooling components, windows, lighting, and insulation.
The best way for building owners and facility managers to make sure they stay ahead of the regulatory curve is to start evaluating their energy usage and efficiency. An energy audit performed by experienced energy engineers can help commercial and multi-tenant property owners gain insights on areas for improvement from a budgetary and environmental perspective.
In addition to establishing a baseline for improvement, they can also explore upgraded technology options to monitor real-time energy usage throughout the year. This can help owners and maintenance partners understand what problems exist and what steps are necessary to address them.
Making the business case for intelligent building renewal
While the largest facilities are the obvious first targets, energy benchmarking makes sense for the owners of smaller buildings too. This is the case for both renewal projects and new construction.
While building renewal requires a planned capital expenditure, the energy savings it creates provides positive cash-flow, which in turn helps pay for the project.
Before pursuing a renewal project for your building in Colorado or Arizona, we encourage commercial facility owners and managers to speak with our knowledgeable energy experts to determine how changes will impact the facility’s ongoing energy usage. This allows you to make more informed decisions in an effort to align performance with current and future energy regulations and standards.
