Part B—High-Performance Commercial Buildings

§17081. Commercial high-performance green buildings

(a) Director of Commercial High-Performance Green Buildings

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, shall appoint a Director of Commercial High-Performance Green Buildings to a position in the career-reserved Senior Executive service, with the principal responsibility to—

(1) establish and manage the Office of Commercial High-Performance Green Buildings; and

(2) carry out other duties as required under this part.

(b) Qualifications

The Commercial Director shall be an individual, who by reason of professional background and experience, is specifically qualified to carry out the duties required under this part.

(c) Duties

The Commercial Director shall, with respect to development of high-performance green buildings and zero-energy commercial buildings nationwide—

(1) coordinate the activities of the Office of Commercial High-Performance Green Buildings with the activities of the Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings;

(2) develop the legal predicates and agreements for, negotiate, and establish one or more public-private partnerships with the Consortium, members of the Consortium, and other capable parties meeting the qualifications of the Consortium, to further such development;

(3) represent the public and the Department in negotiating and performing in accord with such public-private partnerships;

(4) use appropriated funds in an effective manner to encourage the maximum investment of private funds to achieve such development;

(5) promote research and development of high-performance green buildings, consistent with section 17083 of this title; and

(6) jointly establish with the Federal Director a national high-performance green building clearinghouse in accordance with section 17083(1) of this title, which shall provide high-performance green building information and disseminate research results through—

(A) outreach;

(B) education; and

(C) the provision of technical assistance.

(d) Reporting

The Commercial Director shall report directly to the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, or to other senior officials in a way that facilitates the integrated program of this part for both energy efficiency and renewable energy and both technology development and technology deployment.

(e) Coordination

The Commercial Director shall ensure full coordination of high-performance green building information and activities, including activities under this part, within the Federal Government by working with the General Services Administration and all relevant agencies, including, at a minimum—

(1) the Environmental Protection Agency;

(2) the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive;

(3) the Office of Federal Procurement Policy;

(4) the Department of Energy, particularly the Federal Energy Management Program;

(5) the Department of Health and Human Services;

(6) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;

(7) the Department of Defense;

(8) the National Institute of Standards and Technology;

(9) the Department of Transportation;

(10) the Office of Science Technology and Policy; and

(11) such nonprofit high-performance green building rating and analysis entities as the Commercial Director determines can offer support, expertise, and review services.

(f) High-Performance Green Building Partnership Consortium

(1) Recognition

Not later than 90 days after December 19, 2007, the Commercial Director shall formally recognize one or more groups that qualify as a high-performance green building partnership consortium.

(2) Representation to qualify

To qualify under this section, any consortium shall include representation from—

(A) the design professions, including national associations of architects and of professional engineers;

(B) the development, construction, financial, and real estate industries;

(C) building owners and operators from the public and private sectors;

(D) academic and research organizations, including at least one national laboratory with extensive commercial building energy expertise;

(E) building code agencies and organizations, including a model energy code-setting organization;

(F) independent high-performance green building associations or councils;

(G) experts in indoor air quality and environmental factors;

(H) experts in intelligent buildings and integrated building information systems;

(I) utility energy efficiency programs;

(J) manufacturers and providers of equipment and techniques used in high-performance green buildings;

(K) public transportation industry experts; and

(L) nongovernmental energy efficiency organizations.

(3) Funding

The Secretary may make payments to the Consortium pursuant to the terms of a public-private partnership for such activities of the Consortium undertaken under such a partnership as described in this part directly to the Consortium or through one or more of its members.

(g) Report

Not later than 2 years after December 19, 2007, and biennially thereafter, the Commercial Director, in consultation with the Consortium, shall submit to Congress a report that—

(1) describes the status of the high-performance green building initiatives under this part and other Federal programs affecting commercial high-performance green buildings in effect as of the date of the report, including—

(A) the extent to which the programs are being carried out in accordance with this part; and

(B) the status of funding requests and appropriations for those programs; and

(2) summarizes and highlights development, at the State and local level, of high-performance green building initiatives, including executive orders, policies, or laws adopted promoting high-performance green building (including the status of implementation of those initiatives).

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, §421, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1602.)

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.

