2014 ANNUAL REPORT BUILDING A BETTER ATLANTA STRENGTHENING A COMMUNITY THE ATLANTA BETTER GAINING MOMENTUM: For the past three years, the Better Buildings Challenge has positioned A DIVERSE COMMUNITY: We have made substantial progress this Atlanta as a national leader in energy and water efficiency best practices. BUILDINGS CHALLENGE year and are well on our way to win! Proj- Building participants are widely diverse, “ was launched in June 2011 as an inaugural project encompassing a variety of property types, ages, ects currently underway are making our Thanks to strong public-private partnerships, we continue to meet our energy and uses. More information on the Atlanta buildings more efficient, creating jobs and of President Obama and the Department of Energy’s fostering the growth of a stronger, more and water use reduction goals in our commercial buildings and the country Better Buildings Challenge initiative, our “ resilient community. WHO WE ARE Better Building Challenge program. Competing with participants, and their performance data can has taken notice. Over the coming years, we will strengthen our focus on be found at: Buildings other cities across the country, Atlanta’s goal is to committed benchmarking and implementation to ensure that the Atlanta portfolio -ex www.atlantabbc.com to date increase energy and water efficiency in participating 374 ceeds the 2020 goals for the Challenge. buildings 20% by 2020. Total square 93.5M footage Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta Energy savings, compared to PARTICIPATING BUILDING OWNERS AND MANAGERS COMMIT TO: 11.3 % 2020 goal DECLARE their resolve to join PREPARE by identifying SHARE their utility data with the DOE, Water savings, the Challenge by publicly pledging a building energy savings as well as information about the tools, compared to building-specific water and energy project then taking the steps technologies, and processes used to 20.7% 2020 goal 5 Years savings goals and developing a plan needed to implement it. implement projects and reach their JUST 5 YEARS LEFT It is clear that we have made progress towards and timetable for improvements. pledged goals. Metric tons our goals; with just five years left, the program K CO avoided TO ACHIEVE OUR 100 2 provides participants with the opportunity to Average ENERGY AND WATER revitalize efforts and pick up the momentum ENERGY STAR® REDUCTION GOALS! needed to achieve our energy and water re- THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATION: 78 score duction goals. The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge participants receive access to tools and resources that help them achieve their goals, saving them money and resources while preserving the community’s natural and historical features. OUR SUCCESS IS NO SECRET: EDUCATION: Free training sessions educate participants on potential solutions to the challenges they are facing by LEARN helping them identify opportunities and connecting them with other industry professionals. The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge TIME TO owes its success to the commitment of its at participants. Led by a public-private part- MORE EXPOSURE: Sponsors who donate products and financing receive generous exposure and opportunities for network- www.atlantabbc.com ing, and buildings receive recognition for their efforts. nership with strong convening power, the TAKE ACTION! City offered participants incentives such The sooner you take action, the sooner you’ll see savings! With access [email protected] ECONOMIC VALUE: Participants are helping to make Atlanta a better place to work, live, and visit while creating new as free building assessments, technical as- to tools, resources and financing, there’s no excuse not to - contact the jobs, saving their tenants money on energy and water bills, and increasing their own net operating income and asset value. sistance, education and training, access to Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge to find out what you can do today! project financing opportunities and public recognition. ENVISIONING A SUSTAINABLE ATLANTA MINIMIZING OUR IMPACT Supporting Mayor Kasim Reed’s long-term vision to make Atlanta one of the QUICK TIPS TO nation’s leaders in sustainability, the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge goes SAVE: hand in hand with the Mayor’s “Power to Change” sustainability plan. We are ENERGY SAVED: GHG EMISSIONS REDUCED: WATER SAVED: ENERGY providing the tools and resources that empower building owners, managers, trillion metric tons million • Swap old bulbs for LEDs 1.97 BTUs 100,788 CO2 163 gallons and engineers to take action while boosting economic activity, enhancing • Turn computers OFF when you go home environmental health, and making Atlanta a more beautiful, livable city. • Open the blinds – let natural light in Equivalent to the annual emissions Equivalent to flying from Atlanta to Sydney Equivalent to 247 Olympic-sized • Install motion detector light switches from 21,989 passenger vehicles Australia 91,625 times swimming pools WATER DELIVERING ENERGY EFFICIENCY TO ATLANTA: • Install or replace aerators in faucets IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL Atlanta is embracing energy efficiency, and it shows – with help from the Atlanta Better • Upgrade to low-flow faucets and toilets • Irrigate landscaping in the early morning Buildings Challenge, the City’s average ENERGY STAR® score is up by eight points, from 68 to to avoid evaporation WHY BUILDINGS? 