The Northwest Current

April 27, 2011

“D.C. is a leader in green accomplishments”

THE CURRENT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2011 11

Superfresh importantto nearby residents

Your article on the closing ofSuperfresh certainly understated itsimpact on the neighborhood[“Superfresh plans to shut D.C.store,” April 20].

The people you interviewedapparently would just as soon shopat Whole Foods. One of them hadbeen living here for “about oneyear”; the other just thoughtSuperfresh a nice bit of neighbor-hood nostalgia.

There are many, many people inthe neighborhood who consider thestore their principal supermarket. Inyour article, spokesperson ScotHoffman made no comment aboutthe store’s financial performance.Superfresh does a remarkably briskbusiness, and I’m sure it outper-forms most other supermarkets inthe area. Many people make themarket their stop on the way homefrom work, and the senior citizensin the neighborhood rely on thestore because of its proximity andease of access.

Superfresh is one store thatA&P should keep open.

Ann BarronAmerican University Park

At Hardy, stick withthe process in place

D.C. Council Chairman KwameBrown is absolutely right about theneed for the D.C. Public Schoolssystem to move ahead — without

meddling from the council — topick a permanent principal forHardy Middle School [“Councilshould stay out of Hardy matter,”Letters to the Editor, April 20].

Acting Schools ChancellorKaya Henderson and the parents ofHardy Middle School need tochoose a principal and give him orher the full support necessary tocontinue the school’s progress. Thecontroversy of the last two yearshas unnecessarily damaged Hardy’sreputation, and it is time for thisuncertainty to end.

My son will be attending Hardyas a sixth-grader next year, and Iam looking forward to workingwith D.C. Public Schools officialsand my fellow Hardy parents tomake the school one of the jewelsof the city’s system. The key firststep is to choose a permanent prin-cipal as soon as possible.

Ward 2 Council member JackEvans’ efforts to intervene in thisdecision are misguided and harm-ful; instead of roiling the watersand creating more uncertainty, heshould join D.C. Public Schoolsofficials and Hardy parents to sup-port the process in place to rapidlychoose and hire a permanent prin-cipal at Hardy.

Brian A. CohenCommissioner, ANC 3B05

Principal search isunder way at Hardy

The appropriate process forchoosing a new principal at HardyMiddle School already is underway: A panel of parents, facultyand community members will meetin coming weeks to identify selec-

tion criteria, interview candidatesand present hiring recommenda-tions to D.C. Public Schools actingChancellor Kaya Henderson.

The effort by Ward 2 D.C.Council member Jack Evans toshort-circuit this process by havingthe council force the return of for-mer principal Patrick Pope is mis-informed, divisive and out of stepwith the growing number of fami-lies that send their children to pub-lic schools in his ward.

Council Chairman KwameBrown is correct that school per-sonnel decisions are not legislativebusiness. He rightly notes that nogood can be done by setting aprecedent for the council to deter-mine who will run each of ourcity’s schools.

The stakeholder-driven principalselection process at Hardy is fol-lowing established D.C. PublicSchools protocol. It is the best wayto identify a consensus candidatewho reflects the vision of theHardy community for taking theschool to new heights. Had Mr.Evans contacted families with chil-dren attending public schools in hisward, he would have found no sup-port for having the council hijackthis process.

Peter EislerParent, Hardy Middle School

Chair, Local School Advisory Team,Hyde-Addison Elementary School

George SimpsonParent, Hardy Middle School

Past president, Hyde-AddisonElementary School PTA

Marcio DufflesPresident, Hyde-Addison Elementary School PTA

Past president, Hardy Middle School PTA

LETTERS TOTHE EDITOR

Last week at Green DC Day, I had the opportuni-ty to speak about some of the District’s manygreen accomplishments — accomplishments we

can all be proud of. Many of these achievements arequite impressive for a jurisdiction as geographicallysmall as the District.

For example, despite being smaller than cities likeChicago and New York, the District ranks No. 1 inLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design-regis-tered and -certified buildings and No. 2 in green roofsinstalled by square foot. Further, the District is No. 2 inthe nation for Energy Star-rated buildings and No. 3for green-power purchases among city governments.

As for transportation and parkland, the District isNo. 2 in weekly ridership for mass transit and No. 1when factoring in commuting both by foot and publictransportation. We are No. 1 in the nation for bikesharing and No. 2 in the nation for parkland by per-centage of acreage as well as per capita.

All of these are reasons to be proud of the work ofour community and city.

Green DC Day also provided an opportunity tointroduce residents to representatives of the newly cre-

ated D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility. This is a featureof the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008,which I introduced along with several members of thecouncil. After four-and-a-half years of hard work, theD.C. Sustainable Energy Utility has become a reality.

Broadly speaking, the utility is required, through theimplementation of several energy-efficiency programs,to create green jobs, reduce energy usage, increaserenewable-energy generating capacity and improveenergy efficiency in low-income housing.

A similar program in Vermont, which is adminis-tered by the same contractor the District is using, drovethe state to become the first in the nation to achievenegative load growth. This means that the state’s annu-al savings from energy efficiency actually exceeded itsannual energy growth. I hope that the District will soonjoin Vermont in this accomplishment.

The D.C. utility is already up and running. I encour-age you to visit dcseu.com for details.

Statistics show D.C. is a leader in green initiatives.While it is important for us to pause to recognize andcelebrate that fact, we must also use it as inspiration topush forward with new initiatives that provide theDistrict’s residents with the greenest city in the nation.

Ward 3 D.C. Council member Mary Cheh chairsthe council’s Committee on Government Operationsand the Environment.

D.C. is a leader in green accomplishmentsVIEWPOINTMARY CHEH

LETTERS TO THE EDITORThe Current publishes letters and Viewpoint submissions representing various points of view. Because ofspace limitations, letters should be no more than 400 words and are subject to editing. Letters and Viewpointsubmissions intended for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, The Current, Post OfficeBox 40400, Washington, D.C. 20016-0400. You may send e-mail to letters@currentnewspapers.com.

AFRO

September 8, 2011

“DC Unemployed Pin Hopes on Green Jobs”

 

September 08, 2011

DC Unemployed Pin Hopes on Green Jobs

Valencia Mohammed, Reporter

Don D. Davis, 42, a homeowner in Ward 8, has been unemployed about a year and a half. Hopeful that a job fair hosted by U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton would be different from the others he had attended, he prayed it would be so.

Norton’s job fair which billed more than 100 employers drew the attention of more than 4,000 residents, almost twice as many as had come in 2010. Surprisingly, Davis was one of the lucky ones to get hired on the spot.

Davis was selected by Leone Construction, a minority-owned business that has a contract from the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) project, to weatherize low income and multi-family units by swapping regular light bulbs with energy efficient ones, wrapping hot water tanks and replacing window air condition units and refrigerators with energy efficient appliances. In addition, small businesses like restaurants will receive energy faucets to reduce the amount of water used.

“I really want to get back on my feet. This job won’t pay the salary that I really need but at least it will get me off unemployment,” said Davis. “The most important thing for me is the introduction into the green job industry. There’s so much talk about it. But what is it and how can I make a good living from it?”

Recently Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced plans to make the District the greenest city in America. Big citywide campaigns begin in September to solicit input from residents and business owners on how to make the District more environmentally safe.

But does all that good talk translate into jobs for the unemployed or more bureaucracy? Several weeks after the job fair and a promise of employment, Davis still waits for a position with the company. His hopes are a little daunted.

“Our company just received the bid in June from DC SEU. We are waiting for enough work and funds to bring on additional staff,” said Henrietta Jones, co-owner of Leone Construction. The company has a small crew of African-American men who have been trained on how to assess the need for upgrading and the installation of energy efficient equipment. The company was assigned clients in Wards 1 and 3.

“One hundred percent of our employees are bonafide DC residents. If we are given the work, we will hire more DC residents,” Jaffa said.

At one of the job sites, Leone Construction new hires work proudly and diligently, climbing ladders to replace 60 light bulbs at a funeral home.

Michael Williams, 55, was a former counselor for the mentally challenged. He has been unemployed for six months.

“At first it seems some people are startled because we are all Black men but once they see how diligent, professional and effective we are, they love us,” said Williams.

Those sentiments are echoed by his coworker, Ricardo Perry, 43, a former truck driver who has been out of work for three months.

“I’ve got 10 children. I can’t afford not to work. What I like are the smiles on the faces once we have completed the project,” said Perry.

Franklin Diggs, 20, just got back from basic training with the National Guard.

“This job is giving me new marketable skills while helping to do positive things in the community,” Diggs said.

The program is performance-based. DC SEU monitors will go out to make sure the installations were performed properly.

“It is my job to make sure the installations have been done properly. We double check before the city monitor comes out,” said job foreman, Anthony Legarde, 54, a certified electrician who was unemployed for four months. “There are many DC residents like us looking for work. All they need is a chance.”

Davis hopes that one day soon, he can begin a career in DC’s new green industry.

Greenwire

September 28, 2011

“ENERGY EFFICIENCY: New DC utility helps

carry out sustainability measures”

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

ENERGY EFFICIENCY: New DC utility helps carry out sustainability measures

Pamela King, E&E reporter

A new sustainable energy utility could play a key role in Washington, DC's goals to reduce energy use.

Unlike traditional utilities that sell energy to customers, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) aims to help its clients gain control over their utility bills by assisting with the installation of new light fixtures, solar panels and hot water heaters.

Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility is the only other service provider that shares the sustainable energy utility designation, although many other states, including Wisconsin and Vermont, have established similar models for their renewable energy programs.

"We're not trying to sell an increment of energy to folks," said Scott Johnstone, managing director of the DC utility. "We're trying to help them either not use energy ... or create new energy that they control through renewables."

DC SEU was created by the City Council's Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008, which set up a trust fund to finance the utility as it aims to create green jobs for DC residents, reduce energy use in city homes and businesses by 1 percent annually and improve energy efficiency in low-income housing.

According to estimates by the DC Department of the Environment, the city spends about $79 million per year on energy use for public buildings alone, based on survey data from 194 government buildings in the district. One of DC SEU's goals is to supplement its trust fund -- which is generated by revenues from surcharges on most city residents' electric and natural gas utility bills -- with federal aid, philanthropic contributions and bank finance programs, Johnstone said.

Earlier this year, DC SEU began acting on its efficiency goals by launching a package of programs, each of which will close at the end of September when this fiscal year ends. Shortly after the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1, the utility will debut a new selection of initiatives, some of which will be current programs restructured to meet long-term goals, Johnstone said. Services for DC SEU are designed, developed and delivered by a group of sustainable energy partners, under the leadership of Vermont Energy Investment Corp.

Through its small business direct installation initiative, DC SEU provides free energy assessments and energy efficiency retrofits for the city's small businesses. Contractors for the utility visit businesses and install energy efficient lighting, water heater tanks and air conditioners in an attempt to generate interest in the services.

DC SEU also visits single-family homes where, in exchange for a $100 co-payment, contractors for the utility conduct a limited amount of weatherization work to improve the homes' energy efficiency.

The utility's low-income component identifies buildings occupied primarily by low-income families and dispatches a number of utility contractors to install efficient lighting, heating, refrigeration and air conditioning for free in the residences.

Finally, DC SEU aims to administer approximately 20 solar and hot water heater installations for eligible applicants.

Johnstone said the utility's work this summer has helped gauge the appetite and job-creation potential for these types of renewable energy programs in the district. Results from the current programs have also helped the utility determine the effects of its services. For each apartment served, DC SEU estimates direct installation services can reduce combined electric and natural gas utility costs by about $69 per year.

