Grid Optimal TM buildings: achieving maximum benefit for smart building-to-grid integration
As policymakers and the building community encourage improved building efficiency and reduced carbon impacts, the rapid proliferation of distributed renewable energy resources--on local businesses and homes--creates technical challenges for grid operation, and traditional revenue models for utilities face significant uncertainty. In response to efficiency goals, the building industry is delivering more and more distributed energy generation onto the grid with little or no regard for how the utilities must respond to the presence of these new distributed resources. To tackle this problem, New Buildings Institute (NBI) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) have launched a new initiative including a coalition of major electric utilities and other organizations that are committed to developing strategies and metrics to better integrate building loads and operating characteristics into utility grid management strategies.

This project, called the Grid Optimal Buildings Initiative, will develop a metric by which building features and operating characteristics that support more effective grid operation can be measured and quantified. The resulting rating system can be identified by designers and incentivized by utilities. By supporting the adoption of “grid optimal” building features, utilities will be able to tap into a new resource to support grid services. Read more
Two new resources to assist with zero energy buildings and code implementation
NBI has been a leader in advancing energy codes since its inception more than 20 years ago. The recent publication Moving Energy Codes Forward: A Guide for Cities and States ­­­­ draws on the combined experience of the NBI codes and policy team to explain how energy codes can be a crucial piece of a municipal Climate Action Plan. The guide details the process of code adoption, implementation, the role of policies and incentives, and some case studies and resources for jurisdictions in the planning stages of adopting advanced local codes.

In a second new guide, NBI worked with California’s Department of General Services (DGS) to develop the ZNE Project Guide for State Buildings to assist project teams working on getting public buildings in DGS’s portfolio to the zero energy goals mandated by the state. Though this guide was developed in California, the information provided applies to many project teams and the commercial projects they are working on, no matter the region.
NBI’s Board of Directors appoints two new members and says goodbye to a long-time member
NBI is pleased to announce that Dana Bolton, Vice President Customer Solutions at ComEd and Michelle Thomas, Senior Manager at Southern California Edison have joined the Board of Directors. Dana directs the strategy, resources, and activities for ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Program, which includes marketing, data analytics, research and development, and program delivery and operations. Michelle has over 25 years’ experience in electric utility/energy efficiency and demand side management (DSM) in the areas of new construction zero net energy, building codes and appliance standards, and regulatory policy. We welcome both of these thought leaders.

In welcoming new Board members, it is also time for NBI to say thank you to retiring Board Member Doug Baston. CEO, Ralph DiNola reflected on Doug's contribution to NBI, "as an industry leader and founding board member of New Buildings Institute, Doug Baston has provided our organization with great insights into the foundation and the future of energy efficiency for the building industry. His decades of experience consulting on utility energy efficiency programs and his knowledge of the policy implications and opportunities to advance best practices has made him a valuable sounding board for our Board of Directors and staff. We already miss his presence, but plan to continue engaging with Doug to leverage his deep knowledge and skill."
Net-Zero Energy Coalition's To Zero and Beyond: 2017 Zero Energy Residential Buildings Study  
The Net-Zero Energy Coalition released the latest numbers in its tracking of zero energy (ZE) residential buildings earlier this year. Residential ZE projects have seen a remarkable 70% increase since 2017. The residential ZE market continues to lead the building sector in growth. This is expected to continue as the inventory has identified 33,324 units in the planning stages.

The report readily identifies California as the leading state in units of ZE residential of all types with Arizona and British Columbia coming in second and third, respectively. Both are new to the top 10 listing.

Founding board members and former Executive Director featured for NBI’s 20th Anniversary retrospective
Our 20 th Anniversary retrospective continues with a video interview from founding board member John Wilson as well as blogs from Institute of Market Transformation’s David Cohan and former NBI Executive Director Dave Hewitt. These leaders have been instrumental in the trajectory of our organization. Hear what they have to say about the impacts NBI has made in the commercial building sector, especially in regard to codes and policy. Read more
Better Buildings Can Limit Climate Change
Climate change is the most important known-to-be-solvable problem of our time. Because buildings are the largest contributor to carbon emissions, slightly exceeding the carbon from automobile use in the U.S., reducing energy use by half in existing buildings is a necessary step to cut climate pollution and meet the Paris Climate Agreement goal of limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. It is also a great way to do it because of its health, productivity, and comfort benefits as well as the jobs it creates. Read Blog

For the paper this blog is based on, and all NBI authored papers from the ACEEE Summer Study, visit our website.
Proposition 39 ZNE Schools Leadership Awards kicks off and trainings continue through the Fall
With over 100 high performance education buildings in California, many of them achieving or working toward a zero net energy (ZNE) goal, it’s no wonder that the Golden State is leading nationally in school projects. To honor leadership in ZNE schools, NBI is currently calling for submissions for the third annual ZNE School Leadership Awards. The awards will showcase the people, buildings and policies that are driving this new standard for school environments. The submission deadline has been extended and submissions must be received by Friday, September 21, 2018, in the following categories: Individuals & Teams, Districts and Outstanding Buildings. More information on the categories and submission requirements is available on our website .

In addition, three no-cost trainings are coming up this fall, including two webinars and an in-person workshop that will be held at Green California Schools and Community Colleges Summit in Pasadena on October 30, Inefficiency is Old School: A Technical Deep Dive into ZNE School Retrofits . Attendees of this workshop will advance their knowledge of the design process, technology application and approaches used in the Proposition 39 ZNE School Retrofit Pilot Program. The four-hour interactive session will highlight technical design features, technology packages and construction practices from the ongoing journey of the Proposition 39 ZNE pilot schools. Webinars are scheduled for September and November, and you can view past sessions as well. Find out more about these events and register .

This program is funded by California utility customers and administered by California’s investor-owned utilities under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
NBI staff and board honored with awards and accolades
Congratulations to John Wilson, former Board President of New Buildings Institute, who was awarded the 2018 Jeffrey A. Johnson Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Building Energy Codes. This award is named in honor of an early executive director of NBI, Jeff Johnson, and his leadership in using codes to deliver significant energy savings in commercial buildings. John’s support of NBI has been instrumental in the codes work accomplished by our organization, and we are so pleased to know his career-long efforts are being recognized. Read Blog

Cathy Higgins, Research Director, has been named a Woman of Vision for 2018 by the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce. Cathy, along with 50 other distinguished honorees are being recognized for their work shaping our built environment .

NBI has been named one of the 2018 100 Best Nonprofits to Work for in Oregon by Oregon Business Magazine .
Don't miss this upcoming workshop:
 Washington D.C. | University of the District of Columbia
September 25 8:00 am - 12:30 pm
This four-hour workshop will highlight the rapidly growing ultra-low and zero energy commercial building market. Presenters will introduce zero energy definitions and provide an overview of trends and strategies for zero energy market adoption and growth. Register
Where we'll be: Catch up with NBI staff at these events