Dive Brief:
- The Washington State Department of Commerce is negotiating for a $7.78 million grant with the U.S. Department of Energy for a project that would support its clean buildings performance standard.
- The state would use the grant to develop and run the Building Efficiency and Clean Operations Network, which aims to match technical experts, or fellows, with building owners who need support and resources to meet the building performance standard, the Washington State Department of Commerce said in a news release.
- “BEACON fellows could potentially end up doing capital planning for large organizations or facilities planning and capital management for public facilities,” said Emily Salzberg, managing director of clean buildings at the Washington State Department of Commerce.
Dive Insight:
The BEACON project grant is part of over $240 million DOE said it would provide in an initial round of funding to help state and local governments implement building codes that boost energy efficiency. The project aligns with Washington state’s effort to develop updated performance targets for its BPS, according to a project selection summary from DOE’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs.
With just under two months until the U.S. presidential election, there are concerns that former President Donald Trump’s criticism of the IRA and other clean energy policies could have an impact, if he is elected for a second term. Trump plans to revoke unspent IRA funds, Politico reported Thursday. Asked whether the uncertainty would affect the odds of receiving the BEACON project grant, Salzberg said “we are working quickly to get those funds under contract to the state.”
“As DOE works to negotiate the award, additional details around the workforce and community program are still being worked out with the applicant,“ a DOE spokesperson said.
At least 60 BEACON fellows will be placed in communities for three to 12 months, with the duration depending on the number of covered buildings in the area and the need for “no-cost technical services,” according to the release from the Washington State Commerce Department. It will prioritize buildings in areas identified as underserved and overburdened.
The lack of staff capacity for operational work poses a big challenge for building operators in terms of complying with the state’s BPS, Salzberg noted. For example, small school districts may not even have a facilities manager, she said.
Concerns about costs associated with implementing energy efficiency technologies and the need to train staff on utilizing those technologies and maximizing their potential are additional compliance barriers, Salzberg added. She recommends retro-commissioning as a strategy building owners can adopt to reduce their energy use intensity. Retro-commissioning is a process that involves ensuring that buildings with sophisticated control systems, such as those for lighting and HVAC units, are functioning as desired.
Once the DOE grant is finalized, the department will recruit fellows from sources that include community and technical colleges, and place them in host organizations, according to Salzberg. “We would ideally like to have the fellows placed in their positions by the end of 2024,” she said.
The BEACON project is an offshoot of a partnership among the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Smart Buildings Center Education Program, Strategic Energy Innovations and San Timoteo Associates, per the release from Washington state.
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