3 Steps to $20 Billion in New Market Revenue
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Dear Industry Professionals,
Following up on
last Wednesday's email on workforce development
opportunities, I'm excited to share with you the second article in NCBPA's three part series detailing opportunities that you can get involved in today that will help us reach $20 Billion of new North Carolina market revenue in the next five to ten years.
Today's article focuses on Policy Development. Whether you're new to the industry, a field-based installer or a business owner, this part of our industry is incredibly important and ripe with opportunity. But no, we're not expecting or asking anyone to know all of the ins and outs of this work (that's what you have us for). Instead, we want to make sure that industry professionals know about this work as a priority for us all, know to ask their company and network to join and support organizations like ours, and know who to ask for more information, when interested.
For far too many years policy leaders and advocates in our state have ignored a major revenue and employment sector - energy efficiency and building performance - in favor of other sectors. Well, that just doesn't work. Energy efficiency remains the least cost energy resource in North Carolina and building performance improvements offer far more return on investment than other design, construction and repair measures that building owners and operators are more familiar with. And, in order to meet local government, state government and private entity goals for renewable energy, carbon emission reductions, and yes, workforce development, our industry must have an improved policies.
And how will we get there? As detailed in our
2018 North Carolina Energy Efficiency Potential Report, there are a wealth of policy opportunities that will drive economic development, workforce development, environmental improvements and much more. Below, we've provided an updated priority list of policy action already underway at NCBPA that needs your company's support.
I know that policy isn't for everyone... at the least... I hope this email motivates your company to join NCBPA to support and participate in this important work, if it hasn't done so already. We value greatly our
member companies and look forward to contributing to an improved business environment for your business, its workers and its customers in 2020.
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Have questions? Please contact me directly!
Thank you for any support that you can provide.
Sincerely,
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D. Ryan Miller
Founder & CEO
North Carolina Building Performance Association
M: 919-521-3385
O: 919-841-6207
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Part 2: Enable Beneficial Policies & Regulations
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NCBPA members and staff meet with Rep. Dean Arp (R-69) and Rep. John Szoka (R-45) during the association's 2019 Lobby Days in March of 2019.
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Improving our industry's policy environment takes time, strategy and commitment.
NCBPA is 100% focused on improving policies that create new and better business opportunities for our member companies and industry. Our advocacy and lobbying work is 100% funded by companies like yours, so we work for companies like yours every single day to bring better utility regulations, state programs and beneficial policies to our industry. As evidenced by the success of our
March 2019 Lobby Days and our 2019 Policy Agenda, our industry has a wealth of opportunity ahead of us.
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2020 Policy Agenda
NCBPA is the only organization fully dedicated to advancing building performance and energy efficiency policies in North Carolina. Our 2020 Policy Agenda seeks to make incremental improvements on major industry opportunities that matter the most to our industry. From a legislative perspective, the 2020 Legislative Session will be a "short session" where changes to existing legislation, not new legislation, will be the focal point (generally speaking).
Accordingly, NCBPA will be pushing for changes to existing state policies that are holding back BILLIONS of dollars in work opportunities for our industry! How much? In 2018 we found $13.4 Billion in energy and water savings available to North Carolina residents and businesses. Since then, we've identified roughly $6 Billion more, totaling $20 Billion in available savings!
So, how will we get there? Here are key items found in our 2020 Policy Agenda:
- Continue 2019 efforts to enable HB330 to expand performance contracting opportunities.
- Modify the state's Commercial & Industrial Energy Efficiency Opt-Out Allowance to create greater transparency and program funding for eligible energy saving projects.
- Add an Energy seat to the NC Building Code Council.
- Define amendments to the F, S and U building type energy code exemptions that allow new and existing buildings to avoid all energy code requirements.
- Continue 2019 efforts to enable Commercial PACE Financing, if allowed (research is currently underway).
- Enable non-energy benefits including health, safety, durability and environmental to be included in regulated utility energy efficiency program cost effectiveness testing protocols, creating a wealth of new rebate and incentive program opportunities.
- Create new market opportunities through the transition to a 40% energy efficiency allowance in the state's Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REEEPS).
- Implementing building performance, energy efficiency and green building recommendations included in the state's new Energy Efficiency Roadmap and Clean Energy Plan.
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Help Expand Duke Energy's Residential New Construction Program to the Carolinas Territory
As we've been reporting throughout the year, one of Duke Energy's most successful energy efficiency programs, the
Residential New Construction Program
, which serves the Progress Energy territory (Wilmington, Triangle and Asheville) has been trying to expand to the Carolinas territory (Triad, Charlotte and more) for nearly three years. Unfortunately, concerns from the natural gas industry, led by Piedmont Natural Gas (recently purchased by Duke Energy), have prevented it from doing so.
As of this week, industry professionals are encouraged to continue to submit supportive comments on the NC Utilities Commission's website to encourage them to hold a hearing with Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas to work out differences needed to expand the program. This program offers residential builders up to $9,000 in cash incentives to build energy efficient homes, which can help cover their costs and pass along benefits to consumers.
Click here
for more information on this campaign, including links to NCBPA and industry comments that you can use to submit your own!
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Building and Energy Code Improvements Are On The Way!
Did you know that NCBPA leads efforts to increase minimum building and energy code standards in responsible ways to bring greater benefits to North Carolina residents, businesses and our industry?
Our current codes, which started anew back in January, are only about two percent more efficient than our previous. By the time we get to our next major code cycle in calendar year 2025, our commercial and residential energy codes will be at around the 2015 IECC levels. As time goes by, North Carolina continues to fall behind national standards!
By joining NCBPA, your company is supporting the state's lead advocate to improve these minimum codes responsibly. Our members led the way in setting a goal of Zero Net Energy New Buildings by 2042 in the state's new
Energy Efficiency Roadmap
and
Clean Energy Plan
. We're currently working to require more stringent commercial building commissioning and residential energy rating requirements to help us get there.
Want to get involved? NCBPA's
Building & Energy Code Committee
meets by phone every month to discuss issues, opportunities and needs that support our industry and its customers. Join NCBPA to participate in these meetings, attend workshops and help advocate for improved building and energy codes!
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NCBPA Board Members participate in the association's summer 2019 strategic planning retreat. Pictured: Tommy Blair of Advanced Energy, Meghan McDermott of High Performance Building Solutions, Pam Fasse of Fasse Construction, Sam Myers of Retrotec and Steve Schreiner of Schreiner Design.
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NCBPA is the not-for-profit trade association for North Carolina's building performance companies and professionals. With the support of our members, sponsors and partners, we lead industry efforts to improve the performance of North Carolina's built environment.
In a few weeks, we'll be announcing a new Strategic Plan that incorporates feedback from our member companies on the areas that we can be most impactful to their businesses and customers. Policy and legislation, utility incentive programs, workforce development, consumer education, housing affordability and improving the value of high performance homes and buildings are all included.
Whether you and your company are able to be an active participant or an infrequent supporter, we need you!
Click here to learn about our members and consider joining to receive the benefits of association.
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