Watching energy use in the district "gives us an insight into how to design programs," Johnstone said.

About Greenwire: Greenwire is written and produced by the staff of E&E Publishing, LLC. The one-stop source for those who need to stay on top of all of today's major energy and environmental action with an average of more than 20 stories a day, Greenwire covers the complete spectrum, from electricity industry restructuring to Clean Air Act litigation to public lands management. Greenwire publishes daily at Noon.

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DC Building Industry Association

Pipeline

February 2012

“DC’s New Sustainable Energy Utility – A New

Resource for Energy Efficiency”

13

www.DCBIA.org

PIPELINE February 2012

a New Resource For Energy Efficiency

For DC building owners, it’s not news that utility bills eat into their bottom line. In fact, energy costs are the single largest

operating expense for office buildings in the District. Commercial and institutional buildings in DC consume $800 million worth of electricity per year — 70 percent of the city’s total energy consumption. Finding ways to reduce that energy consumption can go a long way to creating more sustainable buildings and a cleaner, brighter future for DC.

Last month, my colleagues and I had the pleasure of addressing members of the DCBIA community to let them know about the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU): who we are, where we are going, and how we can help them achieve energy efficiency in their buildings. After speaking with many of you following our presentation, I believe the DC SEU is in a wonderful position to offer the DC building community new services that will help DC businesses save energy and save money.

The DC SEU is a new kind of utility designed not only to help District households, businesses, and institutions save energy and money through energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, but also to stimulate the local economy, create green jobs for DC residents, and make energy efficiency accessible to low-income residents. Beginning in March 2011, our programs focused on the direct installation of energy efficiency measures in households and small commercial establishments, completing over 5,600 energy efficiency projects, including 754 projects in DC businesses and institutions in all eight Wards of DC in just six months. These programs employed over 300 DC residents and provided work and training to 16 local contractors.

This year, we have designed initiatives that help drive the demand for energy efficiency and connect customers with qualified, DC contractors to complete energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. In the commercial and institutional community, the DC SEU offers comprehensive energy services to owners of large buildings who are replacing old equipment, renovating an existing building, or beginning a new construction project. These services include financial incentives, technical and design assistance, and coordinating services to assist consumers, design professionals, vendors, and contractors in overcoming the barriers to installing energy-efficient equipment. The DC SEU will also be offering standard rebates to businesses and building owners who install qualified energy-efficient equipment. Whether you are in the planning stages of your project, or nearing its end, the DC SEU is here to support you throughout the process, making your project as energy-efficient as possible.

Washington’s building industry has a lot to be proud of, with more LEED-certified buildings per capita than any state in the country. We look forward to working with the building community to

Ted Trabue Managing Director District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility

DC’s New sUstAiNAbLe eNerGY UtiLitY

WHY LOOK HIGH ND LOW?

tHe vIeW frOm YOur DesK Has Never beeN sO spectacuLar.With 600 shops and restaurants, seven hotels, and three Metro stations at your fingertips, bragging rights come standard with every office lease signed in the Golden Triangle. WWW.GOLDENTRIANGLE.COM

continue making DC’s buildings more sustainable and more energy-efficient, and helping District businesses and residents save energy and money. Get started today by calling us at 202-479-2222.

The DC SEU was established by the Clean and Affordable Energy Act (CAEA) of 2008 and is a project of the Sustainable Energy Partnership, led by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation and eight local partners:  George L. Nichols and Associates; Groundswell; the Institute for Market Transformation; L.S. Caldwell and Associates; PEER Consultants; PES Group; Skyline Innovations; and Taurus Development Group. For more infor-mation, visit www.DCSEU.com. s

The Georgetown Current

June 20, 2012

“City offers $500 for energy improvements”

Washington Informer

June 20, 2012

“Saving Money & Energy @ Home”

Dupont Current

August 22, 2012

“School board leader optimistic on D.C.’s

path”

East of the River Magazine

September 2012

“Going Light Green in Anacostia”

30 H EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2012

The DC Sustainable En-ergy Utility (DC SEU) recently partnered with the Anacostia Economic

Development Corporation (AEDC) to increase safety and lower energy costs by installing energy efficient lighting in the AEDC parking ga-rage in Ward 8 through their Com-mercial/Institutional Program. The lighting upgrade replaced 72 metal halide units with state-of-the-art light-emitting diode (LED) lights. As the lights in the facility run con-tinuously, the energy usage reduction has been substantial, and the replace-ment is expected to generate $32,700 in savings during the first year alone.

Before and after pictures of the parking facility show that the lighting

upgrade benefits extend beyond en-ergy and monetary savings. In the first picture, the space is dim, with dark ar-eas. With the upgrade, the space has lighting that provides a clear view and the effect of full daylight.

Building tenants, including the DC Department of Housing and Community Development and In-dustrial Bank, which had previously voiced concern and cited safety is-sues about the parking lot, have been delighted with the upgrade. And, in addition to the savings on energy bills, there should be an enormous re-duction in maintenance costs as LED lights last some ten times longer than the previous bulbs, which had to be replaced once or twice each year.

Created by the DC City Council

as part of the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008, DC SEU is over-seen by the District Department of the Environment (DDOE). With a $15M annual budget, DC SEU helps District households, businesses, and institutions save energy and money through energy efficiency and renewable energy pro-grams. Ted Trabue, Managing Direc-tor of DC SEU notes, “Our programs allow homeowners and businesses of all income levels to make changes in their buildings that result in significant savings while reducing energy use and carbon footprints”.

Programs for HomeownersDC SEU helps homeowners

improve energy efficiency by offer-

ing rebates to residents who com-plete energy efficiency upgrades through certified District contrac-tors. DC SEU also provides rebates for upgrading the energy efficiency of qualified multifamily residen-tial buildings with energy-efficient fluorescent lighting upgrades at no cost for installation to owners, property managers, or residents, offering reduced costs for the pur-chase of energy-efficient lighting products, and distributing energy-efficient light bulbs (CFLs) through District food banks for low-income residents. DC SEU also conducts outreach and education to inform residents about ways they can save energy and reduce costs in their homes.

Programs for BusinessesBy 2014, all District buildings

(commercial and multi-family) over 50,000 square feet must benchmark their energy efficiency and report that score to the City. DC SEU can help building owners establish their baseline and determine effective improvements that can save money – and energy - through a resource hotline at (202) 525-7036 or bench-marking@dcseu.com. DC SEU also provides technical assistance to im-prove energy efficiency in DC busi-nesses and institutions by providing reduced up-front costs for upgrading to new energy-efficient technologies and equipment that reduce electric and gas consumption.

DC SEU’s contract with DC DDOE must be approved annually by the City Council. While some re-bates expire as soon as September 30, 2012, DC SEU has every indication that the program will be reauthorized by October 1 to coincide with the District’s Fiscal Year.

To learn more about and apply for any of these rebates and incentives, contact DC SEU at 202-479-2222 or info@DCSEU.com.Catherine Plume is the blogger for the DCRecycler. DCRecycler.blogspot.com. l

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Going Light Green in Anacostia by Catherine Plume

TOP: After the installation of LED lighting.RIGHT: Before the installation of LED Lighting.

The Hill Rag Magazine

October 2012

“The DC SEU – Helping DC Go Green”

136 H HillRag | October 2012

homesgardens

The DC Sustainable EnergyUtility (DC SEU) is helpingDC residents and businesses

go green by making energy efficiency upgrades affordable for all. With a$15Mannualbudgetthatmaybein-creased inFY13, theDCSEUhelpsDistrict households, businesses, andinstitutions save energy and money through energy efficiency and renew-able energy programs. Ted Trabue, ManagingDirector of theDC SEUnotes, “Our programs allow home-owners and businesses of all income levels to make changes in their build-ings that result in significant savingswhile reducing energy use and car-bon footprints.” Created by the DCCity Council as part of the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008,theDCSEUisoverseenbytheDis-trictDepartmentoftheEnvironment(DDOE).

The DC SEU has a wide array of programs that DC Residents can access

MakingCFLsMoreAffordable:Compact fluorescent lights

(CFLs)useone-fifthtoone-thirdtheelectricpower,andlasteighttofifteentimeslonger.WhileyoumaypaymoreforaCFL,oneCFLbulbcansaveyouabout$42ormoreinenergycostsoveritslifetime.TheDCSEUisworkingwith local businesses to bring down the costs of CFLs. In DC, Home

Depot and Safeway are already par-ticipating in thisprogram,andFrag-er’s Hardware on Capitol Hill began offeringthediscountedCFLsinmidSeptember.TheDCSEUhopesthatYES!Organicwillbeabletojointheprogram in the near future (stores need special permits to be able to sell light bulbsinDC).ForalistofallDistrictretailers participating in this program, check out www.dcseu.com/for_your_home/lighting/find-a-retailer.

Programs for Homeowners and Multi-Family Units

The DC SEU also offers rebatesto residents who complete energy ef-ficiency upgrades through certifiedDistrict contractors. The DC HomePerformance Program offers a $500incentive to households that success-fullycompleteaqualifyinghomeen-ergy upgrade of at least $1500. Toqualify for this incentive, you’ll firstneed to need to have an energy au-ditonyourhomethroughaqualifiedDC SEU contractor. The audit willevaluate the amount of air leakage in your home, the effectiveness of your insulation, heating system, lighting, appliances, and windows and provide professional advice on ways to lower your energybills.You’ll thenneed tocontract with a Participating Con-tractor and complete a minimum of $1500 worth of approved improve-ments that will reduce your air leaks

by at least 10%. Go to www.dcseu.com/for_your_home/dc_home_per-formance/general_info/overview for anoverviewoftheprogram.Lowerin-come households (families of four with incomesof$70,250orless)canqualifyfora5yearforgivableloanthroughtheDCSEU’sFederalHomeLoanBankProgram. Households undergoing these improvements reduce their en-ergyconsumptionbyasmuchas30%!

Programs for BusinessesBy 2014, all District buildings

(commercial and multi-family) over 50,000 square feet must benchmarktheir energy efficiency and report that score to theCity.TheDCSEU canhelp building owners establish their baseline and determine effective im-provementsthatcansavemoney–andenergy - through a resource hotline at 202-525-7036orbenchmarking@dc-seu.com.TheDCSEUalsoprovidestechnical assistance to improve energy efficiencyinDCbusinessesandinsti-tutions by providing reduced up-front costs for upgrading to new energy-efficient technologies and equipmentthat reduce electric and gas consump-tion.

TheDCSEUalsoprovidesrebatesto businesses for HVAC and refrig-

eration as well as other equipment. Checkout www.dcseu.com/for-your-business/busi-ness-rebates for more specific information.T 12s fluorescent tubelighting was banned for

manufacturing by federal mandate on July14,2012.TheDCSEUisreplac-ingT12fluorescenttubelightingwithmore efficientHigh-PerformanceT8(HPT8) lighting in qualifying busi-nesses, institutions and multifamily residentialbuildingsinDCatnocost.Ben’s Chili Bowl is a recent recipient of these funds. The restaurant had been usingT12lightingforyears.Thenewlighting will reduce energy use by up to50percentovertheoldlighting;thebulbswill last 4,000 to 10,000hourslonger, translating to reduced main-tenancecosts;andthequalityoflightwillimprove.Theprojectedannualcostsavingsis$1,200!

