3/18/2010
 On March 18, the Boston office of Eckert Seamans hosted a business breakfast briefing on Energy Efficiency Opportunities in New and Existing Buildings. The program examined current developments and new opportunities in the fast-growing energy efficiency market focusing, in particular, on facilities design and improvement.
Eckert Seamans corporate attorney Liz Simon moderated discussion among panelists Patrick Cloney, Steve Imrich, Galen Nelson, David Zisskind and guests. Patrick Cloney is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). His background includes extensive experience working with early stage energy and environmental technology companies, helping them to raise funds and sharpen their business strategies. MassCEC, which was created by the Massachusetts Green Jobs Act, drives clean technology “down the development curve” and, ultimately, toward job creation and profitability through seed grants, training programs, workforce development grants and project support.
Joining Mr. Cloney on the panel was Steve Imrich, a Leed-accredited architect and principal at design firm Cambridge Seven Associates. Mr. Imrich is a driving force behind C7A’s sustainable design research and implementation. His experience integrating green design, technology and specialty building systems into a wide range of innovative projects provided the audience with keen insights from an accomplished architect.
Also speaking was Galen Nelson, GreenTech Manager for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the city’s economic development and planning agency. Mr. Nelson has extensive green consulting experience, including oversight of a green affordable housing program and distribution of grants funding renewable energy installations on affordable housing projects. Mr. Nelson provided valuable insight into the City’s commitment to energy conservation and CleanTech initiatives, such as news reported that morning announcing $63 million in energy efficiency improvements to be made to Boston Housing Authority buildings.
David Zisskind, President of Green-Haus Development, Inc., provided perspectives from his extensive experience as a real estate developer focused on green projects. His background includes specialization in adapting existing structures to be re-used in a sustainable way. His years of experience in building science and construction provided the panel with practical insights into the challenges and opportunities in energy efficiency.
Panel discussion focused on how building owners and tenants can examine and, when appropriate, adopt efficiency solutions from a growing selection of CleanTech products and services. The panel discussed the incentives compelling landlord and tenant collaboration in order to achieve building energy cost savings. While green design concepts are a critical foundation, modifying the behavior of energy-consuming occupants can be equally important to maximize savings. Rendering energy costs and usage levels transparent is also an important first step toward conservation. Other efficiency-promoting tools discussed include adopting smart building controls and remote monitoring capabilities as well as instituting “performance contracting” – financial rebates and penalties incentivizing desired outcomes.
Panelists also addressed cost-effectiveness of, and owners/tenants’ potential return-on-investment for, “going green.” Many businesses have taken advantage of relatively new financial tools such as smart building grant awards, Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) and Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds (QECBs). The panel discussed public utility company programs for small businesses that provide free efficiency audits, pay the lion’s share of costs associated with particular efficiency upgrades and facilitate low/no interest financing for the balance. Such PUC programs can provide efficiency-savings ROI that is realizable within eighteen months or less.
The panel also examined how new technologies can best be marketed to developers and architects, whose buy-in is a prerequisite for adoption. Although an early adopter of new and untried technology expects to face risks to both reputation and the bottom line, government programs, incentives and processes exist that can defray cost and mitigate many of the risks associated with applied research, prototyping and deployment – easing the path to commercialization. The Department of Energy “energy research hub” announced in February would serve such a role by fostering collaborations between local businesses and governments in the development and trial of new energy efficient building techniques and technologies. Massachusetts is just one of many states competing for government efficiency dollars.
The discussion concluded with an examination of what the future might hold now that two years have passed after a record-high spike in United States gas and commodity prices. Despite the modest retreat on some prices, the panelists agreed that a clean technology focus is no mere trend, pointing to new Securities and Exchange Commission guidance on carbon accounting, adoption of carbon tax and dividend systems, building code shifts to performance-based requirements and substantial commitment of venture capital funding. These developments signal that energy efficiency issues are – and will remain – a clear economic priority.
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John Talvacchia
Boston, MA
Elizabeth Simon
Boston, MA
John Loughnane
Boston, MA
Corporate and Business Counseling
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