Energy Savers Program Recognized for Excellence in Sustainability and Green Practices by the Chicagoland Apartment Association
November 4th, 2011
On October 28, the Energy Savers program received a Chicagoland Apartment Marketing and Management Excellence (CAMME) Award from the Chicagoland Apartment Association. The Energy Savers program, a project of CNT Energy and Community Investment Corporation (CIC), was recognized in the category of Excellence in Sustainability and Green Practices for the program’s achievements in improving energy efficiency in affordable multifamily rental housing in the Chicago region.
The (CAMME) Awards are held annually to celebrate multi-family housing companies and professionals that have demonstrated excellence in the previous year. All entries are judged by fellow multi-family housing professionals that do not have an entry in the category and whose professional experience is commensurate with the category being judged.
The Energy Savers program is a one-stop energy efficiency shop for multifamily buildings. CNT Energy administers the program in partnership with CIC. Since 2008, Energy Savers has retrofitted more than 6,200 units in more than 160 buildings in the Chicago region. Aside from these upgrades, the CNT Energy staff has conducted energy assessments in roughly 500 buildings – including over 17,600 units. Through Community Investment Corporation, the lending partner for the program, building owners have been able to leverage more than $4 million in financing for building improvements.
These efforts have led to total energy savings of close to 1.5 million therms. Aside from energy and operation cost savings, the Energy Savers program has led to the creation of 189 new jobs. This program is benefiting building owners, tenants, the local economy, and the environment by reducing operating costs, making apartments more comfortable, creating jobs and saving energy.
Building owners and contractors who are interested in working with the Energy Savers program can contact CNT Energy at info@cntenergy.org or (773) 269-4037. More information is also available at www.cntenergysavers.org.
Energy Impact Illinois Announces Interactive Tools and Financing for Homeowners to Make Energy Efficient Upgrades
November 1st, 2011
Resources aim to give consumers the information they need to make decisions towards reducing energy consumption and lowering energy bills
Energy Impact Illinois today launched a personalized energy calculator and financial resources for Chicago area homeowners to help them make energy efficient improvements to their homes. The tools, now located at TheEnergyBills.org, will educate homeowners on their current energy usage, provide information on how to make smart energy efficiency investments and connect them with financial resources to make those investments a reality.
“Everyone knows that they will save money and energy if they retrofit their home or business, it is just hard to figure out how to make it happen,” said Randy Blankenhorn, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the lead agency behind Energy Impact Illinois. “Energy Impact Illinois simplifies the process with these new resources, which will help people get informed on their energy usage habits and learn ways to make smart energy efficient investments that fit within their budget.”
The energy calculator, known as “MyHomeEQ,” is a unique customized web tool that gives users real, up-to-date information on their home energy usage. The tool is a simple process that tells a user how they use energy, what can be done to lower utility bills while improving energy efficiency, and how to connect with the right resources and contractors needed to implement those actions.
MyHomeEQ integrates actual data from county assessors’ offices and utility bills while incorporating a home’s characteristics submitted by the user to develop an individual energy performance score. Users can then compare that score to similar homes in their area and explore steps that can improve their score, such as sealing air leaks or replacing outdated appliances with new energy efficient models.
“With winter approaching, people are more conscious of their energy costs,” said Blankenhorn. “Our tools and resources will help customers understand how they use energy and how they can navigate the retrofit process, reduce expenses and make their home more comfortable.”
In addition to MyHomeEQ, TheEnergyBills.org also features the Energy Impact Illinois Residential Loan Program, which includes financial resources from local credit unions and banks that can help homeowners make energy efficiency upgrades to their properties in affordable ways. Homeowners can take advantage of unsecured loan products at competitive rates to help finance energy efficiency improvement projects, with links to qualified contractors to do the work.
To learn more and to take advantage of MyHomeEQ and the Energy Impact Illinois Residential Loan program, and other potential energy efficiency resources, visit TheEnergyBills.org.