76. With a score of 75 required to become eligible for certification, Atlanta is becoming more • Consider native and drought-tolerant ‘certifiably’ energy efficient every day. plants 1 2 3 Facilities such as schools, hotels, retail Stormwater runoffcan collect Well-constructed, operated and stores, office buildings, and hospitals pollutants and dump them into maintained buildings are more CASE STUDY: BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA account for nearly 17% of publicly-sup- the streams and rivers we de- durable, see improved occupant plied water use and more than 18% of pend on as our main source of An icon in the southeastern skies, the LEED certified Bank of America Plaza is the tallest building PROPERTY TYPE: health and productivity, and tend outside of Chicago and New York City. An ASHRAE Level II Audit was conducted for the building to energy use in the United States. drinking water. Office to have greater occupant satis- identify areas for improvement – both for capital investments and ongoing operations and main- tenance – and an investment-grade water audit was performed. ADDRESS: faction than standard buildings. 600 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 • Buildings that use efficient fixtures and wa- In Atlanta, the Chattahoochee and While energy efficiency upgrades ENERGY: Conservation measures were implemented, including upgrades to the building auto- ter-conserving landscaping can consume 50% Ocmulgee rivers collect drainage from may cost more up front, they can mation system, new chiller panels, and air handling variable frequency drives, resulting in a reduc- TOP PERFORMER: tion of GHG emissions equivalent to the carbon emissions generated by 96 homes for one year. less water than standard buildings. 12 watersheds in the city; protecting save money over the life of the Water (2014) these from pollutants from building • Energy efficient building design and opera- building through lower operating WATER: WaterSense fixtures were installed, reducing indoor water use for flush and flow MANAGER: use is vital to protecting our principle tions can lead to a 40% reduction in energy and maintenance costs. fixtures by 50% and saving approximately 5,000,000 gallons of drinking water in one year. The Onyx Equities consumption over standard buildings. source of water. existing irrigation system was upgraded and a soil moisture monitoring system was installed; the Plaza now uses 64% less water compared to conventional irrigation systems. BUILDING BETTER LIVES ENERGY = $$$ To attract investments and stay competitive, cities need modern, efficient infrastructures with abun- If you are just starting now, consider lighting retrofits! dant skilled labor, access to quality housing and education as well as basic services such as water With rapidly improving technology, lighting is the ‘low NUMBER OF and electricity. Sustainable urban development helps our City retain and enhance these qualities, hanging fruit’ of energy savings. BUILDINGS promoting a higher quality of life while at the same time reducing operating costs and creating THAT HAVE MET THEIR new jobs and industries. Increasingly, sustainability is an important factor in attracting and A CFL uses about 1/3 the energy of a hal- ogen incandescent and lasts 10x longer. GOALS retaining people with the knowledge and skills needed to drive innovation and economic growth. Energy efficiency projects create jobs and continue to support jobs year after year. LEDs use 25%-30% of the energy and last 8-25x longer than halogen incandescents. 48 ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ECONOMIC SUPPORTING THE LOCAL WORKFORCE: Other ways to save money by conserving energy 83 Audits Square Feet of include: 62 Completed 37.6 M Audited Space $22,762 At the beginning of each heating and cool- the average annual savings of ing season, calibrate temperature, humidi- buildings that have met their goals Sponsors Total Education and ty, and pressure sensors on all major HVAC 13 (2014) 35 Sponsors 10 Training Sessions systems. (2014) $9,241,412 Consider upgrading to energy-efficient the overall average annual program windows. savings Install lighting controls including photo- $46,207,062 sensors, vacancy sensors, and timers. THE SOONER in savings to date YOU