Cities

What IKEA can teach us about the future of solar and energy efficiency in Texas

Posted on by Kamaria Greenfield
The big box furnishings retailer is going 100% renewable by 2020. A new solar-powered store near Dallas is the latest step.   By 2020, IKEA aims to be completely energy independent. Over 90% of its United States locations already have at least some rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, including a brand new 181,500 square foot, 1.25MW array on top of IKEA Grand Prairie. This is the company’s fourth rooftop solar installation in Texas. The flat-pack furniture retailer isn’t alo...
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What does the next chapter of energy efficiency look like for Austin?

Posted on by Kamaria Greenfield
by Kamaria Greenfield, BCAP When Texans look to their state capital, they see a diverse and sprawling metropolis of just under a million people, a vibrant cultural and economic hub, and a downtown skyline undergoing rapid transformation. Less visible is the city’s long and continued commitment to the energy efficiency of its built environment. Austin stands as a fine example of how a city can go beyond minimum statewide requirements to give its residents a better, greener future. In additi...
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How these 22 cities could shape the future of solar photovoltaics

Posted on by Kamaria Greenfield
by Kamaria Greenfield, BCAP The year 2030 is a meaningful one across the world of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Architecture 2030 challenge aims to have all new buildings, developments, and major renovations be carbon neutral by this date. As a result of the Paris climate agreement, many countries have made pledges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions on this same timeframe. And last month, the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative announced their own 2030 targe...
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Where Are They Now? Santa Fe, NM

Posted on by Kamaria Greenfield
by Charlotte Volpe, BCAP In 2010, BCAP created a list of Places to Watch that were making strides in enacting energy efficient building codes. Now, we are going back to these nine jurisdictions to track their progress and see what other innovations they’ve added six years later. We will be looking for other places to watch in the future as cities lead the way with sustainability plans and energy saving goals.   BCAP identified Santa Fe as a place to watch due to their residential gree...
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The City Energy Project Assessment Methodology For Energy Code Compliance In Medium To Large Cities

Posted on by Kamaria Greenfield
The City Energy Project Assessment Methodology is designed to assist cities in identifying residential and commercial energy code compliance issues and help identify the areas they should focus on in order to improve their compliance rates. The methodology helps cities identify common areas of non-compliance as well as the causes of non-compliance. Compliance information collected as part of the study can also contribute to larger statewide compliance studies. Strategies to compliance are contai...
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