Browsing by Author "Pizer, Billy"
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Open Access Energy Efficiency in the Multifamily Rental Housing Industry: Promoting Informed Investment Decisions in North Carolina(2021-04-21) Lowder, ErinTo better serve its members’ growing interest in energy efficiency (EE), the Triangle Apartment Association (TAA) is looking to identify important factors that multifamily rental housing property owners should consider when deciding to invest in EE. More specifically, TAA seeks to bridge knowledge gaps that exist in the multifamily rental housing industry, particularly those related to available EE technology, the potential for owners to recoup their investments, and policies and programs designed to assist with the investment process. This report summarizes key findings based on research conducted over an eight-month period to answer the following question: What tools should TAA provide its members to make informed decisions about EE capital investments? I performed a qualitative study to identify, assess, and suggest relevant EE technology, methods for property owners to recoup their investments, available programs to assist with the investment process, and a checklist to help property owners make an informed investment decision. My approach included three main components: a literature review of the costs and benefits of particular types of EE technology, an analysis of policies and programs designed to facilitate the investment process, and expert interviews. To develop recommendations, I analyzed key themes from my qualitative data through a two-prong framework representative of two features central to TAA’s mission: education and advocacy. My research and analysis conclude with the following recommendations for TAA: (1) Offer trainings and produce educational materials to help property owners assess opportunities for EE improvements and to understand which EE policies and programs will have a meaningful impact on their businesses, and (2) Collaborate with stakeholders across industries to promote comprehensive policies that are tailored to meet the unique needs of the multifamily industry.Item Open Access Getting to Zero in Latin America: Decarbonizing the Building Sector by 2050(2021-04-21) Luna Iniguez, HectorLooking forward, the decarbonization of the building sector will be particularly important to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. In Latin America, operational carbon from buildings, which results from the energy needed to operate systems and appliances, accounts for 21 percent of total carbon emissions. Embodied carbon, which results from all the emissions associated with building materials and construction processes, accounts for 11 percent of total carbon emissions. Thus, achieving net-zero carbon emissions in buildings will require a range of actions, policies, and technologies that reduce both operational and embodied carbon. In Latin America, the IDB is uniquely suited to support countries formulate national and local climate plans—and deploy projects related to the building sector—that are consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. This report aims to inform the IDB on a range of strategies inside and outside the building sector that could achieve significant reductions in buildings' operational and embodied carbon.Item Open Access Politics and Solar Energy: Getting Beyond the Economics of Solar Deployment(2019-12-06) Polonsky, Peter JrSolar energy is the fastest-growing source of energy in America by deployment. For states, the benefits of solar energy include reaching ambitious renewable energy goals, lowering the costs of electricity generation, reducing electricity sector pollution, and increasing resiliency through distributed generation resources. The growth of solar energy has not occurred universally across states, and many states with substantial potential for solar energy currently have little solar energy deployed while others with less potential have deployed a lot. While the levels of solar irradiance and the economics of solar within a state influence the deployment of solar, state-level solar energy policies have also played an important role in transforming the potential of solar energy resources within a state into solar energy generation. To examine state-level policies, I researched the solar story in six states (Arizona, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, and North Carolina) with high levels of solar deployment, identifying significant policies and analyzing the political circumstances associated with these policies. While researching two or more significant policies and associated political circumstances in each state, five trends emerged regarding state solar energy policy. (A) Nearly all policies examined were sponsored by Democrats, with most sponsors having leadership positions. (B) Policies associated with longer-term stability in the solar market were packaged with several related electricity sector measures to draw support from a wider coalition of stakeholders. (C) The primary policy mechanisms in the examined policies include net metering rules, renewable portfolio standards, and investment tax credits. (D) The demonstrated competence and political alignment of a state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) seems to play a role in how much responsibility a state legislature delegates to the PUC in solar legislation. (E) Solar energy policy framing often focuses not just on the environment but on energy independence, national leadership, and economic security. States hoping to encourage the growth of solar energy should utilize the analysis from Trends C, D, and E regarding what policies and framing to use and the analysis from Trends A and B regarding what political circumstances allow solar policies to succeed.Item Open Access Public-Private Partnerships for 100% Clean Energy: Prospects for City and Business Collaboration(2019-04-22) Fischer, AdamIn recent years, the United States has seen an unprecedented surge in subnational climate action. A growing number of cities and businesses, in particular, have stepped up to the plate to address the threat of climate change, including many that have pledged to transition away from fossil fuel-based electricity and towards 100 percent clean energy. Yet the barriers to hitting those ambitious targets are significant and, in some cases, seemingly insurmountable. This research assesses the extent to which partnerships between cities and businesses can help them overcome those barriers and, in turn, fortify subnational climate action. The author presents an overview of the various clean energy procurement options available to cities and businesses (as well as the constraints that limit their availability), examines the benefits of partnerships, and finally highlights three emerging approaches to collaboration. This analysis finds that while collaboration has the potential to help cities and businesses work towards their clean energy goals, executing them may be easier said than done. That reality is driven by regulatory, financial, and logistical considerations that may ultimately limit the viability of formal partnerships. Even so, this research finds that there is widespread appetite for new and novel ideas as cities and businesses implement their clean energy commitments. Thus, while the examples and recommendations identified here may not necessarily be generalizable, they nevertheless demonstrate the potential value of creative partnerships.