When the Global Energy Efficiency Challenge was unveiled by the United States recently, a variety of impressive initiatives were included. Many of these initiatives were niche related and quite diverse, while others were aimed at improving education and awareness in the mainstream. The Clean Energy Ministerial meetings in Washington DC spearheaded these initiatives.
We know from Department of Energy figures that the government is making significant investments in energy efficiency. As buildings account for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions around the world, most of these initiatives have been targeted at such buildings. For example, funds will be made available for inspection, technical certification, training of operators and auditors and also directed toward college or university research grants.
One of the most significant initiatives to come out of the Clean Energy Ministerial is the Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP). This involves a three-pronged approach to efficiency improvements in commercial buildings and industrial facilities.
As some criticism was leveled at the United States by other countries participating in the Copenhagen energy Summit, the recently announced Global Energy Efficiency Challenge, spearheaded by the US government is bound to be welcome news. A number of other countries have signed on to support the project and become part of the partnership and these countries combined represent more than 80% of energy consumption, worldwide.
Fundamentally, the GSEP aims to establish the need for energy efficiency programs and to make sure that these improvements can be maintained. The organizations taking part in the pilot will use an energy management system to initially reveal a baseline inventory. The protocols of the Challenge require that certain improvements must be made before any independent validation can be sought.
Target and Wal-Mart, combined as the largest retail outlet companies in the world, have both committed to participate and will dedicate staff to the implementation of this commitment within the Global Energy Efficiency Challenge. Internally, staff will be trained in the details of the scheme and will subsequently upload findings to a centralized database, made available in the future to other participants.
Public buildings, retail operations, educational environments, investor facilities and commercial buildings are all covered under the GSEP program. Specific case studies will be generated and circulated with the aim of soliciting feedback prior to the certification process.
The GSEP partnership and the Global Energy Efficiency Challenge remind us how we all need to be much more efficient. We can take a leaf out of the books of those companies that have signed on to the waiting list for participation in this project. They can clearly see the impact that any publicly focused energy initiative would have. Reputations could be boosted if the companies are seen to be proactive in managing energy and emissions carefully.
Daniel Stouffer has much more information about the Global Energy Efficiency Challenge and why a visit to www.verisae.com can aid you.
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