THE ENERGY STAR~(~R) SOLUTION: A New Standard in Energy Upgrade Analysis

摘要

To present opportunities for whole-building upgrades, the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR Buildings (ESB) program is developing a performance specification for energy auditing. By following this standardized protocol, such enhanced audits will be approved as "ENERGY STAR Solutions." The ENERGY STAR Solution process follows an approach of "approving, adapting, or enhancing" existing auditing tools and formats, and then combining them to form a co-ordinated and complete package. In creating, This set of standards, market research was conducted on the concept, on current auditing procedures, and on integration with related federal programs. To ensure a market-based perspective, a peer review panel of industry experts has been convened. In phase one preliminary design, protocols were developed for approving existing auditing tools. Phase two calls for the Solution process to be developed in draft form and presented to a wide array of stakeholders in the energy marketplace for two purposes: 1) to solicit input and secure commitments of support and 2) to establish an organizational framework for the subsequent stages of project development. The principal feature of the ENERGY STAR Solution is the integrated analysis of energy use, wherein interactions among building systems are examined, rather than looking only at single systems or components. This permits more realistic portrayal of potential savings of both cost and energy. By more clearly demonstrating how energy savings can improve any customer's energy bottom line, the ENERGY STAR Solution will encourage implementation of profitable energy efficiency measures (EEMs). Such results will increase the perceived value of the audit process, while reducing the perceived risk in energy efficiency investment. This will be accomplished by highlighting energy efficiency opportunities as a business plan, according to the customer's own financial parameters. At the same time, by its unique inclusion of CO_2 mitigation calculations, the ENERGY STAR Solution will help EPA toward its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As a new tool for the evolving energy industry, the ENERGY STAR Solution is being designed to: 1. help standardize the way energy audits are performed 2. bring energy customers greater value and less risk 3. give energy service providers a more comprehensive product offering 4. add to EPA's climate protection initiative. The ENERGY STAR Solution seeks to augment the value of energy auditing in the new millennium.