Superefficient Affordable Housing: Solutions to Hurdles

This paper describes the programmatic, financial, technical, and operational hurdles that stand in the way of increased energy efficiency in our affordable housing stock. It then explains possible solutions to each of these hurdles. Through the propagation of these solutions and the diminishment of these hurdles, it is possible to create an incentive structure that results in the rapid adoption of energy efficiency within our affordable housing stock.

 

Heat Pumps: An alternative to oil heat for the Northeast

Heating oil is an economic drain on the Northeast region of the US. Users of heating oil are at a crossroads, as the fuel is increasingly untenable for long-term use. Heat pumps are an attractive alternative to heating oil. While there are some barriers to the widespread adoption of heat pumps, states can take steps to address these barriers. Reducing the upfront cost of heat pumps will drive the industry toward self-sufficiency and resolve many of the other barriers.

 

A Farewell to Fossil Fuels: Answering the Energy Challenge

In this article published in Foreign Affairs, Amory Lovins describes a U.S. transition from fossil fuels--a blueprint detailed in Reinventing Fire-- that requires pursuing transformational change in automotive efficiency, design of buildings and factories, and the electric system.

 

City of Boulder Climate Action Plan Analysis Report

Rocky Mountain Institute worked with the City of Boulder to conduct a thorough analysis of Boulder's demand side management programs. RMI examined 19 residential, commercial, and renewable energy programs using a modified utility cost test approach to determine their full lifetime emissions reductions and the cost/benefit ration for each program. This report summarizes those findings.

 

Working Together for Sustainability: The RMI-BOMA Guide for Landlords and Tenants

This guide is the result of a 2011 workshop put on by RMI and BOMA International to address some of the nontechnical barriers to energy efficiency in commercial buildings, especially those barriers related to split incentives between building landlords and tenants. This guide provides a framework for instituting cooperative and productive relationships between building landlords and tenants and seeks to address some of the non-technological barriers to energy efficiency, such as split incentives, tenant behavior, and transparency. Five actionable steps that are outlined in the guide are: make energy use and costs more transparent; engage building occupants in saving energy; incorporate energy efficiency in tenant fit-outs; plan ahead for deep energy retrofits; and structure agreements to benefit both parties.

 

Sustainable Zero Net Energy: Identifying the Essentials for Solutions

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities available for the electricity and buildings industries as the adoption of distributed generation, energy efficiency, and zero net energy designs grow.

 

Comment on "Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable energy future" on Nature.com

This comment was posted on Nature.com in response to “Opportunties and challenges for a sustainable energy future” by Steven Chu and Arun Mujumdar. In it, Amory Lovins argues that integrating the Department of Energy's technological solutions with innovative design, strategy, and public policy could solve many energy problems.

 

GSA Net Zero Renovation Challenge Charrette

The General Services Administration (GSA), Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings (OFHPGB) and the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) have launched an effort to enhance and increase the usage of Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) on GSA buildings. Rocky Mountain Institute and GSA convened a workshop in 2011 in order to examine the existing ESPC structure and process, and identify improvements to unlock the possibility of deep savings and eventual net zero ESPCs. Attendees examined ways to modify and expand the ESPC process to attain deeper energy savings during comprehensive retrofits of existing buildings. This report summarizes the discussion in and outcomes of the workshop.

 

Green Footstep: Calculations and Data Sources

Green Footstep is an online assessment tool for reducing carbon emissions from building construction projects and is publicly available at greenfootstep.org. The Green Footstep tool guides the user through the process of life cycle carbon assessment, and then reveals how users can theoretically reduce the net carbon emissions. Some description of the calculation method is provided on the website; however the calculations and data sources are not provided in detail. This paper provides these calculations and data sources in order to make the Green Footstep methodology completely accessible to the general public.

 

Reinventing Fire Buildings Sector Methodology

This document provides RMI's methodology for the analysis of the buildings sector in Reinventing Fire.

 

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