Executive Documents

Change of Name

Office of the Federal Environmental Executive reestablished as the Office of the Chief Sustainability Officer by Ex. Ord. No. 13693, §6, Mar. 19, 2015, 80 F.R. 15877, formerly set out in a note under section 4321 of this title.

§17082. Zero Net Energy Commercial Buildings Initiative

(a) Definitions

In this section:

(1) Consortium

The term "consortium" means a High-Performance Green Building Consortium selected by the Commercial Director.

(2) Initiative

The term "initiative" means the Zero-Net-Energy Commercial Buildings Initiative established under subsection (b)(1).

(3) Zero-net-energy commercial building

The term "zero-net-energy commercial building" means a high-performance commercial building that is designed, constructed, and operated—

(A) to require a greatly reduced quantity of energy to operate;

(B) to meet the balance of energy needs from sources of energy that do not produce greenhouse gases;

(C) in a manner that will result in no net emissions of greenhouse gases; and

(D) to be economically viable.

(b) Establishment

(1) In general

The Commercial Director shall establish an initiative, to be known as the "Zero-Net-Energy Commercial Buildings Initiative"—

(A) to reduce the quantity of energy consumed by commercial buildings located in the United States; and

(B) to achieve the development of zero net energy commercial buildings in the United States.

(2) Consortium

(A) In general

Not later than 180 days after December 19, 2007, the Commercial Director shall competitively select, and enter into an agreement with, a consortium to develop and carry out the initiative.

(B) Agreements

In entering into an agreement with a consortium under subparagraph (A), the Commercial Director shall use the authority described in section 7256(g) of this title, to the maximum extent practicable.

(c) Goal of initiative

The goal of the initiative shall be to develop and disseminate technologies, practices, and policies for the development and establishment of zero net energy commercial buildings for—

(1) any commercial building newly constructed in the United States by 2030;

(2) 50 percent of the commercial building stock of the United States by 2040; and

(3) all commercial buildings in the United States by 2050.

(d) Components

In carrying out the initiative, the Commercial Director, in consultation with the consortium, may—

(1) conduct research and development on building science, design, materials, components, equipment and controls, operation and other practices, integration, energy use measurement, and benchmarking;

(2) conduct pilot programs and demonstration projects to evaluate replicable approaches to achieving energy efficient commercial buildings for a variety of building types in a variety of climate zones;

(3) conduct deployment, dissemination, and technical assistance activities to encourage widespread adoption of technologies, practices, and policies (including demand-response technologies, practices, and policies) to achieve energy efficient commercial buildings;

(4) conduct other research, development, demonstration, and deployment activities necessary to achieve each goal of the initiative, as determined by the Commercial Director, in consultation with the consortium;

(5) develop training materials and courses for building professionals and trades on achieving cost-effective high-performance energy efficient buildings;

(6) develop and disseminate public education materials to share information on the benefits and cost-effectiveness of high-performance energy efficient buildings;

(7) support code-setting organizations and State and local governments in developing minimum performance standards in building codes that recognize the ready availability of many technologies utilized in high-performance energy efficient buildings;

(8) develop strategies for overcoming the split incentives between builders and purchasers, and landlords and tenants, to ensure that energy efficiency and high-performance investments are made that are cost-effective on a lifecycle basis; and

(9) develop improved means of measurement and verification of energy savings and performance for public dissemination.

(e) Cost sharing

In carrying out this section, the Commercial Director shall require cost sharing in accordance with section 16352 of this title.

(f) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—

(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;

(2) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010;

(3) $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011 and 2012; and

(4) $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2018.

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, §422, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1604; Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title I, §40104(d), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 933.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 117–58 inserted "(including demand-response technologies, practices, and policies)" after "policies".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.

Wage Rate Requirements

For provisions relating to rates of wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics on projects for construction, alteration, or repair work funded under div. D or an amendment by div. D of Pub. L. 117–58, including authority of Secretary of Labor, see section 18851 of this title.