DC SEU’s contract with DCDDOEmustbeapprovedannuallybytheCityCouncil.Whilesomerebatesexpired on September 30, 2012, theDCSEUhaseveryindicationthattheprogram will be reauthorized by Oc-tober1tocoincidewiththeDistrict’sFiscalYear.

For more information on theDCSEU’sPrograms,checkouttheirwebsite at www.dcseu.com or contact them at info@DCSEU.com or 202-479-2222.

Catherine Plume is the blogger for the DCRecy-cler. www.dcrecycler.blogspot.com. H

The DC SEUHelping DC Go Green

by Catherine Plume

Ben’s Chili Bowl was helped by DC SEU.

Above: DC SEU workers help customers at Home Depot; left: Replacing inefficient lights yields energy efficient benefits.

Building Energy Performance

Assessment News

January 22, 2013

“District Publishes Final Benchmarking Regs”

1/6/14 Building Energy Performance Assessment News - Energy Management

www.bepanews.com/ViewArticle.aspx?aid=130124001&from=gateway&cce=18836 1/1

800.226.9094 | Contact Us | Log In

District Publishes Final Benchmarking RegsSource: Institute for Market Transformation, January 22, 2013View Full Article

BEPAnews™ Article Recap:

Washington, D.C. -- January 22, 2013 -- Last Friday, the District ofColumbia published final regulations to implement a new requirement thatall large private buildings benchmark their energy and water performanceannually. The final regulations, published in the DC Register, Volume 60,Issue 3, require owners or property managers to evaluate the energy andwater efficiency of their buildings, a serious first step toward saving energy,water, and money.

Pursuant to the Clean and Affordable Energy Act, owners of buildings over100,000 square feet must report their 2012 energy and water use to DDOEby April 1, 2013. DDOE requires the use of U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency’s (U.S. EPA) free, industry-standard ENERGY STAR PortfolioManager software for benchmarking and reporting, available atenergystar.gov/benchmark.

"Our 'Building Sustainability' initiative's main priority is to increaseefficiency and reduce operating costs," says Michelle Good, Director ofSustainability at Akridge, a DC-based commercial real estate firm."Benchmarking energy and water consumption gives us the ability toassess building performance objectively and measure ongoing progress. Itallows us to identify areas for improvement and potentially raise the value ofthe properties we manage."

The District was the first jurisdiction in the nation to require publicdisclosure of energy benchmarking results for both private buildings.Among other findings, the results reveal that 11 DC public schools may beeligible for ENERGY STAR certification because of their energy efficiencyefforts.

The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) has set up a BenchmarkingHelp Center to answer questions about benchmarking regulations andENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager software, and to connect them toenergy efficiency programs designed to improve building energyperformance.

Mentioned:Carbon Offsets: No Green Building: No Energy Technology: No

Property:

Corporations:District of Columbia

People:Keith A. AndersonActing DirectorDistrict of Columbia Departmentof the Environment

Michelle GoodDirector of SustainabilityAkridge

Brian HanlonDirectorDepartment of General Services

BEPI Published Date: January24, 2013View Full Article - Note, links toarticles may be removed by theoriginal source.

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Borderstan

January 2013

“Getting Greener: New Regulations for Large

DC Buildings”

The DC SEU offers help and technical

assistance. (Luis Gomez Photos)

Getting Greener: New Regulations for Large DC Buildings

Posted on29 January 2013. Tags: Allison Acosta, DC SEU, Energy, energy costs

From Allison Acosta. Email her at allison[AT]borderstan.com.

SEU Offers Help Center

New regulations are rolling out that will affect all buildings in DC over 50,000 gross

square feet (gsf) in size. Effective January 18, with deadlines phased in through 2014,

owners of large DC buildings must measure and report their energy and water use to

the District Department of Environment (DDOE) using the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency’s no-cost ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager tool.

These new regulations were established as part of theGreen Building Act of 2006

(GBA) and the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 (CAEA).

In order to help building owners and property managers comply with the new

requirements, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) is offering a Benchmarking

Help Center that will provide technical assistance on reporting and connect building

owners to the SEU’s energy efficiency programs. The Help Center can be reached at (202) 525-7036 or at

mbenchmarking[AT]dcseu.com. Details of upcoming trainings, to be held on Wednesdays in February and March, can be found on

the DDOE website.

“The Benchmarking Help Center complements the wide range of sustainable energy services the DC SEU currently offers to District

building owners,” said DC SEU Managing Director Ted Trabue. “This is a great resource to help these building owners understand their

requirements under the new regulation, and more importantly, harness the information they will be gathering to help them save money

and energy.”

The reporting deadline for all buildings over 100,000 gsf is April 1, 2013. Buildings larger than 50,000 gsf are due to report by April 1,

2014. Thereafter, all commercial and multifamily buildings over 50,000 gsf will be required to report benchmarking data to the District on

April 1 of every year.

Institute for Market

Transformation

January 25, 2013

“As Benchmarking Regulation Takes Effect,

Help Center is Here”

1/6/14 Benchmarking Help Center Is Here | Institute for Market Transformation

www.imt.org/news/the-current/benchmarking-help-center-is-here 1/2

post by

DC SEU

Benchmarking Help Center Is Here

PUBLISHED: JAN 25, 2013

POLICY | PRESS RELEASE

As Benchmarking Regulation Takes Effect, HelpCenter is Here

Benchmarking Help Center Provides Technical Assistance to

Building Owners and Managers

January 25, 2013 (Washington, D.C.) - The District of Columbia published finalized regulations

requiring energy and water benchmarking for private buildings in the city. Effective January

18th, with additional deadlines phased in through 2014, owners of large DC buildings must

measure and report their energy and water use to the District Department of Environment

(DDOE) using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s no-cost ENERGY STAR Portfolio

Manager tool.

In response to the District’s new regulation, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) is

offering a Benchmarking Help Center to provide technical assistance to building owners and

property managers. This center will be available to guide building owners and managers through

benchmarking in Portfolio Manager, answer general questions about the regulation, and assist

with data collection. The Benchmarking Help Center can also help building owners improve their

properties’ ENERGY STAR energy performance scores by connecting them to the DC SEU’s

energy efficiency programs. The Help Center can be reached at (202) 525-7036 or

at benchmarking@dcseu.com. Details of upcoming trainings can be found on the DDOE website.

“Energy benchmarking is an important step toward realizing the Mayor’s vision to make the

District the healthiest, greenest, and most livable city in the United States,” said Keith A.

Anderson, Acting Director of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE). “By

measuring and reporting energy use in large buildings, we raise awareness of energy and water

efficiency and help business owners and tenants identify ways to save energy, water, and

money.”

“The Benchmarking Help Center complements the wide range of sustainable energy services the

DC SEU currently offers to District building owners,” said DC SEU Managing Director Ted

Trabue. “This is a great resource to help these building owners understand their requirements

under the new regulation, and more importantly, harness the information they will be gathering

1/6/14 Benchmarking Help Center Is Here | Institute for Market Transformation

www.imt.org/news/the-current/benchmarking-help-center-is-here 2/2

to help them save money and energy.”

“We’re happy to work with the DC SEU to offer this important new resource for building owners

and managers,” said Cliff Majersik, Executive Director of the Institute for Market

Transformation (IMT). IMT is a teaming partner of the DC SEU, leading its Market

Transformation initiatives, which include benchmarking assistance. “The key first step toward

understanding buildings’ energy use is benchmarking,” Majersik said. “You can’t manage what

you don’t measure. By supporting benchmarking, the District of Columbia is in the vanguard of

American cities seeking to reduce their energy consumption and keep money and jobs in their

communities.”

The Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 requires that all private buildings in DC over

50,000 gross square feet (gsf), including multifamily residences, must measure and disclose

their energy and water use to the DDOE. After a thorough stakeholder engagement process

including owners, managers, tenants, industry associations, Business Improvement Districts,

energy service providers, and utility companies, among others, DDOE has begun to roll out

implementation of the requirements and is phasing in deadlines by building size.

The first reporting deadline for all buildings over 150,000 gsf is April 1, 2013. Buildings larger

than 100,000 gsf must report by April 1, 2013, and buildings over 50,000 gsf are due to report

by April 1, 2014. Thereafter, all commercial and multifamily buildings over 50,000 gsf will be

required to report benchmarking data to the District on April 1 of every year. Further details

can be found on the DDOE website.

###

ABOUT DC SEU: Created by the City Council as part of the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of

2008 (CAEA), the DC SEU is managed by the Sustainable Energy Partnership under contract to

the District Department of the Environment (DDOE). For more information on the DC SEU,

visit www.dcseu.com, or contact George Nichols at 202-677-4820 ext. 4820

orgnichols@dcseu.com.

ABOUT IMT: The Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) is a Washington, DC-based

nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting energy efficiency, green building, and

environmental protection in the United States and abroad. Much of IMT’s work addresses

market failures that inhibit investment in energy efficiency. For more information, visit

www.imt.org.

Keystone Energy Efficiency

Alliance

January 2013

“District of Columbia Publishes Final

Benchmarking Regs; First Deadline Is April 1”

1/6/14 District of Columbia Publishes Final Benchmarking Regs; First Deadline Is April 1 | Energywise PA

energywisepa.org/node/2270 1/1

District of Columbia Publishes Final Benchmarking Regs;First Deadline Is April 1

Last Friday, the District of Columbia published final regulations to implement a new requirement that all large private

buildings benchmark their energy and water performance annually. The first deadline for owners to report energy and water

use--in buildings larger than 100,000 square feet--is April 1, 2013. The scope of reporting expands in 2014 to include all

buildings over 50,000 square feet.

The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) will publish benchmarking results online later in 2013.

Along with the final regulations, the District also released last week a report on the benchmarking results for more than 200

city facilities. This report, the rulemaking, final guidance documents, and other materials can be found on DDOE's

benchmarking webpage.

The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) has set up a Benchmarking Help Center to answer questions about the

regulations and how to use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Managersoftware. The Help Center can be reached at (202) 525-7036

orbenchmarking@dcseu.com. IMT is a DC SEU teaming partner.

For more information, email info.benchmark@dc.gov.

U.S. Department of Energy

January 4, 2013

“2012 Energy-Saving Moments in the Nation’s

Capital”

2012 Energy-Saving Moments in the Nation’s Capital January 4, 2013 - 1:02pm

Erin R. Pierce

Digital Communications Specialist, Office of Public Affairs

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?

• Share your favorite 2012 energy-saving moment with us and your comment may be featured on Energy.gov!

• To participate use our Q&A tool or send a comment viaFacebook or Twitter. As a new year begins, it’s only natural to reflect on the previous year’s highlights. From celebrating the completion of Washington, DC’s first passive solar house to flipping the switch on LED lighting for the National Mall -- for our nation’s capital, 2012 was a year for advancing energy-saving opportunities.

Take the case of the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) -- an organization aimed at helping DC residents, businesses, and institutions save energy and money throughout the year. Over the course of 2012, DCSEU’s energy-efficiency efforts -- in partnership with the local community -- had the added benefit of creating new job opportunities, supporting local businesses and promoting economic development.

In total, the group reports creating more than 40 full-time jobs for district residents, saving enough electricity to power 2,000 homes for an entire year, and installing 153 kilowatts of clean energy generation capacity. You can learn more about DCSEU’s 2012 highlights -- and what it means for the people of DC -- by watching the video above.

What was your favorite energy-saving moment of 2012? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter (include hashtag #energymoment) or using our Q&A tool and your comment may be featured onEnergy.gov.

