Policymakers can spur greener buildings, report says

A report recently released by the U.S. Green Building Council and co-sponsored by the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, Chantilly, Va., and other leading energy, housing and real estate organizations, documents all the existing legal authorities that federal agencies have to spur the use of energy efficiency in the country’s multifamily and commercial buildings. “Using Executive Authority to Achieve Greener Buildings: A Guide for Policymakers to Enhance Sustainability and Efficiency in Multifamily Housing and Commercial Buildings” concludes that under current executive authority, the Obama Administration has the ability to use more than 30 existing federal programs worth $72 billion to enhance efficiency in commercial buildings and multifamily housing, with no new legislation. This new report unveils an even larger opportunity for the Obama Administration to increase the nation’s energy efficiency, while creating thousands of jobs and saving taxpayers money. To view the report, visit the Business Management page on the Business/Project Management section of the SMACNA website, www.smacna.org. The report was developed in response to a White House request during a high-level meeting where SMACNA leaders were called to discuss energy efficiency policy as part of the Rebuilding America Coalition, now the chief sponsor of Building Star, an energy efficiency proposal in pending legislation. The report was prepared by Van Ness Feldman. Other sponsors of the report included the Real Estate Roundtable, UDR, Johnson Controls Inc., the Energy Foundation, Building Owners and Managers Association International, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), International Facility Management Association (IFMA), Energy Future Coalition, and C3. SMACNA, an international trade association representing 4,500 contributing contractor firms engaged in industrial, commercial, residential, architectural and specialty sheet metal construction markets, is dedicated to promoting quality and excellence in the sheet metal and air conditioning industry. SMACNA has national offices in Chantilly, Va., outside of Washington, D.C., as well as on Capitol Hill.