ICLEI’s High Performance Building program provides local governments with policy recommendations and proven methodologies to speed a transition to an inclusive, healthy, low-carbon city through building energy and water efficiency and making critical connections between the built environment and public health.
What is the High Performance Building Program
Roughly 40% of U.S. energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to residential and commercial buildings. ICLEI’s Buildings Program addresses the need to reduce both energy and water use in the built environment while providing a number of co-benefits; namely improved indoor air quality and comfort, employee productivity, and affordability.
With a myriad of options and strategies for local governments to consider, ICLEI USA efforts target three opportunities: retrofitting municipal and school buildings; energy and green construction codes; and the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative.
Why High Performance Buildings
- Improve building water and energy productivity, operations and maintenance
- Replace inefficient lighting and aging HVAC equipment with no upfront capital expense through energy performance contracts
- Address both residential and commercial buildings through advanced codes
- Customize your technical assistance request through the BEA
High Performance Building Program Features
- Understand how an energy performance contract (EPC) works and how to incorporate water savings into EPC projects
- Access tools and resources to explore EPC for your school, school district, or local government
- Procurement guidance to reduce administrative burden
- Best practices and case studies
- Access to a pool of experts
- Peer networking for code officials, energy and facilities managers
The Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) global partnership is designed to complement existing networks of cities with a venue for engagement with private sector partners. The BEA process of engagement in a city includes support for:
- Assessing and prioritizing locally-appropriate policies and actions
- Implementing actions, through matching needs with expertise, resources and tools
- Tracking action and documenting progress, and sharing lessons learned
BEA engages with cities through a menu of policy options and key actions based on the needs of the city and the activities that the partnership can provide in each location. Cities will prioritize policies and activities, and the partnership will connect them to resources and engagement around those priorities.
Your ICLEI Support
Contact ICLEI for a consultation and to explore technical assistance opportunities.
At ICLEI USA, we are constantly learning from our ICLEI colleagues and members around the world.
Additionally, we have partnered with Western Resource Advocates on a project to reduce water consumption in the Colorado River Basin states and with World Resources Institute on the Building Efficiency Accelerator.