Resolution 21-229 calls for a “Building Benchmarking” program to increase efficiency
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2021
COUNCIL ACTS ON NATIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY DAY
Resolution 21-229 calls for a “Building Benchmarking” program to increase efficiency
HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I ̶ Nearly 900 local governments, universities, organizations, corporations, and utilities participated in #EEDay2021 today—and the City Council of Honolulu marked the day with a unanimous vote calling for a new City policy to encourage energy efficiency in buildings.
Councilmember Radiant Cordero serves as Chair of the City’s Transportation, Sustainability and Health Committee and introduced Resolution 21-229.
“In celebration of Energy Efficiency Day, we recognize the ongoing efforts and impacts of responsible and conscious energy use in Hawai‘i,” said Cordero. “Energy Efficiency has the potential to create roughly 11,700 jobs in the next ten years, reduce costs encumbered by energy and water usage, and continue to accelerate Honolulu to fulfill our sustainability obligations. This Resolution reaffirms our Council’s pledge to move O‘ahu to a greater sustainable future.”
Resolution 21-229 calls for the City Administration to work with the Council to establish a benchmarking program to increase the efficiency and resiliency of commercial and residential buildings on Oʻahu, and present a plan to the Council within 60 days to move such a policy forward. Buildings account for approximately 35 percent of Honolulu total greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy benchmarking essentially requires buildings to be transparent about how much energy and water they are currently using, so that instances of waste can be easily identified and each building’s use can be compared to that building’s past performance, as well as the performance of similarly sized buildings. Establishing a new benchmarking law was called for in the Oʻahu
Resilience Strategy and the City’s Climate Action Plan, and is a critical part of meeting the mandate of 100 percent clean energy on Oʻahu by 2045.
“As we celebrate Energy Efficiency Day today, we greatly appreciate the City Council’s leadership in implementing both the City’s O‘ahu Resilience Strategy and Climate Action Plan. We look forward to working with Council to develop a building benchmarking program to support investments in energy efficiency by lowering energy bills, creating clean energy jobs, and executing on climate action,” said Matthew Gonser, Chief Resiliency Officer and Executive Director of the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency.
This year, increasingly frequent extreme weather events—from drought and fires to record breaking flooding—have underscored the urgency of addressing climate change. Reducing energy waste is a crucial tool. Nationally, energy efficiency measures can reduce U.S. energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by about 50 percent by 2050, getting us halfway to our national climate goals. Honolulu’s adoption of a benchmarking ordinance would position Oʻahu to receive likely federal funding being discussed in a national infrastructure bill.
According to City estimates, a benchmarking program would decrease electricity consumption in participating buildings by nearly 7 percent by 2030, helping reduce costs to tenants as well as cut climate emissions.
Resolution 21-229: https://hnldoc.ehawaii.gov/hnldoc/document-download?id=12096
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