The Building Button, a new tool launched by the Investor Confidence Project (ICP), standardizes the collection of data from energy efficiency projects, and “makes it easy to share that information with investors, building owners, developers, and utilities,” according to a news release.
Based on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Energy Data Exchange Specification, the tool integrates best practices and specifications developed by ICP and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), including the Building Energy Data Exchange Specification (BEDES). Expressing energy efficiency data in a common language, the Building Button allows all parties to compare specifications across multiple projects with one click. This ability helps to reduce underwriting and actuarial analysis costs, builds trust in energy savings, and drives market demand for energy efficiency projects.
“One of the major barriers to wide-scale adoption of energy efficiency is the hassle factor,” said Matt Golden, ICP director. “Every investment is unique, with data lodged in incompatible spreadsheets, documents, and other digital files. The lack of uniform data standards means that transaction costs are prohibitively high. The Building Button helps solve that by establishing guidelines for all project data, streamlining the process of project development and investment.”
In 2017, ICP will join Green Building Certification Inc. (GBCI) to create the first global underwriting standard for energy efficiency projects.
Related Stories
| Oct 7, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: UL Environment releases industry-wide sustainability requirements for doors
ASSA ABLOY Trio-E door is the first to be certified to these sustainability requirements.
| Oct 7, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Schools program receives grant to track student conservation results
To track results, schools will use the newly developed Sustainability Dashboard, a unique web-based service that makes tracking sustainability initiatives affordable and easy.
| Oct 6, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Growing green building market supports 661,000 green jobs in the U.S.
Green jobs are already an important part of the construction labor workforce, and signs are that they will become industry standard.
| Oct 6, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Dow Corning features new silicone weather barrier sealant
Modular Design Architecture >Dow Corning 758 sealant used in GreenZone modular high-performance medical facility.
| Oct 6, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: NEXT Living EcoSuite showcased
Tridel teams up with Cisco and Control4 to unveil the future of green condo living in Canada.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Johnson Controls announces Panoptix, a new approach to building efficiency
Panoptix combines latest technology, new business model and industry-leading expertise to make building efficiency easier and more accessible to a broader market.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Sustainable construction should stress durability as well as energy efficiency
There is now a call for making enhanced resilience of a building’s structure to natural and man-made disasters the first consideration of a green building.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Solar PV canopy system expanded for architectural market
Turnkey systems create an aesthetic architectural power plant.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Brick offers growing options for sustainable building design
Brick exteriors, interiors and landscaping options can increase sustainability that also helps earn LEED certification.
| Oct 4, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Two new recycled glass products announced
The two collections offer both larger and smaller particulates.
