DOE forms buildings’ alliance focused on energy efficiency

The U.S.

Dept. of Energy (DOE) and 19 commercial real estate companies launched the

Commercial Real Estate Energy Alliance (CREEA) to dramatically reduce the

commercial building sector’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Currently, commercial buildings account for 18% of the nation’s energy

consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

CREEA will link building owners and operators with

applicable research and technologies being developed at DOE’s National

Laboratories. CREEA is the second energy alliance launched by the DOE in the

commercial buildings sector-the Retailer Energy Alliance; with members such as

Walmart, Target, and Macy’s, was launched in 2008.

“The deployment of new energy efficient technologies and

adoption by both public and private sectors are vital to achieving substantial

change in building energy use throughout the U.S.,” said Scott Hine, acting

program manager of DOE’s Building Technologies Program.  “This collaboration will help speed the

adoption of high-performance, energy-efficient buildings by the commercial real

estate sector.”

Energy alliances serve as national forums to share best

practices and practical experiences in energy efficiency. For example, the Retailer Energy Alliance hosts two supplier summits where building owners,

operators, and suppliers work on solutions for achieving significant energy

reductions. The alliances will also serve as a collective buying voice for the

industry to encourage building material suppliers to create more energy

efficiency equipment.

CREEA and the Retailer Energy Alliance are part of the DOE’s

Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative (CBI), which aims to achieve

market-ready, zero-energy commercial buildings by 2025.  CBI also includes a National Laboratory

Collaborative on building technologies, which concentrates the efforts of five

National Laboratories on the Net-Zero energy goals. The CBI also uses the

Commercial Building National Accounts, which conducts cost-shared research,

development and deployment for new building technologies among major national

companies.

The CREEA Steering Committee has been responsible for

setting the goals and direction for the alliance. The committee includes:

CB

Richard Ellis

• Cushman

  & Wakefield

• Grubb

  & Ellis

• Hilton

  Hotels Corp.

• Jones

  Lang LaSalle

• MGM

  Mirage

• Transwestern
• U.S. General

  Services Administration

• USAA

  Real Estate Company

• The

  Walt Disney Co.

• Wyndham

  Hotel and Resorts

• American

  Hotel and Lodging Assn.

• ASHRAE
• Building

  Owners and Managers Assn.

• Illuminating

  Engineering Society of North America

• International

  Council of Shopping Centers

• National

  Assn. of Industrial and Office Properties

• Real

  Estate Roundtable

Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our WTWH Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.