To the Des Moines City Council:
We the citizens of Des Moines, undersigned, are writing to voice our support for reducing energy and water use in Des Moines buildings through adoption of a building performance ordinance. On average, buildings waste 30% of the energy they consume due to inefficiencies. We support an ordinance that will cut energy and water waste and, in turn, contribute to the city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 28% by 2025. An ordinance should include proven strategies like benchmarking, transparency, audits, and retro-commissioning that support the GHG reduction goal while promoting cleaner air for our community. These strategies can also save building owners money through lower monthly utility bills and promote skilled local jobs in the energy industry. We’ve seen these policies do all of these things in cities like Kansas City, Denver, and Orlando. We know that it’s possible to achieve similar results if we pass a building performance ordinance here.
A benchmarking policy should require large buildings to measure water and electric consumption using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager system. The program will allow owners to keep track of their information while providing a pathway to reduce energy and water consumption based on the score received in ENERGY STAR. The software needed to report this data is available for no cost on EPA’s website and is easy to use. Let’s be honest – you can’t manage what you don’t measure. A city benchmarking ordinance would be a first step in empowering managers of large buildings with the information they need to make effective decisions. Decisions that can save money to be reinvested into the local economy, benefiting the hard-working citizens of Des Moines.
Information is power, but there is so much more an ordinance could accomplish. Public disclosure of energy data would allow prospective tenants to easily compare the relative performance of buildings in the Des Moines market and make informed decisions about where to live, work, and play. Requiring building operators to make cost-effective efficiency upgrades would improve the Des Moines building stock while creating high-skill jobs. Improving building performance positively impacts everyone in our community; It’s a win-win-win situation for building owners, tenants, and the citizens of Des Moines.
We urge you to follow through in passing an ordinance that will conserve water and energy, lower utility bills, create jobs, and improve air quality.
Sincerely,
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