Synapse: This Week's News for LA’s Best Buildings
Why Now is the Time to Leverage ESG Incentive Programs
With so many Americans out of work or working from home, residential energy use has increased 15 percent to 20 percent, making the “utility cost burden” a pressing issue as we endure the summer heat. For low-income households who are already disproportionately impacted by the ongoing health and economic crises, this is even a bigger problem.
LABBC Executive Director, David Hodgins, discusses how it’s time to ramp up ESG efforts at a time when energy efficiency is seen as a social good.
California’s Air Quality Is Poor. Here’s How to Protect Yourself
Wildfire smoke spreads misery, including health problems, far beyond fire zones. The NY Times provides some key facts and tips.
New Report: Commercial Buildings and Onsite Renewable Energy
DataTrends is an ongoing series of original research and analysis from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) using data from the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® tool. Hundreds of thousands of buildings use Portfolio Manager to track their energy use. This report by ENERGY STAR is a compilation of their observations from this vast database with the hope that this information will help inform and advance the industry. This paper looks at the buildings that report onsite generation of renewable energy, including their type, location, and ENERGY STAR scores—as well as how they have changed over the past decade. We also explain current trends in energy metering and the challenges of properly tracking onsite renewable energy use to understand the energy efficiency of buildings.
California’s Clean Electricity Grid Powers Forward
California’s clean energy policies are being blamed incorrectly for what some critics have called “crippling power outages.” The brief rolling blackouts ordered last month by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) hardly “crippled” the state, and severe heat and record-setting wildfires—both fueled by climate change—are what truly have been stressing California’s electric grid. In fact, the most promising reliability strategies will accelerate the state’s clean energy transition, which is reducing the very emissions driving the climate crisis.
Webinar: Building Energy Performance Standards and the Importance of Financing to Fund the Necessary Upgrades
To meet long-term climate goals, new and more aggressive approaches are needed to obtain substantial energy savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing buildings. Mandatory building performance standards are one such approach. This webinar will explore how three jurisdictions are implementing building performance standards, and the financial instruments that can be complimentary to fund the necessary upgrades for building owners.
When: September 15, 10am PDT
Register for LABC's 14th Annual Sustainability Summit
As California continues to experience record setting temperatures, wildfires, and power outages, we have a unique opportunity to address the dual threat of COVID-19 and climate change.
Join the LABC and key Congressional leaders at the 2020 Sustainability Summit to hear how investing in clean energy and a low carbon future can address climate change and health disparities in disadvantaged communities, while creating a number of other benefits.
When: September 21-22, times vary - click below for the full schedule!
