The third panel discussion of the day tackled the renewed interest in energy efficiency amongst manufacturers, building owners and managers. The panelists took an honest look at an area that GreenBiz diagnosed as merely treading water. What's keeping us from success here? What needs to happen to overcome these hurdles? What are the bright spots in energy efficiency and what can building and sustainability managers do to make progress? Leaders from EnerNOC, PG&E Corp, and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab discuss.
Moderator and Associate Editor of GreenerBuildings.com, Leslie Guevarra provoked the panel saying "the technology is there, so why aren't we excelling in energy efficiency?" Lee C. Cooper, Manager of Emerging Technologies at PG&E Corp noted that building owners are thinking on a shorter timeframe and don't think they can afford efficiency improvements. They also may not trust the energy savings numbers espoused. Also, owners and tenants aren't always on the same page -- open dialogue is necessary. Tom Arnold, VP of Energy Efficiency and Carbon Solutions at EnerNOC, Inc noted the demand for speedy payback is a force to reckon with; Arnold is seeing certain energy efficiency programs cancelled if they won't provide certain payback within a year. The market is demanding immediate ROI. People are afraid to take risks. Stephen Selkowitz, Program Head of the Building Technologies Department at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory pointed out the irony in this -- people are afraid to invest in efficiency (which will certainly pay off in the foreseeable future), but continue to invest in the markets which are delivering negative and flat returns.
Despite lagging adoption -- technology is making leaps and bounds, providing options for businesses and homeowners to increase energy efficiency. "Smart" is the word of the day. Lighting, buildings, the grid and everything in between need to be "smart." Selkowitz commented that buildings will become smarter in two areas: assets (built efficiency) and operations (what tenants bring in to the buildings and all operational practices).
How can we bring practice up to speed with technology? Arnold has seen that setting carbon footprint or other energy usage goals can spur corporate action. And companies don't take full advantage of the existing incentive programs offered by utilities and other government agencies. Selkowitz added that aiming for zero energy usage in a building can really help move things along by changing the mindset from making "nibbling" changes to more fundamental shifts. Covering all your roofs with PV panels won't get you all the way there -- you need to cut your energy significantly and then install PV to create the energy you need. "You can't cover a roof with enough PV to offset the average building," Selkowitz explained. The federal stimulus package is another bright spot, Cooper proposed, with huge sums of money directed towards energy efficiency efforts.
So it's not all bad news here. Energy efficiency is one area where we all have the ability to contribute. Even in the absence of cutting edge smart technology, we can commit to being mindful of our own energy use in our homes and offices by limiting use, turning off lights and electronic and unplugging devices.