JBS News

March 8, 2013

“DC SEU Wins EPA Sustained Excellence

Award”

1/6/14 DC SEU Wins EPA Sustained Excellence Award | JBS News Renewable Energy

jbsnews.com/2013/03/08/dc-seu-wins-epa-s-e-award/ 1/3

DC SEU Wins EPA Sustained Excellence Award

John Brian Shannon / March 8, 2013

EPA RECOGNIZES DC SEU AND NORTHEAST ENERGY EFFICIENCY INITIATIVE WITH 2013 ENERGY

STAR® SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE AWARD

The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) in partnership with Northeast Energy Efficiency

Partnerships earns award for protecting the environment through energy efficiency.

Press Release March 5, 2013 (Washington, DC) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has

awarded theDC Sustainable Energy Utility a 2013 ENERGY STARSustained Excellence Award as part of the

Northeast Retail Products Initiative in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting our environment

through energy efficiency. The initiative, facilitated by Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) and

made up of utilities and energy efficiency program administrators in New England, New York, and

Washington D.C., will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 26, 2013.

In 2012, the DC SEU sold more than 43,000 compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs). This year, the DC SEU

has already sold more than 80,000 CFLs and now offers rebates for ENERGY STAR qualified light-emitting

diodes (LEDs),clothes washers, and refrigerators.

An ENERGY STAR Partner since 2000, the Northeast Retail Products Initiative will be honored for its long-

term commitment to energy efficiency. During the last thirteen years, the Initiative has won 14 awards

including six Excellence Awards.

“Working with local retailers, the DC SEU is committed to ensuring energy-efficient products

are available to all District residents throughout the city.” — Ted Trabue, Managing Director of

the DC SEU.

1/6/14 DC SEU Wins EPA Sustained Excellence Award | JBS News Renewable Energy

jbsnews.com/2013/03/08/dc-seu-wins-epa-s-e-award/ 2/3

For over 20 years, with help from ENERGY STAR, American families and businesses have saved

more than $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.8 billion metric tons

of greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2013 Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited

outstanding leadership year after year. These winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting

and achieving aggressive goals, employing innovative approaches, and showing others what can be

achieved through energy efficiency. Award winners are selected from about 20,000 organizations that

participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

___

ABOUT the DC SEU

Created by the City Council as part of the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 (CAEA), the DC SEU is

managed by the Sustainable Energy Partnership under contract to the District Department of the

Environment (DDOE).

For more information on the DC SEU, visit: www.dcseu.com

ABOUT NEEP

NEEP is a regional non-profit whose mission is to serve the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to accelerate energy

efficiency in the building sector through public policy, program strategies and education. NEEP’s Market Strategies

team supports the collaboration of energy efficiency program administrators and other key stakeholders in the

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to achieve long-term cost-effective energy savings by broadening the market

availability and consumer demand for high quality, energy efficient products and services.

“Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships is committed to speeding the adoption of high

efficiency products in the region through our partnership with the DC SEU in the Retail

Products Initiative.

By leveraging our resources, our initiative, which collectively serves over fifteen million

households, [DC SEU] is able to yield more energy and cost savings for families and

businesses than through individual program efforts.

We are very proud of the DC SEU for their tremendous efforts in helping to make the

Northeast a sustained leader in energy efficiency.

Our success for the region is a direct result of the commitment they dedicate to accelerating

energy efficiency for our environment, our economy, and our communities.” — Sue Coakley,

Executive Director of NEEP.

NBC4 Washington

March 13, 2013

“Let There Be Light…Bulbs!”

1/3/14 Sherwood's Notebook: Let There Be Light... Bulbs! | NBC4 Washington

www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Sherwood%27s+Notebook%3A+Let+There+Be+Light...+Bulbs%21+%7C+NBC4+Washington&urlID=52172… 1/2

Pow ered by

Shutterstock

■ Let there be light... bulbs! For those who shop in Roy Rodman’s one-stop "drugstore, beer and wine store,

fresh vegetable market, household goods, grocery, health aids, pharmacy and candle" emporium on Wisconsin

Avenue, you might have missed something.

Cheap light bulbs.For the past few months, there have been in-store displays selling energy-efficient, long-lasting light bulbs for as little

as 49 cents. That’s 49 cents for a compact fluorescent light (CFL) light bulb that normally costs $8 to $10. And

there are other similar savings on other-sized bulbs. One sign said "cool bulb, hot price."

We first thought the brown containers of bulbs were an overstock or other discount item.

We were wrong.

The light bulbs are part of an energy conservation program sponsored by the District of Columbia Sustainable

Energy Utility (DCSEU). About 40 retailers have participated in the light bulb program, selling about 45,000 bulbs

at sharply discounted prices."We have great relationships with our retail partners," DCSEU’s Hanna Grene wrote us.

You can find a list of stores on the website, dcseu.com. Search for "Find a Retailer."

Promoting cost-effective light bulbs are only a small part of what DCSEU does. The office, which is under contract

with the D.C. Department of the Environment, helps homeowners, small businesses and nonprofits find the best

ways to reduce energy cost and use.

Former Washington football star Darrell Green has been a promoter. He and many others have helped install solar

panels for 87 low-income households with no upfront cost for the homeowners.

Grene said that lighting normally accounts for about 20 percent of annual household electricity bills. Keep that in

mind when you pick up one of those cool, low-priced light bulbs.

1/3/14 Sherwood's Notebook: Let There Be Light... Bulbs! | NBC4 Washington

www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Sherwood%27s+Notebook%3A+Let+There+Be+Light...+Bulbs%21+%7C+NBC4+Washington&urlID=52172… 2/2

■ Your ethics office. Former D.C. Attorney General Robert Spagnoletti is ramping up the new Board of Ethics

and Government Accountability. It’s now informally called “BEGA,” but we’ve used up our patience with

abbreviations in the item above.

More importantly, the office is starting to get several complaints a day from tipsters anxious to report waste, fraud

and abuse.

"We have about two dozen or so investigations either ongoing or just concluded," Spagnoletti said on the WAMU88.5 "Politics Hour" last Friday. "But they come in every day. And as a result of the word getting out about what

we do, more complaints are rolling in."

The ethics office has a big hammer. It can initiate investigations, do the investigations and sanction wrongdoing it

finds with penalties up to $5,000. It also can refer cases to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for criminal prosecutions.

The ethics folks also have begun writing letters to city workers and officials who ask for opinions on what may be

proper or not. All of those opinions are being made public but many have a big hole in them. Unless the requester

has agreed, most of the pertinent information is crossed out. They are essentially unreadable and a waste of time to

the public.

Even though the office is just getting up to speed, Spagnoletti and the other two board members (Laura Richards

and Deborah Lathen) already are looking to maybe expand their investigative power.

Spagnoletti said a lot of the tips involve the government’s contracting policies. While there is a Contract ReviewBoard to handle big disputes, Spagnoletti says he wants to be able to look at smaller contracts and subcontractors,

where much of the favoritism and corruption can occur.The ethics chair said the board discussed at length last week whether to seek more power, but no decision was

made.When Spagnoletti was named chair last year, there were some concerns that he had represented Mayor VincentGray in his old dispute about a fence at his home. In addition, Spagnoletti served on Gray’s transition committee

after the 2010 election.Would the young lawyer be subject to conflict and maybe going easy on the mayor and his administration? Would

the Gray administration seek to nudge ethics decisions?No, on both counts, Spagnoletti says.

On Friday, Spagnoletti reiterated that he would rather not have the job than to risk his personal and professionalreputation. Those who know him say he means it.

And as for any casual or improper influence from government officials, Spagnoletti was blunt."We have experienced no pressure, no attempt to influence our decisions," he said. "I can say categorically that it

has been hands-off."The next public meeting of the ethics board is April 4 at One Judiciary Square. The agenda will be posted inadvance at bega.dc.gov. We hope nothing in it will be crossed out.

Tom Sherwood, a Southwest resident, is a political reporter for News 4.

Find this article at: http://w w w .nbcw ashington.com/blogs/f irst-read-dmv/Tom-Sherw oods-Notebook-Let-There-Be-Light-Bulbs--197802791.html

Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.

© NBC Universal, Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

The Northwest Current

March 13, 2013

“Let there be light…bulbs!”

davis kennedy/Publisher & Editorchris kain/Managing Editor

Family matters There’s ample reason for concern about news that the well-regarded prin-cipal of School Without Walls planned to hire his wife as assistant principal to handle the addition of Francis-Stevens Education Campus to his school’s purview. We can sympathize with the rationale Richard Trogisch offered in an interview with The Current: As the magnet high school transitions into a program serving preschoolers through 12th-graders, he needed someone he could trust, and someone who had experience with younger children. He saw his wife, a teacher at Hardy Middle School, as the obvious candidate. The couple worked together at schools in New Hampshire, and Cynthia hold a master’s degree in educational administration. But we believe the familial relationship makes the hiring inappropriate in a school system funded with public dollars. We’re glad to see that D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson agrees: A spokesperson this week said that “under no circumstances can Mrs. Trogisch be employed by her husband.” The normal hiring process — starting with an online applica-tion and including interviews with various officials — will apply. We wish that D.C. Public Schools had been clearer from the beginning. The message last week was that no hiring decisions had been made, but offi-cials haven’t explained Mr. Trogisch’s statement that chief of schools John Davis gave the OK to hire Mrs. Trogisch. There was some confusion, too, with a representative of the D.C. Department of Human Resources noting that the school system had its own hiring regulations. The D.C. ethics manual published by the new D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability lays out city rules clearly: “A federal statute spe-cifically prohibits a District employee from hiring, promoting or influencing a decision to hire or promote the hiring or promotion of a relative.” This imbroglio leads us to wonder whether the document needs to be more widely distributed to D.C. employees. Advisory neighborhood com-missioner Jackson Carnes called for the D.C. inspector general to investigate whether any laws were violated in this case. We would suggest investigators look more broadly at whether there’s a widespread compliance problem. School Without Walls and Francis-Stevens face major challenges as con-solidation proceeds. We have doubts about the feasibility of unifying administration for two campuses more than a mile apart and two distinct programs — one a competitive-entry magnet program for the upper grades, the other a neighborhood program for lower and middle grades. Even the planned expansion of the high school presents challenges. Any chance of success relies on solid communication with all stakehold-ers and the development of a viable plan. We hope this is just a bump in the road rather than an obstacle to progress.

The Hilda Mason way The District kicked off Women’s History Month with an appropriate cere-mony: the naming of the 1400 block of Roxanna Road in honor of Hilda Mason — educator, civil rights activist and longtime D.C. Council member. Mayor Vincent Gray presided at the event, attended by Mrs. Mason’s family, friends and admirers within sight of the home she once shared with her husband Charles. Not everyone aligned politically with Mrs. Mason, but it was difficult not to see her self-described moniker — “Grandmother of the World” — as both fitting and inspirational. She won her fifth full term on the D.C. Council at age 78. The former teacher, counselor and assistant principal tried to attend every high school graduation in the city. She was also known for staying at late-running coun-cil hearings until the bitter end — either as the presiding officer, or the only other legislator in attendance. But she was also known for her generosity — even paying for a coat for a student on her way to an exchange program in Moscow without suitably warm attire. The law library at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law is named in the Masons’ honor in recognition of their role — through donations and advoca-cy — in shaping the institution. The idea to designate “Hilda H.M. Mason Way” originated with the D.C. Office of Women’s Policy and Initiatives, which wanted to commemorate Women’s History Month and to recognize women who made a difference in the District. The council approved the measure in May, with backing from local residents and the Shepherd Park advisory neighborhood commission. Mrs. Mason, who died in 2007 at age 91, certainly merits the honor. Throughout her tenure, she pushed for quality education, affordable housing, adequate health care and voting rights, earning the appreciation of her con-stituents. “She liked fighting the good fight,” said former staffer Bill O’Field.