§17083. Public outreach

The Commercial Director and Federal Director, in coordination with the Consortium, shall carry out public outreach to inform individuals and entities of the information and services available governmentwide by—

(1) establishing and maintaining a national high-performance green building clearinghouse, including on the Internet, that—

(A) identifies existing similar efforts and coordinates activities of common interest; and

(B) provides information relating to high-performance green buildings, including hyperlinks to Internet sites that describe the activities, information, and resources of—

(i) the Federal Government;

(ii) State and local governments;

(iii) the private sector (including nongovernmental and nonprofit entities and organizations); and

(iv) international organizations;

(2) identifying and recommending educational resources for implementing high-performance green building practices, including security and emergency benefits and practices;

(3) providing access to technical assistance, tools, and resources for constructing high-performance green buildings, particularly tools to conduct life-cycle costing and life-cycle assessment;

(4) providing information on application processes for certifying a high-performance green building, including certification and commissioning;

(5) providing to the public, through the Commercial Director, technical and research information or other forms of assistance or advice that would be useful in planning and constructing high-performance green buildings;

(6) using such additional methods as are determined by the Commercial Director to be appropriate to conduct public outreach;

(7) surveying existing research and studies relating to high-performance green buildings; and

(8) coordinating activities of common interest.

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, §423, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1606.)

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.

§17084. Separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures

(a) Definitions

In this section:

(1) High-performance energy efficiency measure

The term "high-performance energy efficiency measure" means a technology, product, or practice that will result in substantial operational cost savings by reducing energy consumption and utility costs.

(2) Separate spaces

The term "separate spaces" means areas within a commercial building that are leased or otherwise occupied by a tenant or other occupant for a period of time pursuant to the terms of a written agreement.

(b) Study

(1) In general

Not later than 1 year after April 30, 2015, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, shall complete a study on the feasibility of—

(A) significantly improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings through the design and construction, by owners and tenants, of separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures; and

(B) encouraging owners and tenants to implement high-performance energy efficiency measures in separate spaces.

(2) Scope

The study shall, at a minimum, include—

(A) descriptions of—

(i) high-performance energy efficiency measures that should be considered as part of the initial design and construction of separate spaces;

(ii) processes that owners, tenants, architects, and engineers may replicate when designing and constructing separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures;

(iii) policies and best practices to achieve reductions in energy intensities for lighting, plug loads, heating, cooling, cooking, laundry, and other systems to satisfy the needs of the commercial building tenant;

(iv) return on investment and payback analyses of the incremental cost and projected energy savings of the proposed set of high-performance energy efficiency measures, including consideration of available incentives;

(v) models and simulation methods that predict the quantity of energy used by separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures and that compare that predicted quantity to the quantity of energy used by separate spaces without high-performance energy efficiency measures but that otherwise comply with applicable building code requirements;

(vi) measurement and verification platforms demonstrating actual energy use of high-performance energy efficiency measures installed in separate spaces, and whether such measures generate the savings intended in the initial design and construction of the separate spaces;

(vii) best practices that encourage an integrated approach to designing and constructing separate spaces to perform at optimum energy efficiency in conjunction with the central systems of a commercial building; and

(viii) any impact on employment resulting from the design and construction of separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures; and

(B) case studies reporting economic and energy savings returns in the design and construction of separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures.

(3) Public participation

Not later than 90 days after April 30, 2015, the Secretary shall publish a notice in the Federal Register requesting public comments regarding effective methods, measures, and practices for the design and construction of separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency measures.

(4) Publication

The Secretary shall publish the study on the website of the Department of Energy.

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, §424, as added Pub. L. 114–11, title I, §103(a), Apr. 30, 2015, 129 Stat. 183.)

§17085. Tenant Star program

(a) Definitions

In this section:

(1) High-performance energy efficiency measure

The term "high-performance energy efficiency measure" has the meaning given the term in section 17084 of this title.

(2) Separate spaces

The term "separate spaces" has the meaning given the term in section 17084 of this title.

(b) Tenant Star

The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall develop a voluntary program within the Energy Star program established by section 6294a of this title, which may be known as "Tenant Star", to promote energy efficiency in separate spaces leased by tenants or otherwise occupied within commercial buildings.

