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Sustainable Pennsylvania

Sustainable Pennsylvania

Municipal Certification Project

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Home › Action Resources › Energy › Municipal Energy Use

FOCUS AREAS

Related Criteria

E2 Energy Audit:  To what extent has the municipality engaged in an energy audit for municipally owned buildings?

A. We have conducted an in-house energy audit (e.g., using a checklist found online, etc.).
B. We have undergone a professionally-conducted energy audit.

C. We have implemented some of the recommendations from the energy audit.

D. We have implemented all or nearly all of the recommendations from the energy audit.

Energy Audit


Description:

Making municipal buildings more energy efficient saves taxpayer money while also contributing to solutions for some of our most pressing environmental sustainability issues. These actions award points to municipalities for taking increasingly more effective steps towards reducing energy consumption, starting with energy audits and culminating with deep energy savings.

How to Get Started:

Step 1.

The first step for a municipality to reduce its energy consumption and operating costs is to have an energy audit completed. An energy audit will analyze energy consumption and cost patterns, leading to the better understanding and control of all the energy used by the organization. The energy audit will identify inefficiencies for improvement using today’s technologies and best practices. Even if the  building is a newer build, audits still play an important role and typically pay for themselves through recommended energy savings. The consumption and cost baseline established by the audit creates the benchmark by which energy reductions can be measured.

Step 2. 

It is important that the organization take the next step of creating a plan and implementation schedule for making the improvements recommended by the audit. Often organizations will implement the easiest and least expensive options, and never utilize the audit again. But those larger investments or projects are often the ones that produce the greatest savings, both in terms of money and carbon emissions. Creating a well designed plan should include: 

  • Which recommendations will be implemented
  • When they will be implemented
  • How will they capitalized
  • Who will implement them

This plan can be a smaller part of a larger plan, like a comprehensive plan, or a strategic operations plan, or it can be a stand alone plan derived from an energy audit.

Step 3. 

After a plan has been created and implementation is underway, an organization needs to know what success looks like. The audit created a baseline for energy consumption and energy tracking should continue monthly or annually thereafter. We recommend using the EPA’s Portfolio Manager to track your organization’s energy consumption. Once your organization’s information is loaded into the system, it takes little time each month to add your energy data to continue monitoring your usage. . The portfolio manager  provides you with weather adjusted details about how your energy reduction efforts are going, allowing you to spot problems and make adjustments. Research by the EPA shows that just by benchmarking and tracking energy consumption, organizations typically average an annual savings of 2.4% and 7% overall. 

Step 4.

The final step in this cyclical process is to report your energy consumption information to the public. By making the information available publicly you add transparency and accountability to the process, both of which improve the likelihood that the efforts will be successful and supported by the taxpayer.

Resources


Programs & Tools
EPA Portfolio Manager
Energy Star Portfolio Manager is an interactive resource management tool that enables you to benchmark the energy use of any type of building, all in a secure online environment. Visit resource website
DEP Energy Efficiency Information for Governments and Schools
Department of Environmental Protection DEP energy efficiency information and resources for governments and schools, including references for everything from HVAC and Lighting to Transportation and Food Storage. Visit resource website

Best Practices & Local Examples
Energy Audit for a Small Municipality
Western Carolina University Western Carolina University helps a municipality conduct an energy audit for a local municipality whose energy costs are reaching budgetary concerns for maintaining current levels of service. They provide feedback on the process and provide recommendations to reduce consumption. Visit resource website

Organizations
Delaware Valley Green Building Council
Delaware Valley Green Building Council Green Building United is a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, and has active Passive House and Living Future Communities. It serves the greater Philadelphia area, Lehigh Valley, and the State of Delaware Phone number - 215-399-5790 Visit resource website
USGBC Central Pennsylvania
USGBC Central Pennsylvania The U.S. Green Building Council of Central PA Chapter serves 34 counties in Pennsylvania. Phone number - 202-706-0836 Visit resource website
Green Building Alliance
Green Building Alliance Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, and has active Passive House and Living Future Communities. It serves the greater Pittsburgh region. Phone number - 412-773-6000 Visit resource website
National U.S. Green Building Council
Green Building Council Our mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated through LEED, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible environment that improves the quality of life. Phone number - 800-795-1747 Visit resource website

Financial Assistance/Incentives
Save Energy
West Penn Power/First Energy Programs and resources to help businesses and homes save energy. Visit resource website

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About Sustainable Pennsylvania

Sustainable Pennsylvania, a joint project of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and Sustainable Pittsburgh, is a voluntary performance recognition program designed to help municipalities set and achieve sustainability goals, save money, conserve resources, and foster a vibrant community.

Pennsylvania Municipal League

The Pennsylvania Municipal League is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1900 as an advocate for Pennsylvania’s 3rd class cities. Today, The League represents participating Pennsylvania cities, boroughs, townships, home rule communities and towns that all share The League’s municipal policy interests.

The mission of the Pennsylvania Municipal League is to strengthen, empower and advocate for effective local government.

Sustainable Pittsburgh

Sustainable PGH is a nonprofit committed to building the knowledge, perspective, and ability needed to create a better tomorrow for our region.

Contact us

Email info@sustainablepa.org or call Leslie Rhoads from PML at 717-236-9469 *237 or Jim Price from Sustainable Pittsburgh at 412-259-5331

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