Currentthe northwest

ch n8 Wednesday, March 13, 2013 The currenT

For those who shop in Roy Rodman’s one-stop “drugstore, beer and wine store, fresh vegeta-ble market, household goods, grocery, health

aids, pharmacy and candle” emporium on Wisconsin Avenue, you might have missed something. Cheap but good light bulbs. For the past few months, there have been in-store displays selling energy-efficient, long-lasting light bulbs for as little as 49 cents. That’s 49 cents for a compact fluorescent light (CFL) light bulb that normally costs $8 to $10. And there are other simi-lar savings on other sized bulbs. One sign said “cool bulb, hot price.” We first thought the brown containers of bulbs were an overstock or other discount item. We were wrong. The bulbs are part of an energy conservation pro-gram sponsored by the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU). About 40 retailers have participated in the light bulb program, selling about 45,000 bulbs at sharply discounted prices. “We have great relationships with our retail part-ners,” DCSEU’s Hanna Grene wrote us. You can find a list of stores on the website, dcseu.com. Search for “Find a Retailer.” Cost-effective light bulbs are only a small part of what DCSEU does. The office, which is under con-tract with the D.C. Department of the Environment, helps homeowners, small businesses and nonprofits find the best ways to reduce energy cost and use. Former Washington football star Darrell Green has been a promoter. He and many others have helped install solar panels for 87 low-income house-holds with no upfront cost for the homeowners. Grene said lighting normally accounts for about 20 percent of annual household electricity bills. Keep that in mind when you pick up one of those cool, low-priced light bulbs.■ Your ethics office. Former D.C. Attorney General Robert Spagnoletti is ramping up the new Board of Ethics and Government Accountability. It’s now informally called “BEGA,” but we’ve used up our patience with abbreviations in the item above. More importantly, the office is starting to get sev-eral complaints a day from tipsters anxious to report waste, fraud and abuse. “We have about two dozen or so investigations either ongoing or just concluded,” Spagnoletti said on the WAMU 88.5 “Politics Hour” last Friday. “But they come in every day. And as a result of the word getting out about what we do, more complaints are

rolling in.” The ethics office has a big hammer. It can initiate investigations, do the investigations and sanction wrongdoing it finds with penalties up to $5,000. It also can refer cases to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for criminal prosecutions.

The ethics folks also have begun writing letters to city workers and officials who ask for opinions on what may be proper or not. All of those opinions are

being made public but many have a big hole in them. Unless the requester has agreed, most of the pertinent information is crossed out. They are essentially

unreadable and a waste of time to the public. Even though the office is just getting up to speed, Spagnoletti and the other two board members (Laura Richards and Deborah Lathen) already are looking to maybe expand their investigative power. Spagnoletti said a lot of the tips involve the gov-ernment’s contracting policies. While there is a Contract Review Board to handle big disputes, Spagnoletti says he wants to be able to look at small-er contracts and subcontractors, where much of the favoritism and corruption can occur. The ethics chair said the board discussed at length last week whether to seek more power, but no deci-sion was made. When he was named chair last year, there were some concerns that Spagnoletti had represented Mayor Vincent Gray in his old dispute about a fence at his home. In addition, Spagnoletti served on Gray’s transition committee after the 2010 election. Would the young lawyer be subject to conflict and maybe going easy on the mayor and his administra-tion? Would the Gray administration seek to nudge ethics decisions? No, on both counts, Spagnoletti says. On Friday, Spagnoletti reiterated that he would rather not have the job than to risk his personal and professional reputation. Those who know him say he means it. And as for any casual or improper influence from government officials, Spagnoletti was blunt. “We have experienced no pressure, no attempt to influ-ence our decisions,” he said. “I can say categorically that it has been hands-off.” The next public meeting of the ethics board is April 4 at One Judiciary Square. The agenda will be posted in advance at bega.dc.gov. We hope nothing in it will be crossed out. Tom Sherwood, a Southwest resident, is a politi-cal reporter for News 4.

Let there be light … bulbs!

TOM SHERWOOD’S notebook

affordable housing needed in dupont I am a 68-year-old Amtrak conductor and have lived in Dupont Circle since 2001. I have worked for Amtrak for almost 30 years but cannot afford to retire and remain in my lovely neigh-borhood because there is no affordable housing here. My rent is almost $2,000 a month for a studio apartment. I just walked past the boutique hotel going up on the corner of M and 22nd streets. It makes me angry that the D.C. government can subsidize this luxury hotel for the rich but will not provide or require affordable housing in the Dupont Circle/West End corridor for working taxpayers like me.

In fact, the only affordable housing I’ve seen in this area is the depressing nursing home on O Street off 22nd … and I don’t want to go there!

Samuel Augustus JenningsDupont Circle

emails don’t show change in attitude I’m not at all sure about why Daniel Greenberg continues to misapprehend my involvement with the 5333 Connecticut Ave. development. Contrary to his inti-mations in last week’s letter to the editor [“Cheh shift welcome on Cafritz project,” March 6], my “dedication to the interests of [my] constituents” has not shifted. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, Mr. Greenberg acquired thousands of pages of documents related to the government’s response to the pro-

posed Cafritz project. In those, he found a document showing one government official speaking to another that, in essence, captures what I have been saying about the project: Agencies should be con-sidering the laws and regulations, informing the community about those rules, and abiding by them in reaching their decisions. Mr. Greenberg suggests that this docu-ment in some way demonstrates my apathy. This is simply untrue. Rather, though, than engage in a back-and-forth with Mr. Greenberg, I will simply post to my website all of the emails from my office obtained through Mr. Greenberg’s FOIA request and let the community decide for itself whether the contents reflect a Johnny-come-lately attitude or, in fact, my sincere commitment to the interests of Ward 3.

Mary M. ChehD.C. Council member, Ward 3

letters tothe editor

WAMU

March 29, 2013

“D.C. Aims To Out-Green Other Cities”

1/3/14 D.C. Aims To Out-Green Other Cities | WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio

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D.C. Aims To Out-Green Other CitiesBy: Jacob Fenston (http://wamu.org/author/jacob_fenston)

March 29, 2013

Transcript

(/programs/metro_connection/13/03/28/dc_aims_to_out_green_other_cities_transcript)

Order a CD (/programs/order?

time=1364569800&sid=85418&pid=3&title=D.C.+Aims+To+Out-

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comments

Jacob Fenston

Mike Barrette installed his f irst set of solar panels in 2010. Now , panels cover his roof, and provide 80 to 90 percent of his

electricity.

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray wants to make the District the greenest city in the country in the next 20 years, and last

month he released a blueprint to get there. The plan, called Sustainable D.C. (http://sustainable.dc.gov/finalplan) , runs

more than 120 pages, was 17 months in the making, and involved hundreds of District residents in dozens of

meetings.

It's a broad-ranging document, from health to equity to climate change. In at least one area, the District is already

doing well: energy. The city is a national trendsetter in green buildings, with the most LEED-certified buildings per-

capita in the nation.

Sustainable D.C. would continue that trend, cutting in half citywide energy use by 2032, and increasing to 50

percent the amount of energy coming from clean and renewable sources, like solar.

Since 2010, the city has offered generous rebates to help residents pay for solar installations. Hundreds have

taken up the offer, including Mike Barrette.

The roof of his Capitol Hill row house is covered with 24 solar panels, which he says provide as much as 90

percent of his home energy needs throughout the year.

From Barrette's roof, if you look out across the neighborhood, you can see other solar panels, poking up above

historic row house facades.

"Since I put these in, my neighbor two doors down from me put in a system, my neighbor across the street put in a

system," says Barrette. "In this Capitol Hill neighborhood, I think we've got at least 70 of these up so far."

1/3/14 D.C. Aims To Out-Green Other Cities | WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio

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Related Links

Sustainable D.C. Plan (http://sustainable.dc.gov/finalplan)

More information about installing solar, from D.C. Solar United Neighborhoods

(https://sites.google.com/site/dcsolarunitedneighborhoods/)

D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility offers rebates on efficient technology (http://www.dcseu.com/)

DC Solar United Neighborhoods - Leading a Solar Revolution

(https://sites.google.com/site/dcsolarunitedneighborhoods/)

The Alliance to Save Energy plan for 2030 (http://www.ase.org/resources/energy-2030-recommendations)

Barrette is part of the Capitol Hill Energy Co-op, one of more than a dozen neighborhood groups supporting solar.

As neighbors learned about Barrette's solar panels, they started asking for tours of the roof, and then installing

their own systems. Part of the reason: it can be a very good investment -- Barrette says, possibly, better than the

stock market.

Increasing renewable energy

Mayor Gray's Sustainable D.C. plan calls for adding 1,000 renewable energy projects, like solar panels, to District

houses, apartments and commercial buildings.

But the goal of 50 percent renewable energy could mean many more than 1,000 solar installations, according to

Bill Updike, with the District Department of the Environment. Updike co-chaired the Sustainable D.C. energy

working group.

"The goals in the plan are visionary goals," he says. "You know, they're not easy goals, and they shouldn't be."

Currently, he says, solar panels in the District produce just five to ten megawatts of energy. To reach the goal of 50

percent renewable power could require hundreds of megawatts of solar. That's a lot of panels.

The goals in the plan present a number of challenges — one is that renewable energy is still expensive upfront.

Even with D.C. government rebates and federal tax credits, an average solar panel system can cost $5,000 out of

pocket.

That's something the D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility is working to change. The group, created by the District

Council in 2008, offers rebates on efficient light bulbs and washing machines, and they also work to make solar

more accessible.

Ted Trabue, managing director of the Sustainable Energy Utility, says solar technology isn't evenly distributed in

the city. In most wards, there are between 150 to 200 homes with solar panels. By contrast, last year, in Wards 7

and 8 combined, only 11 homes had solar panels.

Now, many more do; DCSEU installed panels on 87 houses last year east of the Anacostia River.

Cutting energy usage

The other side of the energy equation, besides producing cleaner energy, is, of course, using less of it. But that

doesn't always generate as much excitement: "We've definitely seen that in our work," says Elizabeth Lindsey, with

the organization Groundswell. "We do work with homeowners and renters and help them to make their homes

more energy efficient. And that is not as sexy as doing solar."

She says people often want to immediately put solar panels on their homes, without first doing energy efficiency

upgrades.

"Where is that energy going? It's being wasted," she says.

The District's goal to cut energy use in half in 20 years lines up with President Obama's goal for the nation, set out

in his recent State of the Union address. And a lot of other cities have plans too, according to Nicole Steele with the

Alliance to Save Energy.

"New York City, San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, all the big cities have big plans," says Steele.

The Alliance has its own plan as well. It was released in January and seeks to double energy productivity by 2030.

"It can mean the same thing, but it's about rebranding energy efficiency."

She says all these plans and targets and goals can be good motivators: "If you don't set a goal, you're not going to

meet it."

But, plans can also be... just plans. Documents that collect dust. Elizabeth Lindsey with Groundswell says now it's

time for the next step: putting the plan in action. "I think that is what will distinguish us from other cities who kind of

talk the talk, we want to walk the walk now."

