Invest in larger energy efficiency projects through performance contracting or other funding or through smaller retro-commissio

Retrocommissioning corrects and enhances how building equipment and systems function together, resolving problems that occurred during design or construction or that have developed during the building's life. If the building went through the quality-assurance process called commissioning when initially designed and constructed, then a recheck is called recommissioning and is recommended to do once every 5 years, for a typical energy savings of 10%. Retrofitting improves building components, upgrades operating systems and equipment, and installs energy-efficient appliances.

Audits and Studies: 

• Before making changes to a building, an energy audit is done at one or more (ASHRAE) levels, which range from easy/cheap to harder/costlier:
  • Level 0 - Benchmarking (using historic energy data) 
    • See BPA 1.1 for B3 Benchmarking information
  • Level 1 - Walk-through Audit 
    • Contact RETAP for free audits
  • Level 2 - Detailed/General
  • Level 3 - Investment Grade Audit (IGA)
    • The MN Department of Commerce’s Local Energy Efficiency Program (LEEP) helps local units of government complete Investment Grade Audits for smaller energy projects ($50-$350,000). LEEP is a useful tool to identify a range of energy conservation measures with varying payback terms. LGUs requiring financial assistance encumbering funds for an IGA are eligible for Commerce’s Energy Audit Loan Program, which can be repaid or rolled into an energy project’s financing. 

Projects: 

• See the ENERGY STAR Building Upgrade Manual, especially Chapters 5-10.
• Note that to optimize costs/benefits, the quick payback of lighting retrofits (BPA 1.2) is often best paired with additional/longer payback equipment changes to increase the ultimate savings to a city and to typically bring city buildings down to a B3 Index Ratio of 0.7 (with 1.0 being operations as expected if performing to the currently MN Building Code).
• Use the International Dark-Sky Association Light Pollution Solutions and purchase lights with the IDA’s Fixture Seal of Approval.  

Financing: 

• The Guaranteed Energy Savings Program (GESP) from the MN Dept. of Commerce is available for state and local governments, school districts, and institutions of higher learning to lock in verifiable ongoing energy savings (using B3 data) through vetted contractors and a master performance contracts to achieve deeper retrofits without capital appropriations. 
• DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency) is a one-stop source of information on the status of state programs and local utility programs, policies, rebates and other incentives. Note that Minnesota companies can take over rebate administration for city and private projects to increase the return on energy investments.
• The City of St. Paul, for example, has an Energy Conservation Investment Fund, a revolving loan account that supports energy-efficiency investments - retrofits of existing facilities - with a documented payback of less than 10 years for city-owned buildings. Green Revolving Funds: An Introductory Guide to Implementation and Management (Sustainable Endowments Institute: 2013) explains and provides background on internal, self-managed revolving loan funds that finance energy efficiency improvements.
• See model procurement and contracting documents from the Energy Services Coalition, a public private partnership promoting the benefits of, providing education on, and serving as an advocate for the widespread use of energy performance contracting.