CNT Energy Launches Energy Savers Newsletter
October 26th, 2011
CNT Energy is launching a quarterly online newsletter designed to help building owners, contractors, and others connect with resources and information that can help them save energy and money. The update is produced by CNT Energy and focuses on the Energy Savers program – a one-stop energy efficiency shop for multifamily building owners. CNT Energy administers the Energy Savers program in partnership with Community Investment Corporation and Energy Impact Illinois.
To view the update, go to http://www.cntenergy.org/media/Fall-2011-Energy-Savers-Update.pdf
Illinois Households Slash Electricity Costs 25 Percent with Power Smart Pricing
October 25th, 2011
For Immediate Release For more information contact:
October 25, 2011 Stephanie Folk, CNT Energy
Phone: 773-269-4085
E-mail: sfolk@cntenergy.org
Illinois Households Slash Electricity Costs 25 Percent with Power Smart Pricing
More than 11,000 downstate Illinois households have discovered they can cut their electric utility bills by switching to the Power Smart Pricing program from Ameren Illinois. Customers in this program have saved an average of 25 percent on the electricity supply portion of their electricity bills compared with what they would pay on the standard rate. That amounts to nearly $200 in annual savings for a typical household with total electric bills that averaged around $100 per month before switching to Power Smart Pricing. Program participants have saved more than $4 million since the program started in 2007.
The 25 percent savings result is based on average savings on electricity supply charges for 2008 through 2010. By the end of this year, current customers are on track to save an average of roughly 25 percent during 2011.
Power Smart Pricing is designed to help customers save money by giving them access to hourly, market-based electricity prices. While these prices vary, often the market-based price of electricity is lower than the price under the standard residential rate. Prices tend to be low most of the time during the fall, winter and spring, and can be higher on summer afternoons. Customers can increase their savings with Power Smart Pricing by taking simple actions to conserve electricity during the hours when prices rise.
Power Smart Pricing is an electricity rate option from Ameren Illinois that is administered by CNT Energy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers and communities save energy and money. Customers who sign up for Power Smart Pricing continue to get their electricity supply from Ameren Illinois. CNT Energy provides information and customer support to help program participants get the best possible value from the program.
“Power Smart Pricing works a bit like a cell phone plan that gives you lower prices for nights and weekends,” says Stephanie Folk, a program spokesperson from CNT Energy. “But with Power Smart Pricing you get even more times when prices are low. For many people it’s an easy way to save on household bills.”
With Power Smart Pricing, the hourly electricity prices for each day are set the evening in advance. Customers can check prices by phone or the Internet or through other tools including Twitter and smart phone apps. Program participants can also view their electricity usage and savings information by logging in to their account at www.powersmartpricing.org.
In addition to helping customers cut costs, Power Smart Pricing has demonstrated that participants reduce their electricity usage during hours when demand for electricity is highest. This eases stress on the electric grid, and can help reduce the cost of power for all customers by reducing the amount of expensive peak power that the utility must buy.
For more information, go to www.powersmartpricing.org or call 877- 655-6028.
More than 11,000 downstate Illinois households have discovered they can cut their electric utility bills by switching to the Power Smart Pricing program from Ameren Illinois. Customers in this program have saved an average of 25 percent on the electricity supply portion of their electricity bills compared with what they would pay on the standard rate. That amounts to nearly $200 in annual savings for a typical household with total electric bills that averaged around $100 per month before switching to Power Smart Pricing. Program participants have saved more than $4 million since the program started in 2007.
The 25 percent savings result is based on average savings on electricity supply charges for 2008 through 2010. By the end of this year, current customers are on track to save an average of roughly 25 percent during 2011.
Power Smart Pricing is designed to help customers save money by giving them access to hourly, market-based electricity prices. While these prices vary, often the market-based price of electricity is lower than the price under the standard residential rate. Prices tend to be low most of the time during the fall, winter and spring, and can be higher on summer afternoons. Customers can increase their savings with Power Smart Pricing by taking simple actions to conserve electricity during the hours when prices rise.