[Music: "Sunshine of Your Love" by Jimi Hendrix from Valleys of Neptune]

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Clay Aiken's Political Reality:

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Washington Examiner

March 18, 2013

“D.C.’s sustainable energy utility brings new

meaning to utility service”

1/6/14 D.C.’s sustainable energy utility brings new meaning to utility service - Washington DC Green Business | Examiner.com

www.examiner.com/article/d-c-s-sustainable-energy-utility-brings-new-meaning-to-utility-service 1/4

D.C.’s sustainable energy utilitybrings new meaning to utility service

March 18, 2013

The 21st century has redefined a lot of

things, the meaning of utility is one of them.

The D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility,

known as the DC SEU, represents a new

breed of utility, one that focuses on

reducing energy consumption rather than

selling natural gas or electricity.

“[W]ith the term utility in our name,

sometimes people confuse us with the

mission of a PEPCO or a Washington

Gas,” said Ted Trabue, Managing

Director of the DC SEU.

Recently, the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency gave the DC SEU an

Energy Star Sustained Excellence

Award for its part in a coordinated effort

with other northeastern entities to protect

the environment through energy efficiency.

Yet, in its second full year, the DC SEU is

still trying to establish its identity.

Trabue, a former Executive Director of the Green Builders Council of D.C. and past President

of the D.C. State Board of Education, speaks energetically about the DC SEU’s core mission:

Bread for the City

Douglas Canter

DC Green Business Examiner

1/6/14 D.C.’s sustainable energy utility brings new meaning to utility service - Washington DC Green Business | Examiner.com

www.examiner.com/article/d-c-s-sustainable-energy-utility-brings-new-meaning-to-utility-service 2/4

reducing energy use in the city, reducing peak energy demands, increasing renewable energy

capacity, adding jobs for D.C. residents, creating opportunities for certified D.C. business

enterprises, and spending 30 percent of the SEU’s budget on low-income populations.

D.C. does not have the first sustainable energy utility entity. Vermont, Oregon, Ohio,

Delaware, Wisconsin, New York, Maine and New Jersey also have created similar versions.

According to Trabue, almost all 50 states have adopted to varying degrees programs to

increase energy efficiency. But the sustainable energy utility is different than traditional

programs.

Traditional energy efficiency programs are often operated by utilities, such as PEPCO and

Washington Gas. Utilities sell electricity or natural gas bundled with the local delivery of that

energy to homes and businesses that use it. In contrast, a sustainable energy utility offers

energy efficiency services.

“Gas and electric utilities don’t necessarily have the interest or focus on energy efficiency,”

said George Twigg, a representative of the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation,

which pioneered the sustainable energy utility model. This new model places an independent

third party in charge of encouraging energy efficiency, he explained.

The Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is

to reduce energy consumption through efficiency and renewable technologies, created the first

sustainable energy utility for Vermont in 2000. It serves as lead partner in the group that

implemented the DC SEU and participates in its operation, and it also operates the Vermont

and Ohio third-party efficiency programs.

The D.C. entity is unique, Trabue said. Unlike other sustainable energy utilities, its mandate

to reduce energy consumption is combined with social equity goals.

The DC SEU must spend at least 30 percent of its annual budget on the low-income

community. This fiscal year, its budget is about $17.5 million, Trabue said.

In one of several programs to reach low-income people, the DC SEU gives compact

florescent light bulbs, CFLs, to Bread for the City and the Capital Area Food Bank for

distribution.

1/6/14 D.C.’s sustainable energy utility brings new meaning to utility service - Washington DC Green Business | Examiner.com

www.examiner.com/article/d-c-s-sustainable-energy-utility-brings-new-meaning-to-utility-service 3/4

Each CFL can save a household about $42 in electricity costs over its lifespan as compared

with a regular incandescent bulb, according to the DC SEU. With distribution of up to 12

CFLs per family under the food bank program, that means a $504 savings or more for these

families over the course of the life of all 12 bulbs.

In addition to the food bank program, the DC SEU provides financial incentives and technical

assistance to low-income housing operators.

Other successful low-income programs have included solar panel installation and multifamily

retrofits. Last year, DC SEU contractors installed solar panels on single family homes in

Wards 7 and 8. According to its 2012 annual report, the DC SEU also made $4.7 million of

energy efficiency improvements in low-income communities. Under this retrofit program, DC

SEU contractors installed low-flow showerheads and faucets. They wrapped electric hot water

heaters. They replaced old light bulbs with CFLs.

In addition to low-income programs, the DC SEU oversees other programs for homeowners,

buildings, and small and large businesses. For example, the DC SEU provides training,

technical assistance, lighting upgrades and rebate programs for D.C. businesses. The

business rebate program has been “wildly more successful than we had ever anticipated,”

Trabue said.

The DC SEU also is aggressively trying to encourage homeowners to participate in two

programs that provide rebates of up to $500 for energy efficient improvements – things such

as air and duct sealing, adding installation and upgrading heating systems.

As a result of another ongoing program, D.C. residents can buy discounted CFLs for as

little as $1 from 40 participating D.C. retailers. The DC SEU has expanded this program

during the 2013 fiscal year to include rebates on light-emitting diode, known as LED, light

bulbs, and high-efficiency refrigerators and clothes washers.

“[T]he challenges of energy efficiency combined with what I call our social equity goals create

kind of a little bit of a tug of war,” Trabue said.

Aside from getting people accustomed to the fact that the DC SEU provides a main contact

point for questions and programs about energy efficiency, its success requires people and

1/6/14 D.C.’s sustainable energy utility brings new meaning to utility service - Washington DC Green Business | Examiner.com

www.examiner.com/article/d-c-s-sustainable-energy-utility-brings-new-meaning-to-utility-service 4/4

businesses to see the cost savings they can achieve through energy efficiency. Making this

task even tougher is the fact that seeing the real savings from energy efficiency often involves

looking long-term.

The DC SEU is funded by D.C. residents through a surcharge on their natural gas and

electricity rates. The D.C. city council created the DC SEU as part of the Clean and

Affordable Energy Act of 2008. The DC SEU operates under a contract with the D.C.

Department of Environment.

Borderstan

April 2013

“Spring Cleaning for Your Energy Bills”

Change the light bulb.

(Luis Gomez Photos)

Spring Cleaning for Your Energy Bills

Posted on08 April 2013. Tags: DC SEU, DC Sustainable Energy Utility, energy costs, energy eff iciency, John Shannon

From John Shannon, who writes about green energy, sustainable development and economics. Email him at john[AT]borderstan.com.

With spring right around the corner, you might be thinking about washing your carpets and sweeping the

porch, but have you thought about cleaning out your energy bills? The average DC household spends more

than $2,200 a year on energy.

With summer months of higher energy usage ahead, spring is a great time to evaluate your in-home energy

use and take advantage of rebates to upgrade your appliances and lighting.

Lighting and Appliances

Whether you are replacing light bulbs or appliances in your home, ENERGY STAR qualified products can

help you save energy and reduce energy bills.

Save water, energy, and time. ENERGY STAR clothes washers use 35-50% less water and 50% less

energy per load. Most ENERGY STAR clothes washers do not have a central agitator which causes less wear and tear and fewer

wrinkles, plus, it increases the capacity.

Save money. Using advanced technology and better insulation, ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators use half the electricity of

standard models and can save you up to $1,100 on energy costs over their lifetime.

Upgrade for less. The DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) is offering discounts on energy-efficient lighting and appliances.

Download $50 easy-to-use mail-in rebates for ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers and refrigerators at DC SEU.

Brighten up. Lighting accounts for about 20 percent of annual household electricity bills, or approximately $200 per year. Compact

florescent light bulbs (CFLs) and long-lasting light emitting diodes (LEDs) offer higher quality light than incandescent bulbs and use

less energy. Find retailers in your area with CFLs for prices as low as $1 and download $5 and $10 rebates for ENERGY STAR

qualified LEDs.

Heating and Cooling Maintenance

Nearly 50 percent of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. To prune your energy bill this spring, maintain your

cooling equipment.

Keep it clean. Dirt and neglect are the top causes of heating and cooling system failure.

Schedule a checkup. Have a licensed contractor make sure your system is operating at peak performance.

Check your system’s air filter. When it is dirty, change it. At a minimum change it every three months.

For more information on the DC SEU, visit their website or contact Hanna Grene at 202-309-3839 or hgrene[AT]@dcseu.com.

DC Citizen

May 2, 2013

“DC Sustainable Energy Utility saves energy

and money while creating jobs”

1/3/14 DC Sustainable Energy Utility saves energy and money while creating jobs | DC Citizen

dccitizen.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/dc-seu/ 1/3

Photo by Dept of Energy Solar Decathlon on Flickr.com

DC Citizen

DC Sustainable Energy Utility saves energy and moneywhile creating jobs

May 2, 2013 at 2:09 am (Uncategorized)

Tags: benchmarking, conservation, dc, ddoe, efficiency, energy, sustainability

In most industries, it costs less per unit to produce greater quantities of a product (economies of scale).

But with energy, the reverse is true. That’s why investing in conservation at the consumer level is aprudent way for governments to reduce energy use and save users money. Not only is efficiency more

effective for ratepayers and taxpayers than building new power plants, even ones using renewablesources, it’s also better for the environment in many respects.

DC’s growing population means its rate ofenergy use is forecast to rise in the coming

years. That’s why the DC Council created

the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) in 2008. It helps residents and

businesses make meaningful gains in energyefficiency, a task as which it has been quite

successful. It and similar programs are

needed if the city is to achieve Mayor Gray’sgoal of cutting the District’s energy use inhalf by 2032, part of his Sustainable DC

Initiative.

Created by the DC Council’s Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008, the DC SEU, a nonprofitorganization under contract to the District Department of the Environment (DDOE), is dedicated toreducing the District’s energy footprint to keep rates low for all businesses and residents. Through a

surcharge on their electricity and natural gas bills, DC ratepayers are funding DC SEU energyefficiency programs that they can take advantage of to reduce energy costs in their homes orbusinesses.

The DC SEU calls itself a power plant made not of concrete and smokestacks, but of people. It assistsDC residents and businesses in reducing their electricity and natural gas bills through a variety ofinitiatives, such as offering reduced-price compact fluorescent light bulbs, handing out rebates for

1/3/14 DC Sustainable Energy Utility saves energy and money while creating jobs | DC Citizen

dccitizen.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/dc-seu/ 2/3

energy-efficient appliances, installing better insulation and duct sealing in homes, providing incentivesand technical assistance for large-scale commercial properties, and giving commercial customers

rebates for energy-efficient commercial equipment and lighting.

The DC SEU is the only energy efficiency utility in the country that measures success with both energysavings and economic development goals. While other states, including Vermont, Ohio, and Delawarehave such utilities, and many states have energy efficiency programs, the DC SEU’s mandate extends

beyond reducing electricity and natural gas consumption. It is tasked with creating green jobs forDistrict residents (each of its employees lives in DC), allocating 30% of its annual project budget toprograms that serve low-income residents, and working with local Certified Business Enterprises

(CBEs).

In 2012, it served 18,795 households in 2012 (60% of these being low-income households) and spent$5.2 million with locally-owned CBEs. Its customers saved a total of almost $3 million annually inenergy costs while its efficiency measures produce lifetime economic benefits of almost $24 million, the

DC SEU claims.