(c) Expanding survey data

The Secretary of Energy, acting through the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, shall—

(1) collect, through each Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey of the Energy Information Administration that is conducted after April 30, 2015, data on—

(A) categories of building occupancy that are known to consume significant quantities of energy, such as occupancy by data centers, trading floors, and restaurants; and

(B) other aspects of the property, building operation, or building occupancy determined by the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to be relevant in lowering energy consumption;

(2) with respect to the first Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey conducted after April 30, 2015, to the extent full compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1) is not feasible, conduct activities to develop the capability to collect such data and begin to collect such data; and

(3) make data collected under paragraphs (1) and (2) available to the public in aggregated form and provide such data, and any associated results, to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for use in accordance with subsection (d).

(d) Recognition of owners and tenants

(1) Occupancy-based recognition

Not later than 1 year after the date on which sufficient data is received pursuant to subsection (c), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall, following an opportunity for public notice and comment—

(A) in a manner similar to the Energy Star rating system for commercial buildings, develop policies and procedures to recognize tenants in commercial buildings that voluntarily achieve high levels of energy efficiency in separate spaces;

(B) establish building occupancy categories eligible for Tenant Star recognition based on the data collected under subsection (c) and any other appropriate data sources; and

(C) consider other forms of recognition for commercial building tenants or other occupants that lower energy consumption in separate spaces.

(2) Design- and construction-based recognition

After the study required by section 17084(b) of this title is completed, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary and following an opportunity for public notice and comment, may develop a voluntary program to recognize commercial building owners and tenants that use high-performance energy efficiency measures in the design and construction of separate spaces.

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, §425, as added Pub. L. 114–11, title I, §104(a), Apr. 30, 2015, 129 Stat. 185.)

§17086. Advanced integration of buildings onto the electric grid

(a) In general

The Secretary shall establish a program of research, development, and demonstration to enable components of commercial and residential buildings to serve as dynamic energy loads on and resources for the electric grid. The program shall focus on—

(1) developing low-cost, low power, wireless sensors to—

(A) monitor building energy load;

(B) forecast building energy need; and

(C) enable building-level energy control;

(2) developing data management capabilities and standard communication protocols to further interoperability at the building and grid-level;

(3) developing advanced building-level energy management of components through integration of smart technologies, control systems, and data processing, to enable energy efficiency and savings;

(4) optimizing energy consumption at the building level to enable grid stability and resilience;

(5) improving visualization of behind the meter equipment and technologies to provide better insight into the energy needs and energy forecasts of individual buildings;

(6) reducing the cost of key components to accelerate the adoption of smart building technologies;

(7) protecting against cybersecurity threats and addressing security vulnerabilities of building systems or equipment; and

(8) other areas determined appropriate by the Secretary.

(b) Considerations

In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—

(1) work with utility partners, building owners, technology vendors, and building developers to test and validate technologies and encourage the commercial application of these technologies by building owners; and

(2) consider the specific challenges of enabling greater interaction between components of—

(A) small- and medium-sized buildings and the electric grid; and

(B) residential and commercial buildings and the electric grid.

(c) Buildings-to-grid integration report

Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the results of a study that examines the research, development, and demonstration opportunities, challenges, and standards needed to enable components of commercial and residential buildings to serve as dynamic energy loads on and resources for the electric grid.

(1) Report requirements

The report shall include—

(A) an assessment of the technologies needed to enable building components as dynamic loads on and resources for the electric grid, including how such technologies can be—

(i) incorporated into new commercial and residential buildings; and

(ii) retrofitted in older buildings;

(B) guidelines for the design of new buildings and building components to enable modern grid interactivity and improve energy efficiency;

(C) an assessment of barriers to the adoption by building owners of advanced technologies enabling greater integration of building components onto the electric grid; and

(D) an assessment of the feasibility of adopting technologies developed under subsection (a) at Department facilities.

(2) Recommendations

As part of the report, the Secretary shall develop a 10-year roadmap to guide the research, development, and demonstration program to enable components of commercial and residential buildings to serve as dynamic energy loads on and resources for the electric grid.

(3) Updates

The Secretary shall update the report required under this section every 3 years for the duration of the program under subsection (a) and shall submit the updated report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

(d) Program implementation

In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall—

(1) implement the recommendations from the report in subsection (c); and

(2) coordinate across all relevant program offices at the Department to achieve the goals established in this section, including the Office of Electricity.

(Pub. L. 110–140, title IV, §426, as added Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title I, §1007(e)(1), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2435.)