Power Smart Pricing is an electricity rate option from Ameren Illinois that is administered by CNT Energy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping consumers and communities save energy and money. Customers who sign up for Power Smart Pricing continue to get their electricity supply from Ameren Illinois. CNT Energy provides information and customer support to help program participants get the best possible value from the program.
“Power Smart Pricing works a bit like a cell phone plan that gives you lower prices for nights and weekends,” says Stephanie Folk, a program spokesperson from CNT Energy. “But with Power Smart Pricing you get even more times when prices are low. For many people it’s an easy way to save on household bills.”
With Power Smart Pricing, the hourly electricity prices for each day are set the evening in advance. Customers can check prices by phone or the Internet or through other tools including Twitter and smart phone apps. Program participants can also view their electricity usage and savings information by logging in to their account at www.powersmartpricing.org.
In addition to helping customers cut costs, Power Smart Pricing has demonstrated that participants reduce their electricity usage during hours when demand for electricity is highest. This eases stress on the electric grid, and can help reduce the cost of power for all customers by reducing the amount of expensive peak power that the utility must buy.
For more information, go to www.powersmartpricing.org or call 877- 655-6028.
SAVE Act Would Allow Building Owners to Capture Full Value of Energy Efficiency Improvements
October 19th, 2011
American home buyers and builders are often discouraged from purchasing and constructing energy efficient homes because current mortgage underwriting and appraisal standards fail to account for energy costs and savings that come from energy efficiency improvements. Today’s introduction of the SAVE Act by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and John Isakson (R-GA) will remove these roadblocks to more energy efficient homes and take a first step toward giving consumers an energy rating on homes, similar to “miles per gallon” ratings on cars or Energy Star labels on appliances.
The SAVE (Sensible Accounting to Value Energy) Act promises to improve the quality and security of mortgage lending by accounting for a homeowner’s energy costs with two legislative components. First, lenders will be required to include expected energy costs in debt-to-income qualifying ratios, which test a buyer’s ability to make mortgage payments. This will eliminate the now-hidden risk factor of home energy costs. Second, lenders must also include the value of expected energy savings when calculating the loan-to-value ratio of a mortgage, allowing homeowners to finance the cost of energy efficiency improvements as part of their mortgage.
The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), a Chicago-based think-and-do-tank, supports the introduction of the SAVE Act because of its value to home owners. The Act fits with CNT’s work to provide people with the information they need to make informed decisions that save them money and benefit the environment. CNT affiliate CNT Energy has a 2-year old program that helps multifamily building owners understand their energy use and make investments to increase energy efficiency and reduce costs by up to 30 percent. Under current mortgage regulations, building owners are unable to reap the full benefits of increased energy efficiency. The SAVE Act will change this by allowing building owners to capture the value of their investments in energy efficiency.
In addition to giving home owners the ability to capture the value of energy efficiency improvements when they sell their homes, the SAVE Act would also help create jobs and protect the environment. More home owners investing in energy efficiency will create more construction and manufacturing jobs to do the work. More home owners making energy efficiency improvements will also reduce the nation’s energy needs and the pollution created by it.
The SAVE Act is supported by a multitude of governmental, commercial, and non-profit agencies, including the U.S. Green Building Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Natural Resources Defense Council, Residential Energy Services Network, Institute for Market Transformation, CNT Energy, and Alliance to Save Energy.
For more information, visit http://www.imt.org/save-act.
Energy Savers is Featured in Lake County’s Video at the Gabriel’s Corner Open House
September 29th, 2011
Check out Lake County’s video on the Gabriel’s Corner open house. It features the value of doing an energy retrofit to help preserve affordable housing and reclaim a space that had come under disrepair. CNT Energy’s Jeanine Otte describes the work that Energy Savers had done on the building. Lake County will be showing the video at the Community Development Commission meeting this week.