Commercial and industrial buildings are the city’s largest energy users. Soon, energy and water useinformation for all buildings with more than than 100,000 gross square feet will be made public incompliance with the DDOE’s benchmarking regulation that went into effect this January. This wealthof public data will increase transparency in the market and provide a more complete picture of DCbuildings’ energy, water, and carbon footprints than has ever been produced, and will reflect change

over time as efficiency measures are implemented.

DC has assessed the energy and water use and carbon emissions of every District-owned building everyyear since 2009, but this is the first year that private owners of commercial buildings larger than100,000 square feet are required to benchmark and report to DDOE—the deadline for submitting theirassessments was Monday, April 1. By next year, the requirement will extend to all commercial andmultifamily residential buildings that are 50,000 square feet or larger. For the past two years, the DCSEU has provided a Benchmarking Help Center assist owners of large buildings assess and report

energy and water use.

The Help Center has fielded more questions about medical offices and small retail outlets in multifamilyapartment buildings and condominiums than expected. “We walk by these buildings every day, butwe don’t think about how they operate – how much energy or water they use or what’s inside,” saysHelp Center spokesperson John Andreoni. “Through the release of benchmarked and reported data,we’ll gain access to this information.”

Armed with more public data on District building’s electricity, water, and gas use than has ever been

amassed in one place, the DC SEU will have more information at hand to shrink the District’s resourceconsumption and encourage building owners and managers to embrace energy efficiency—trimmingthe city’s environmental footprint and keeping costs low for all District ratepayers.

Thanks to the DC SEU’s Hanna Grene for her assistance with this post.

About these ads

Greater Greater Washington

May 6, 2013

“DC Sustainable Energy Utility saves energy

and creates jobs”

1/6/14 DC Sustainable Energy Utility saves energy and creates jobs - Greater Greater Washington

greatergreaterwashington.org/post/18586/dc-sustainable-energy-utility-saves-energy-and-creates-jobs/ 1/2

5 comments

SUSTAINABILITY

Photo by Dept of Energy Solar

Decathlon on Flickr.

DC Sustainable Energy Utility saves energy and creates jobs

by Malcolm Kenton • May 6, 2013 2:46 pm

Five years ago, the DC Council created the DC Sustainable Energy Utility to help the city's growing population use less energy. While it

hasn't been perfect, DC SEU can help achieve Mayor Gray's goal of cutting the District's energy use in half by 2032.

Created by the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 and housed within the District Department of the Environment, DC

SEU is dedicated to reducing the District's energy footprint. Residents and business owners directly support DC SEU through

a surcharge on their electricity and natural gas bills.

In return. DC SEU will give residents reduced-price compact fluorescent light bulbs, rebates for energy-efficient appliances, or

even install better insulation and duct sealing in homes. For commercial and industrial properties, which are the District's

largest energy users, DC SEU provides incentives and technical assistance for large-scale commercial properties and offers

rebates for energy-efficient commercial equipment and lighting.

While states like Vermont, Ohio, and Delaware have sustainable energy utilities, DC SEU is the only one that measures success in terms of both energy savings

and economic development. In 2012, DC SEU served 18,795 households in 2012, 60% of which are low-income, and spent $5.2 million with locally-owned Certified

Business Enterprises, or CBEs. DC SEU claims that its customers save almost $3 million annually in energy costs, while its efficiency measures produce lifetime

economic benefits of almost $24 million.

However, not everyone is convinced of DC SEU's effectiveness. Employees of the utility's vaunted green jobs program, which was supposed to create 100 new

jobs every year, say their work was unproductive and "meaningless." Perhaps more can be done to strengthen the training and future job placement aspects of

the jobs offered through DC SEU, but one lone program can't be expected to squelch the District's persistent plague of unemployment.

Meanwhile, critics argue that DC SEU has accomplished little other than self-promotion. There certainly seems to be room for better cooperation between DC

SEU and pre-existing community organizations promoting solar power installation. But there's always a learning curve when government takes over tasks

previously in the purview of the private sector, no matter how poorly Pepco did at promoting efficiency, especially when Pepco owns the power lines and

metering systems.

We'll be able to get a better understanding of what DC SEU has accomplished with newly available data on how much electricity, water, and gas buildings in the

District consume. DC has assessed the energy and water use and carbon emissions of every District-owned building every year since 2009, but this is the first

year that private owners of commercial buildings larger than 100,000 square feet are required to report their energy and water use to DDOE in compliance with

new benchmarking regulation. Next year, the requirement will extend to all commercial and multifamily residential buildings larger than 50,000 square feet.

For the past two years, the DC SEU has provided a Benchmarking Help Center assist owners of large buildings assess and report energy and water use. They

have fielded more questions about medical offices and small retail outlets in multifamily apartment buildings and condominiums than expected.

"We walk by these buildings every day, but we don't think about how they operate, how much energy or water they use or what's inside," says Help Center

spokesperson John Andreoni. "Through the release of benchmarked and reported data, we'll gain access to this information."

This wealth of public data will increase transparency in the market and provide a more complete picture of DC buildings' energy, water, and carbon footprints

than has ever been produced. As more efficiency measures are implemented, we'll be able to see how effective DC SEU actually is.

In most industries, it costs less per unit to produce greater quantities of a product. But with energy, the reverse is true. That's why investing in conservation at the

consumer level is the most prudent way for governments to reduce energy use and save users money. Not only is efficiency more effective for ratepayers and

taxpayers than building new power plants, even ones using renewable sources, it's also better for the environment.

Armed with more public data, DC SEU will have more information at hand to shrink the District's resource consumption and encourage building owners and

managers to embrace energy efficiency. If it achieves measurable success, it will not only trim the city's environmental footprint, but keep costs low for all District

ratepayers.

Tweet 6 13Recommend

Tags: DC, DDOE, energy, energy efficiency, jobs, sustainability, Sustainable Energy Utility

The Hill Rag Magazine

July 2013

“DC’s Sustainable Energy Utility Lends a Hand

to Businesses and Residents”

140 H hillrag.com

plastic water bottles and we compost and recycle. Living green is totally in line with luxury living!” Her husband, Dana, went on to explain that a solar space heater had already been installed in the building when they bought it in the 1980s. Th irty years later this system is still heat-ing two of the building’s apartments. Installing so-lar was just another step in going green. He also noted that current solar incentives make the investment very aff ordable. Between Federal and District tax incentives they should be able to re-cover their costs in only four years. “Everyone ought to be doing this!” he declared.

DC’s SustainableEnergy Utility Lendsa Hand to Businessesand Residents

Meanwhile DC’s Sus-tainable Energy Util-ity (www.dcseu.com) is de-signed to help the District meet its energy and climate and environment goals by assisting businesses and in-stitutions upgrade to en-ergy-effi cient technologies and equipment. In addition to helping businesses with the District’s benchmark-ing requirement, DC SEU provides rebates to reduce the up-front cost of effi cient lighting, refrigeration, heat-ing and cooling, water heat-ing, and commercial cooking equipment, which can help lower energy costs for small and medium-sized business-es. DC SEU also provides incentives for homeowners who are upgrading lighting, buying Energy Star-label re-frigerators and laundry units, and addressing a home’s overall energy effi ciency.

What green practices is your business adopting? I’d love to hear about them!

Catherine Plume is a blogger for the DC Recycler, www.dcrecycler.blogspot.com; dcrecyclerdc@gmail.com. H

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JBS News

July 15, 2013

“American University Honored as Business

Leader for Energy Efficiency”

1/6/14 American University Honored as Business Leader for Energy Efficiency | JBS News Renewable Energy

jbsnews.com/2013/07/15/american-university-honored-as-business-leader-for-energy-efficiency/ 2/10

Image courtesy: American University, Washington, DC

American University is recognized for its commitment to improve campus-wide

energy efficiency

DC SEU PRESS RELEASE: July 15, 2013 (Washington, DC) - Northeast Energy

Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) has recognized American University (AU) as a

2013 Business Leader in Energy Efficiency. Nominated by the DC Sustainable

Energy Utility (DC SEU), AU was honored for its green building policies and

continued efforts to advance campus-wide energy efficiency.

With assistance from the DC SEU, AU completed a major lighting retrofit to

modernize Bender Arena, home to the university’s NCAA athletics programs and

host to commencement exercises, concerts, and world renowned speakers. The

improved lighting and controls in Bender Arena cut energy use by more than 350

MWh per year and reduce the cooling necessary when the gym is in use for a

total of more than $50,000 in annual cost savings.

“We’re committed to reducing energy consumption in the District of Columbia,”

said Ted Trabue, Managing Director of the DC SEU. “Dedicated partners like

American University are leading the way by example.”

AU has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2020. A leading strategy is to

reduce campus-wide energy consumption. In addition to retrofits in Bender

Arena, the university is currently working with the DC SEU to upgrade lighting

in three parking garages and to make HVAC improvements to the American

University Library, which will reduce energy use and increase occupant comfort.

AU has also adopted a green building policy requiring that all new buildings meet

or exceed LEED® gold standards and is one of only three universities in the world

that is currently working on a large-scale LEED volume project to certify 25

existing buildings on campus.

“Sustainability, carbon neutrality…these are all issues that are on the national

1/6/14 American University Honored as Business Leader for Energy Efficiency | JBS News Renewable Energy

jbsnews.com/2013/07/15/american-university-honored-as-business-leader-for-energy-efficiency/ 3/10

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agenda,” said David Osborne, the Director of Energy and Engineering at

American University. “From that standpoint, not only is it good business sense,

but it’s also the politically and socially responsible thing to do.”

American University was recognized along with 11 other Northeast Energy

Efficiency Business Leaders, including Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, ESPN,

and Anheuser Busch at the 2013 Northeast Energy Efficiency Summit. Watch

the video to see American University’s beautiful campus and learn more.

ABOUT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student

body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in

Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence,

public service, and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.

ABOUT the DC SEU

The DC SEU helps District residents and businesses save energy and money

through energy efficiency and renewable energy services. For more information

on the DC SEU, visit http://www.dcseu.com, or contact Hanna Grene at 202-309-

3839 or hgrene@dcseu.com.

ABOUT NEEP

NEEP was founded in 1996 as a non-profit whose mission is to serve the Northeast

and Mid-Atlantic to accelerate energy efficiency in the building sector through

public policy, program strategies and education. For more information visit

www.neep.org.

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Arabian Gazette

August 3, 2013

“Energy efficiency = comfort, lower utility

bills”

UAE energy efficiency. Older buildings without proper insulation are causing the UAE’s carbon

footprint to increase. Photo: Rory Hyde

Across the UAE, where the average daily temperature in the summer can soar to over 40-degrees

celsius (104-degree Fahrenheit) for weeks at a time, it might seem the weather is to blame for the

country’s huge per capita carbon footprint, as the perpetual heat makes air-conditioning a necessity for

most people and workplace environments.

The many old buildings within the UAE with poor, or non-existent insulation, are the cause of much of the

additional and unnecessary carbon usage as they are unable to provide effective thermal insulation from

the inescapable and omnipresent heat.

Thanks to the laws of physics, good thermal insulation is required to prevent heat from passing from the

exterior of the building, into the interior of the building, to the inside living or working spaces. In the

absence of such barrier, a dramatically increased amount of air-conditioning is required to keep the

building interior cool, which drives up monthly electric bills and the total national electricity usage.

Dr. Andreas Kiesewetter, owner of Europe’s largest privately owned paint and insulation manufacturer,

commented recently on the UAE energy efficiency vs. insulation paradigm.

Dr. Andreas Kiesewetter; “The easiest and cheapest way to save energy is through buildings.

Withproper insulation, a building’s energy consumption and related expenditure can be cut in half.

