Large-Scale Municipal Efforts: Green Buildings, Renewable

Energy, and Energy Efficiency

James P. Cargas Senior Assistant City Attorney for Energy 1  

Disclaimers  

•  NOT  speaking  on  behalf  of  the  City  of  Houston  •  NOT  speaking  on  behalf  of  the  Mayor  •  NOT  speaking  on  behalf  of  any  candidates  for  the  U.S.  Congress  

•  NOT  giving  or  offering  legal  advice  •  Views  and  opinions  expressed  are  soley  my  own  

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Summary  

•  Green  Buildings    •  City  of  Houston    •  CiFzens  of  Houston  

•  Houston  Drives  Electric  •  Renewable  Energy  

•  Solar  •  Wind      

•  Resources  3  

Green  Buildings  City  of  Houston  

•  297  City  faciliFes  (5.2  million  SF)  retrofiSed  •  Guaranteed  energy  savings  approaching  30%  

•  Equals  22  million  kWh  per  year  •  Financing  through  savings:  Payback  averages  <10  yrs.  

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Green  Buildings  City  of  Houston  

•  Green  Building  ResoluFon:  sets  a  target  of  LEED  Silver  for  all  new  construcFon  and  major  rennovaFons    •  22  completed  already,  at  least  2  are  LEED  Gold  

•  8  more  in  planning  stages  

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Green  Buildings  City  of  Houston  

•  Traffic  signals:  2,450  intersecFons  replaced  with  LEDs  •  75%  more  energy  efficient,  and  last  6-­‐7  rather  than  2  yrs.  

•  $3.6  million  annual  savings  

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Green  Buildings  CiFzens  of  Houston  

•  Green  Office  Challenge  •  Commercial  office  owners,  managers  and  tenants  challenged  to  

have  buildings  cerFfied  LEED  or  Energy  Star  •  In  third  year  with  over  400  parFcipants  •  Mayor  Parker  and  Houston  won  1st  place  in  USCM  2011  Climate  

ProtecFon  Awards  Program  for  Green  Building  IniFaFves  •  DOE’s  BeSer  Building  Challenge  in  2013  

•  30  million  SF  commiSed;  7  million  from  City  of  Houston  •  Goal  is  20%  energy  reducFon  by  2020  

•  EPA  Five  Star  Energy  Efficiency  Homes  Program  •  Builders  incenFve  to  provide  energy  efficiency  measures  and  

renewable  energy  •  Baseline  home  energy  raFng  (HERS)  of  60  or  lower  

•  Aiming  for  #1  in  naFon  for  both  LEED  and  Energy  Star  bldgs.  •  Currently  168  LEED  cerFfied  –  5th  in  naFon  •  Currently  175  Energy  Star  cerFfied  –  7th  in  naFon  

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Green  Buildings  CiFzens  of  Houston  

•  Houston  ResidenFal  Energy  ConservaFon  Code  2011  •  InternaFonal  Energy  ConsevaFon  Code  +5%  •  Houston  Code  +10%  →  exceeds  naFonal  standard  by  5%  

•  ResidenFal  Energy  Efficiency  Program  (REEP)  •  No  cost  to  income-­‐qualified  Houstonians  •  Funded  by  $23  million  in  from  federal  sFmulus  and  CenterPoint  

Energy  •  In  seventh  year  with  over  13,000  homes  weatherized  •  12-­‐18%  kWh  reducFons  equals    $60-­‐$125  per  month  Savings  •  Use  neighborhood  approach  to  reach  mass  adopFon  •  High  homeowner  saFsfacFon  

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Houston  Drives  Electric:  Vehicles  •  Began  replacing  light  duty  vehicles  with  

hybrids  in  2002  •  Now  over  50%  hybrids  (mostly  Toyota  Prius)  •  3rd  largest  municipal  hybrid  fleet  in  naFon  

•  Began  electric  vehicle  purchases  in  2012  •  Now  42  in  fleet  (mostly  Nissan  Leaf)  

•  Solid  Waste  Management  Dept.  Has  10  hybrid  trucks  

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Houston  Drives  Electric:  EV  StaFons  •  Network  of  EV  charging  staFons  

deployed  •  Municipal  funding:  60    •  Federal  sFmulus  funding:  100+  •  Private  funding  by  NRG  EV  Services:  150  

•  24  hour  (or  less)  permit  approval  for  EV  chargeing  staFon  installaFons  

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Renewable  Energy  -­‐  Solar  

•  DOE  Solar  America  City  •  Four  demonstraFon  projects  on  City  buildings  •  Working  on  streamlining  permiFng  process  for  installaFon  of  

solar  panels    •  Funded  by  DOE  SunShot  Roooop  Solar  Challenge  grant  

•  17  mobile  solar-­‐powered  generators  •  Designed  for  emergency  relief  efforts  during  hurricanes  or  as  

cooling  centers  during  Fmes  of  extreme  heat  •  Kept  at  fire  staFons,  parks,  neighborhood  centers  and  schools  

unFl  needed;  serve  as  outdoor  classrooms  or  to  educate  public  and  increase  awareness  of  solar  power  

•  Funded  by  $1.3  million  SECO  grant  and  built  in  cooperaFon  with  the  Univ.  of  Houston  School  of  Architecture  

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Renewable  Energy:  Wind  •  Total  load  is  ~1,246,000  MWh/year  •  Purchased  1,245,774  MW  Green-­‐e  RECS  

•  Divided  between  FY  2014  and  FY  2015  •  Thus,  50%  of  annual  load  from  renewable  

energy  for  next  two  years  •  Cost  is  only  $0.000805  per  kWh  

•  Advantage  of  purchasing  electrons  and  RECs  separately:  best  price  for  both  •  Traded  in  two  different  markets  

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Renewable  Energy          EPA  Rankings:  

•  #1  municipal  purchaser  of  renewable  energy  

•  #6  purchaser  of  renewable  energy  in  America  

           Energy  Capital  of  the  World  13  

Mayor Annise Parker

City  of  Houston  Web  Sites  HoustonTX.gov  (main)  GreenHoustonTX.gov  

HoustonGOC.org  (Green  Office  Challenge)  CodeGreenHouston.org  (Green  Bldg.  Resource  

Ctr.)  GreenHoustonTX.gov/HoustonDrivesElectric  

Houston.Bcycle.com  (Bike  Share)  BayouGreenWays.org  RebuildHouston.org  

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Thank You  

James  P.  Cargas  Senior  Assistant  City  ASorney  for  Energy  

900  Bagby  St.,  4th  Floor  Houston,  Texas  77002  Phone:  (832)  393-­‐6255  

James.Cargas@HoustonTX.gov  

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Texas  Wind  

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City  of  Houston’s  Carbon  Footprint  

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