Investing in Energy Efficiency Pays
September 27th, 2011
Study Finds Range in Energy Efficiency Performance and “Green Premium” Costs
An analysis of 51 LEED-certified green projects in Illinois found that most—specifically those that prioritized energy efficiency during the design and construction phase—use less energy than a typical commercial building. The study also showed that additional costs associated with green construction varied across projects, with a median value of $3.81 per square foot. In addition, building occupants are generally satisfied with their work environment and the commute to these LEED® projects.
“Not all green buildings are alike when it comes to energy efficiency,” said Anne Evens, director of the nonprofit CNT Energy, which conducted the study in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter (USGBC – Illinois). “Maximizing efficiency requires starting with the right priorities, monitoring usage, and tweaking operations and maintenance over the life of a building. Buildings account for a large portion of our global warming emissions here in Chicago, and building owners need to be diligent about efficiency to reduce emissions and save on utility bills.”
The study, “Regional Green Building Case Study: Year Two Report,” is a follow-up to a 2009 study that examined the energy usage and other environmental factors in 25 LEED-certified buildings in Illinois. Of the 51 buildings in this report, 19 also participated in 2009. To receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the U.S. Green Building Council rates green building projects on a point system for features that improve energy efficiency, indoor air quality, water use, and other areas. CNT Energy analyzed how projects performed over multiple years in areas including energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, operating costs, commute transportation and occupant comfort.
The participating green building projects include offices, museums, police stations and other building use types. The study’s sample represents nearly 25 percent of the state’s LEED-certified projects and includes projects from throughout the Chicago metropolitan area and central Illinois. The projects vary in size from 971 square feet to 4.2 million square feet. All provided at least 12 months of post-occupancy energy utility data. Most were able to provide energy use information for entire buildings, while 16 were able to provide only partial information about energy usage.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the average energy use intensity (EUI) for commercial buildings in the Midwest is 99 kilo-Btu per square feet per year (kBtu/ft2/year). Sixty-four percent of the LEED projects that provided energy use data for the entire building used less energy than this average for commercial buildings. Likewise, 77 percent of projects that provided partial energy use data performed better than a similar benchmark.
Twenty three participants provided information on a “green premium,” which is the difference between a project’s actual construction costs and the expected costs had the project been completed without green features. Two projects reported no green premium, while the others reported premiums ranging from less than $1 per square foot to $107 per square foot. Most projects noted that grants or other financial incentives helped to offset the green premium.
Of the 19 study participants that provided information on operating costs, 11 indicated that their costs were lower than before moving into a green building, five noted no change in costs, two reported that they were not tracking such information, and one reported that costs had increased.
“Sustainability efforts should not stop after the design and construction phase,” said Doug Widener, executive director of USGBC – Illinois. “Achieving ideal performance for green buildings requires understanding how the building performs in the first place and continuously monitoring how it performs over time.”
Members of the media who are interested in learning more about this research are invited to attend a USGBC – Illinois member education session on Thursday, September 29 at the Merchandise Mart. The fee will be waived for media.
Event:
Illinois LEED Buildings: Analyzing Post Occupancy Performance and Engaging Stakeholders in Building Performance
When:
8-10 am on Thursday, September 29, 2011
Where:
Merchandise Mart Conference Center
350 West Mart Center (2nd Floor)
Chicago, IL 60654
CNT Energy will also give a presentation on the report at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Toronto on October 6.
Driving Demand for Energy Efficient Homes Roundtable
September 12th, 2011
CNT Energy and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning are proud to cohost an innovative event coming to Chicago on September 28. The GreenMLS/Better Buildings Roundtable will bring energy and real estate professionals together to pinpoint a market-driven path to drive demand for energy efficient homes.
Using a bottom-up model, the event will bring together key players from six communities receiving Department of Energy Better Buildings grant funding. The Better Buildings grants are designed in part to create residential home energy remodeling programs that will both accelerate energy efficient home inventory and create long-term demand for this type of remodeling work. National experts will provide context and discuss how energy efficiency programs can be reflected best in each community’s local multiple listing service (MLS). Addressing energy efficiency in the MLS systems now will ready the markets for a time when more energy efficient homes become available for resale. This work could make a premium for these homes more transparent to consumers.