Energy efficiency = comfort, lower utility billsPosted by Ayesha Sarfraz / August 3, 2013

27FLARES 8 12 3 4 0 0 --

It requires a larger amount of energy to cool a building than to heat it due to the fact that the

efficiency of air conditioners is less than central heating systems, besides the nature of heat

transfer inside living spaces from objects and appliance that emit heat.

There is no point in saving energy on one front to then use the savings in a wasteful manner on

the other. It only makes sense to produce green energy if it is used sustainably. Good insulation

allows us to use energy sustainably.” — Dr Andreas Kiesewetter, head engineer at Caparol Building

Envelope Systems Division

Buildings which have received efficiency upgrades to their overall building envelope can score nearly as

well as brand new buildings, on the energy efficiency front.

Some notable examples exist in the United States and Europe where the monthly cost of electricity for an

office tower might have ranged over USD 1 million PER MONTH prior to insulation upgrades — falling to

HALF that, after efficiency upgrades.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Short of completely renovating your home or office tower, here are some great ways to help

you live and work more comfortably this summer and begin to lower your utility costs

immediately, courtesy of the DC SEU.

Very surprisingly, Washington, D.C. with its huge seasonal temperature swings, wins awards almost

every year for government, commercial, industrial and residential, energy efficiency. The Sustainable

Energy Utility (DC SEU) was created to assist all levels of government, the business community, and

residents to lower their overall energy consumption and to increase energy efficiency throughout the

region. Their many awards and accomplishments are unprecedented.

Save Energy While Staying Cool This Summer (DC SEU)

Using an air conditioner isn’t the only answer to beating the

heat during brutal summers. There are a lot of ways to keep

your home cool besides resorting to energy intensive (and

energy bill-raising) air conditioners. Check out these tips to

help you to keep cool and save energy this summer.

1. Take advantage of those rare times when it’s cooler

outside and open your windows instead of using air

conditioning. Use a window fan, blowing toward the

outside, to pull cool air in through other windows and to

push hot air out.

2. When it’s warmer outside than inside, close your

windows and then draw window coverings against direct

sunlight.

3. Delay heat-producing tasks, such as dishwashing,

baking, or doing laundry, until the cooler evening or early

morning hours.

4. Caulk around window and door frames, use weather

stripping on exterior doors, and have a professional seal

any gaps where air can travel between the attic and your

living space.

5. Use your bath fan to remove heat and moisture

generated by showers.

6. If your kitchen range hood fan exhausts to the outdoors,

use it to remove hot air while cooking.

7. Use energy-efficient lighting in your home. CFL and

LED light bulbs are cooler when they are on and cost less

to operate because most of their energy produces light

instead of heat. Incandescent light bulbs, on the other

hand, lose 90% of their energy as heat.

8. Now is a great time to make home improvements that

can reduce both cooling and heating costs and make your

home more comfortable all year. An energy performance

contractor can find and fix the causes of high energy bills,

uncomfortably hot or cold/drafty rooms, moisture and air

quality problems, and more.

Sometimes there’s no escaping the summertime heat —

without turning on your air conditioner. Here are some helpful

tips for purchasing and maintaining your ENERGY STAR

compliant room air conditioner:

When buying air conditioners, choose the smallest ENERGY

STAR qualified unit appropriate for the size of the room you’re

cooling.

Too big a model not only costs more to operate but also can

make a room uncomfortably clammy as oversized equipment

can’t remove humidity as effectively.

See the guide to help you select the right size air conditioner

for a room in your house.

Here are some other factors to consider when choosing your

room air conditioner:

If the room is very sunny, increase the size by 10%. If it

is very shady, decrease the size by 10%.

If more than two people regularly occupy the room, add

600 BTUs per hour for each additional person to the size

selected.

If your room air conditioner is intended for use in a

kitchen, increase size by 4,000 BTUs per hour.

Keep outside air from leaking in by seeing that there are

no gaps along the sides of your window air conditioner or

between window sashes.

Remember to clean air conditioner filters regularly and

keep the front and back of air conditioners unobstructed.

DC Sustainable Energy Utility

80 M Street SE, Suite 310

Washington, DC 20003

Website: dcseu.com

Phone: 202-479-2222

Toll-Free: 855-MY-DCSEU

(855-693-2738)

Fax: 202-450-1552

info@dcseu.com

Metropolitan Washington

Heating, Plumbing, and Cooling

Contractors Newsletter

August 23, 2013

“Welcome DC SEU”

Natural Awakenings DC

August 2013

“Manage Your Carbon Footprint and Cut your

Home Energy Bills”

32 Washington, D.C. NaturalAwakeningsDC.com

Each month the District welcomes approximately 1,000 new residents. With a

steady growth in popula-tion comes a steady in-crease in energy consump-tion—but what is being done to keep energy costs low and to manage the city’s carbon footprint? In the District, organizations such as the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) are helping local residents and businesses save energy and reduce their utility bills. Saving energy and money at home can be as simple as updating your lighting and appliances. A great first step towards reducing your at-home energy use is to replace traditional, incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). CFL and LED bulbs are 75 percent more energy ef-ficient than incandescents, last longer and save an average of $5 or more per bulb each year. When it comes to larger appli-ances, newer models of refrigerators

and clothes washers use 50 percent less energy than their older counterparts and can significantly reduce your energy bills. If your refrigerator is more than 10 years old or does not have an ENERGY STAR® label, it’s time to consid-er upgrading this energy-intensive appliance. ENERGY STAR® clothes washers save you energy and water by using only 18 to 25 gallons of water for a full-sized load com-pared to 40 gallons for standard washers.

Small or no cost changes can also make a difference towards sav-ing energy at home and reducing your carbon footprint. Electronics continue to use energy even when they are in “off” or “standby” mode. This is called “standby power” and can be prevented by unplugging your electronics when they are not in use. Doing so can save you up to $10 a month on your utility bill and will offset your carbon emis-sions by about 1,000 pounds of CO2 per year. Regardless of the model, you can

greenliving

Manage Your Carbon Footprint and Cut Your Home Energy Billsby Anissa Najm and Hannah Grene

also reduce the amount of energy your refrigerator and freezer use. Keep the temperature inside your refrigerator be-tween 35 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit and position it away from any heat sources, such as an oven, a dishwasher, or direct sunlight. When it comes to clothes washers and dishwashers, the major-ity of their energy use is dedicated to heating water. Washing two full loads a week in warm or cold water, as opposed to hot, will reduce carbon emissions by about 500 pounds of greenhouse gasses per year—that’s equivalent to planting 21 trees. When using your dishwasher, avoid the heat-dry, rinse-hold, and pre-rinse features and instead opt to use the air-dry setting. You can support local businesses and upgrade your lighting and appli-ances for less with the DC SEU. Over 50 District retailers, including neigh-borhood hardware stores and markets, currently offer reduced-price CFLs and LEDs. In addition, the DC SEU offers $50 rebates on ENERGY STAR® quali-fied refrigerators and clothes washers and larger rebates on ENERGY STAR® water heaters that can cut water heating costs in half.

For more information, call toll-free at 855-MY-DCSEU or visit dcseu.com/ForYourHome to learn more and start saving energy today.

Anissa Najm is a communications and marketing Intern at the DC SEU, where she has been aiding in public relations, participating in community events and gaining experience in the field of sustain-ability since graduating from GW this spring. Hanna Grene is head of public relations at the DC SEU. For media inqui-ries, please contact HGrene@dcseu.com.

Green Lodging News

September 12, 2013

“Kimpton Hotel, Once a U.S. Post Office, Axes

Environmental Impact”

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Kimpton Hotel, Once a Post Office, Axes Environmental Impact

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The green team at Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Washington, D.C. has had a lot to smile about lately. The hotel waspresented with the Technology Innovation, Medium Property award earlier this summer by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. That honor followed last year’s Mayor’s Sustainability Award. More importantly, in the last two years the hotel has completed a long list of projects—$2.4 million worth—that have resulted in a drop of 48 percent in utility costs, 24 percent reduction in energy use, 31 percent reduction in energy rates, and 32 percent drop in water consumption.

Getting to its current operating condition has been a long road for the property that originally was built in 1842. It once served as the U.S.

General Post Office and was converted into a hotel in 2001. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) owns the building and Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has owned the ground lease since 2010.

Not long after Pebblebrook got involved in the hotel, it began identifying projects to invest in that would have a payback from three to five years. Pebblebrook brought in Sol Vista Consulting for guidance.

“We helped them identify the projects that would have significant payback,” says Mark Foster, director of services for SilverSpring, Md.-based Sol Vista.

Planned Improvements Took Time

It was more than a year before the $2.4 million in upgrades could be made. All work associated with the energy efficiency improvements in the 196,800 square foot building were required to meet the GSA’s requirements for mechanical design, NAFTA compliance, and historic preservation. This not only increased the cost for many of the upgrades, but added layers of approval and paperwork to each step of the process.

“In mid-summer 2011 we were able to start projects,” Foster says.

Hotel Monaco’s mechanical systems and fixtures suffered from years of neglect. The improvement process began with an ASHRAE Level II assessment and a review of energy procurement opportunities by Sol Vista. Projects at or below threshold then moved into a scoping and bidding stage in order to validate the initialestimates. Through a combination of competitive bidding, innovative design,advanced controls sequencing, and attention to hotel guest satisfactionconsiderations, a comprehensive suite of impactful retrofit opportunities wascompiled. Each component project was justified on its own merit for savingspotential and its ability to support the guest experience expected of a high-end hotel.

One of the projects involved transitioning the hotel from district steam to gas boilers. A new chiller was installed, replacing the old one that had an internal water leak as well as an internal heat exchanger that was extremely clogged and could not be cleaned. Exhaust fans were refurbished, a whole-building automation system was put in place, variable frequency drives were added to the chiller water pump and cooling tower fan, and kitchen hood controls were installed. LEDs were installed in back of house areas in mid-2011 and front of house in late 2012. A guestroom energy management system was also put in place.

While upgrades were being made to the hotel, a rebate program became available through DC Sustainable Energy Utility. The team behind the projects was able to take advantage of more than $100,000 in rebates. Enhanced electricity and natural gas procurement strategies have resulted in additional savings.

Hotel Already Had Made Green Commitment

All of the improvement projects complemented steps already taken at the hotel including pressure-assisted toilets, water

9/12/2013 By Glenn Hasek

All of the improvement projects complemented steps already taken at the hotel including pressure-assisted toilets, waterefficient showerheads, aerators, in-room and public area recycling, fryer oil recycling, food waste composting, the use of non-toxic cleaners, plastic material reduction, and other steps that fall under the hotel and Kimpton’s sustainable purchasing policy.

Ed Virtue, general manager of the 183-room hotel, says the HVAC improvements have significantly improved guest and employee comfort and satisfaction.

“There is an incredible difference,” he says. “Previously, we would have regular breakdowns. Now we have excess capacity. Complaints about inadequate guestroom lighting are down more than 5 percent. We have also seen an 11 percent reduction in room temperature complaints from our guestrooms. This follows a general trend of increased guest comfort and an improved employee experience as we gain better control of our energy management systems.”

The Hotel Monaco’s commitment to sustainability has also made it a more attractive destination for group business.

“The government has a travel policy regarding sustainability,” Virtue says. “It is part of every RFP. To be on the cutting edge gets us in the running for groups we would not have had a chance at.”

In addition to the aforementioned honors, the hotel has been profiled as part of the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge and is also featured on the Sol Vista website.

Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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