Energy News
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
An analysis of 51 LEED-certified green projects in Illinois found that most—specifically those that prioritized energy efficiency during the design and construction phase—use less energy than a typical commercial building. The study also showed that additional costs associated with green construction varied across projects, with a median value of $3.81 per square foot. In addition, building occupants are generally satisfied with their work environment and the commute to these LEED® projects.
“Not all green buildings are alike when it comes to energy efficiency,” said Anne Evens, director of the nonprofit CNT Energy, which conducted the study in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter (USGBC – Illinois). “Maximizing efficiency requires starting with the right priorities, monitoring usage, and tweaking operations and maintenance over the life of a building. Buildings account for a large portion of our global warming emissions here in Chicago, and building owners need to be diligent about efficiency to reduce emissions and save on utility bills.” Read more »
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Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
CHICAGO (September 28, 2011)—An analysis of 51 LEED-certified green projects in Illinois found that most—specifically those that prioritized energy efficiency during the design and construction phase—use less energy than a typical commercial building. The study also showed that additional costs associated with green construction varied across projects, with a median value of $3.81 per square foot. In addition, building occupants are generally satisfied with their work environment and the commute to these LEED® projects.
“Not all green buildings are alike when it comes to energy efficiency,” said Anne Evens, director of the nonprofit CNT Energy, which conducted the study in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter (USGBC – Illinois). “Maximizing efficiency requires starting with the right priorities, monitoring usage, and tweaking operations and maintenance over the life of a building. Buildings account for a large portion of our global warming emissions here in Chicago, and building owners need to be diligent about efficiency to reduce emissions and save on utility bills.”
The study, “Regional Green Building Case Study: Year Two Report,” is a follow-up to a 2009 study that examined the energy usage and other environmental factors in 25 LEED-certified buildings in Illinois. Read more »
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Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
CNT Energy and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning are proud to cohost an innovative event coming to Chicago on September 28. The GreenMLS/Better Buildings Roundtable will bring energy and real estate professionals together to pinpoint a market-driven path to drive demand for energy efficient homes.
Using a bottom-up model, the event will bring together key players from six communities receiving Department of Energy Better Buildings grant funding. The Better Buildings grants are designed in part to create residential home energy remodeling programs that will both accelerate energy efficient home inventory and create long-term demand for this type of remodeling work. National experts will provide context and discuss how energy efficiency programs can be reflected best in each community’s local multiple listing service (MLS). Addressing energy efficiency in the MLS systems now will ready the markets for a time when more energy efficient homes become available for resale. This work could make a premium for these homes more transparent to consumers. Read more »
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Friday, July 22nd, 2011
Curious about the Energy Savers program? Listen to CNT Energy’s Peter Ludwig explain how it works and what the benefits are on Tuesday, July 26, at 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CDT. Register here for free.
Energy Savers is a one-stop shop for apartment building owners in the Chicago region to obtain technical assistance and financing for energy efficiency retrofits to their buildings. To date, the program helps building owners save an average of 30 percent on their utility bills, equaling roughly $10,000 per year. Energy Savers has completed retrofit work in more than 6,000 units and created 75 jobs. CNT Energy is an affiliate of CNT.
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Wednesday, June 15th, 2011
On June 14 the Kane County Board approved an energy plan that recommends a set of actions that could save the county between $1 billion and $3.4 billion in avoided energy costs over the next 30 years. The Kane County 2040 Energy Plan, produced by Chicago-based nonprofit CNT Energy, provides data and analysis on current energy use in the county and then projects various energy use scenarios between today and 2040. The plan is an expanded update that CNT Energy produced for the county in 2005. Read more »
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Thursday, May 26th, 2011
Photo from GreenMLS Toolkit – www.greenthemls.org
CNT and our affiliates are dedicated to making communities more economically and environmentally sustainable and providing information that helps people make more informed decisions. That includes making the energy use of our buildings more apparent so people know what they’re getting into when purchasing a new home.
CNT Energy is at the forefront of efforts to make energy information transparent to the real estate market and to get the market to place greater value on energy efficiency. The efforts are making an impact from national best practices to the local scene. Read more »
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Thursday, April 28th, 2011
For a limited time, Chicago homeowners can receive up to $1,000 for participating in a Peoples Gas air-sealing program. Properly air sealing a building can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, create a healthier indoor environment and increase the occupants’ comfort level.
The program includes a pre-work inspection and radon test by auditors from CNT Energy, who refer owners to a qualified contractor. The auditors return after the work is completed to ensure airflow reduction targets are met and homeowners are seeing results. Read more »
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Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Chicago is once again near the top of the list of U.S. cities with the most Energy Star® certified buildings, taking 4th place with 232 Energy Star buildings. The number of Energy Star buildings in Chicago increased by 73 percent, from 134 to 232, between 2009 and 2010 and Chicago’s ranking has improved each year since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began publishing this list, up from 5th place in 2009 and 6th place in 2008.
“It is encouraging that the number of energy efficient buildings in Chicago continues to increase and we expect this trend continues and hope that Chicago is soon at the top of the list” says Anne Evens, Executive Director of CNT Energy. Read more »
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Thursday, February 24th, 2011
As the national debate on smart grid technologies rages, Illinois’ real-time pricing programs can serve as a valuable lesson to the nation. These programs have reduced participant’s electric usage and bills and are shifting usage to non-peak times of day, when electricity is cheaper to produce and our infrastructure is less congested. However, to lower electricity prices and improve reliability for everyone, the programs must have enough participants to significantly impact electricity markets. So far, Illinois’ programs have not garnered as much participation as anticipated. Consequently, they are not living up to their potential to benefit customers. Read more »
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Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
Each profile includes annual emissions inventory by sector - a starting point for the development of a municipal sustainability or climate action plan
Last year, CNT began conducting workshops for communities with technical questions about their Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program federal money and to identify best practices, kicking off the Municipal Energy Profile Project (MEPP) for the 7-county Chicago region. This week, CNT Energy has released the results of MEPP, an effort to produce customized Municipal Energy Profiles for 283 communities in the Chicago metropolitan region.
The Municipal Energy Profiles provide unprecedented collections of information that local leaders can use to understand energy use in their communities, reduce energy expenses, and measure progress toward environmental goals. These reports are especially timely given the federal and state energy efficiency dollars and other funding opportunities that are currently available to local municipalities. Read more »
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