The roundtable will advance a trend reported in August by the Washington Post, Is green good for resale value? The article highlighted four areas in the U.S. where resale trend metrics comparing the value of green vs. traditional homes are available. The vision of the roundtable is to add to the number of communities tracking these results and to improve the quality of the data reported.
Attendees will represent a wide range of perspectives on how any premium is made transparent within a market. Participants will include energy program representatives, realtors, appraisers, and lenders. Better Buildings communities participating will include the both the Bay Area and Southern California; Boulder, Colorado; Charlottesville, Virginia; Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon, Westchester County, New York. Staff from each corresponding multiple listing service will also attend. National organizations include the Appraisal Institute, the Building Performance Institute, the Department of Energy, EcoBroker International, the Institute for Market Transformation, the National Association of Realtors – Green REsource Council and National Home Performance Council.
Watch for more information on the outcomes of the GreenMLS/Better Buildings Roundtable later this fall.
CNTe’s Kathryn Eggers to Speak at USGBC-Illinois Event
September 8th, 2011
We wanted to pass on the invitation to attend an Illinois LEED Buildings event on September 29. CNT Energy’s Kathryn Eggers will be on the panel discussing her work on analyzing post occupancy performance of LEED buildings. Anyone can attend. See below for more information and how to register.
Illinois LEED Buildings: Analyzing Post Occupancy Performance & Engaging Stakeholders in Building Performance (1.5 GBCI & AIA hours) hosted by the USGBC – Illinois Chapter!
Date: 29 Sep 2011
Time: 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Location: Merchandise Mart Conference Center, 350 West Mart Center (2nd Floor), Chicago, IL 60654
Program Description:
Building performance monitoring is an important component of sustainable building operations. Results from a multi-year study of more than 50 Illinois LEED buildings will be presented and two participants will speak about what they learned through the process. Study metrics include energy, water, construction costs, occupant comfort and employee commute.
Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, attendees will be able to…
- Explain how building performance, and post occupancy evaluation, fit into broader conversations of green buildings and LEED certification
- Describe the value of post occupancy evaluation from the perspective those who own, operate and manage a building
- Identify two techniques used by this team that could be used to perform similar analysis in their region
- Summarize two or three aggregate results from the Regional Green Building Case Study analysis of project energy usage, water usage, construction costs, occupant comfort and employee commute
Speakers:
Doug Widener, USGBC – Illinois Chapter (Moderator)
Kathryn Eggers, CNT Energy
Mark Bettin, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.
Ted Krasnesky, Pepper Construction
Continuing Education:
1.5 GBCI CE hours (project systems & energy impacts)
1.5 AIA HSW/SD hours
Registration Fee:
$15 Chapter Members
$30 Non-Members
$10 Student Members
For event fees, online registration and additional information, please click the link below.
http://usgreenbuildingcouncilchicagochapter.roundtablelive.org/ViewEvent.ashx?eventId=373840
Great Lakes Symposium on Smart Grid & the New Energy Economy
September 7th, 2011
See below for the invitation to the Great Lakes Symposium on Smart Grid & the New Energy Economy. It looks like it should be a very informative and essential event for the all those in the smart grid industry in the Midwest. To learn more and to register for the event go to http://greatlakessymposium.com/.
Join us for the Great Lakes Symposium on Smart Grid and the New Energy Economy, a one-of-a-kind event that will break new ground in smart grid design and development. The event, on Oct. 18 and 19 in Chicago, will showcase smart grid best practices from around the country along with new technologies and ideas that are spurring innovation, growing state economies, reducing emissions and empowering consumers to conserve and save. Highlights include:
- Path to Perfect Power track, showcasing microgrid and other consumer-centric approaches
- Smart Grid Policy Summit
- Innovation Marketplace, a smart grid start-up investor “elevator pitch” event
- Technology showcase and demonstrations
- A chance to contribute to the Smart Grid Regional Roadmap
