Energy Efficiency
Is downtown Denver considered “green”?
"When it comes to green building and urban sustainability, downtown Denver continues to be a trailblazer.” -U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Sharon Alton
Compared to other geographic locations like the suburbs and rural areas, cities can do more with less space and the bigger cities get, the more productive and efficient they tend to become. Thirty-seven buildings in downtown Denver are currently certified through The City of Denver's Certifiably Green Denver Program. The bus concourse at Union Station was also awarded LEED Gold certification. Certified buildings save money and resources. They have a positive impact on the health of occupants while promoting renewable, clean energy.
Like many cities, downtown Denver is trying to reduce energy and water usage. If they invest $340 million to improve building energy efficiency, this would result in 4,000 local jobs and $1.3 billion in energy savings over 10 years. Below is an interview with Janet Burgesser, the program manager for Certifiably Green Denver:
Q: Compared to other major cities, do you think that downtown Denver is energy efficient?
A: Denver is fortunate to have one of the highest percentages of building square footage that is either LEED and/or EnergyStar certified compared to other major cities. However, many recent reports and studies have shown that all major cities have the ability to drastically increase energy efficiency in larger buildings. With most of these investments providing short payback periods, it would be fair to say that there is room for improvement. In terms of new buildings, Denver did not implement the 2012 building efficiency codes and instead maintained the 2009 code. We are finalizing the implementation of the 2015 code, but the absence of the 2012 code left a gap in our ability to require more efficient buildings in the past three years.
Q: Would it be beneficial for more businesses to use solar energy?
A: Businesses should first take measures to reduce energy use by switching out lighting to more efficient CFLs or LEDs. The initial cost associated with this is low and the return on investment is much shorter. They should also conduct preventative maintenance on building equipment and install energy efficient equipment as it needs replacing. Insulating the building envelop and repairing air leaks is another low cost opportunity. After all these are completed, then solar energy is a fantastic opportunity to reduce overall energy usage.
Q: How would you convince other businesses to take part in energy conservation?
A: Our program finds it very beneficial to our businesses to conduct a person onsite assessment of their operations. We then provide them a report on the best options for them, including return on investment, cost savings over the life of the project, and better working conditions for employees. It is also very helpful to provide them with case studies of other businesses that have implemented energy efficiency projects. Business to business networking is also a great tool.
Q: Do you think Denver’s Climate Action Plan is helping reduce emissions?
A: Having a Climate Action Plan sets a goal for the city to work towards and identify strategies to meet those goals. It also provides the necessary foundation for setting policy or a position on a regional or state-wide policy. The climate crisis is becoming larger than cumulative individual actions and may require more community-wide impacts.
Q: Do you believe that the residents of downtown Denver have easy access to farmers markets and organic foods?
A: I believe it is getting better, and as residents demand better access, to farmers markets as well as local food markets, they will continue to see more.
Q: Do you think improving Denver’s building energy efficiency will help the economy?
A: Absolutely! We have used the following statement in many of our presentations on building energy efficiency program impacts: “Improving building energy efficiency will not only help reduce these emissions, but also protect Denver’s quality of life and strengthen the economy. Investing an estimated $340 million in improving building energy efficiency would result in 4,000 local jobs and $1.3 billion in energy savings over 10 years.” This is based on a Deutsche Bank and Rockefeller study from 2012.
Q: How has commercial waste reduction improved over the years?
A: Here’s a great report on the State of Colorado recycling. Although the metro area is better, the commercial sector still lags. This is due to numerous factors including space and access constraints. Many of our small businesses are limited with the amount of space it takes to have both a container for recycling and trash. In addition, sometimes the landlord will not allow them to have a recycling container on site. We really encourage businesses to practice the 3 R’s; reduce, reuse, recycling. This is a great cost savings opportunity.
Q: Do you think people specifically live or work in Denver due to its status as a green city?
A: I believe it’s a combination of things, including the reputation as a green city. Denver is a very beautiful and vibrant city, with close access to numerous outdoor and cultural activities. Currently our economy is booming, with a number of businesses moving their operations to the metro area.
"When it comes to green building and urban sustainability, downtown Denver continues to be a trailblazer.” -U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Sharon Alton
Compared to other geographic locations like the suburbs and rural areas, cities can do more with less space and the bigger cities get, the more productive and efficient they tend to become. Thirty-seven buildings in downtown Denver are currently certified through The City of Denver's Certifiably Green Denver Program. The bus concourse at Union Station was also awarded LEED Gold certification. Certified buildings save money and resources. They have a positive impact on the health of occupants while promoting renewable, clean energy.
Like many cities, downtown Denver is trying to reduce energy and water usage. If they invest $340 million to improve building energy efficiency, this would result in 4,000 local jobs and $1.3 billion in energy savings over 10 years. Below is an interview with Janet Burgesser, the program manager for Certifiably Green Denver:
Q: Compared to other major cities, do you think that downtown Denver is energy efficient?
A: Denver is fortunate to have one of the highest percentages of building square footage that is either LEED and/or EnergyStar certified compared to other major cities. However, many recent reports and studies have shown that all major cities have the ability to drastically increase energy efficiency in larger buildings. With most of these investments providing short payback periods, it would be fair to say that there is room for improvement. In terms of new buildings, Denver did not implement the 2012 building efficiency codes and instead maintained the 2009 code. We are finalizing the implementation of the 2015 code, but the absence of the 2012 code left a gap in our ability to require more efficient buildings in the past three years.
Q: Would it be beneficial for more businesses to use solar energy?
A: Businesses should first take measures to reduce energy use by switching out lighting to more efficient CFLs or LEDs. The initial cost associated with this is low and the return on investment is much shorter. They should also conduct preventative maintenance on building equipment and install energy efficient equipment as it needs replacing. Insulating the building envelop and repairing air leaks is another low cost opportunity. After all these are completed, then solar energy is a fantastic opportunity to reduce overall energy usage.
Q: How would you convince other businesses to take part in energy conservation?
A: Our program finds it very beneficial to our businesses to conduct a person onsite assessment of their operations. We then provide them a report on the best options for them, including return on investment, cost savings over the life of the project, and better working conditions for employees. It is also very helpful to provide them with case studies of other businesses that have implemented energy efficiency projects. Business to business networking is also a great tool.
Q: Do you think Denver’s Climate Action Plan is helping reduce emissions?
A: Having a Climate Action Plan sets a goal for the city to work towards and identify strategies to meet those goals. It also provides the necessary foundation for setting policy or a position on a regional or state-wide policy. The climate crisis is becoming larger than cumulative individual actions and may require more community-wide impacts.
Q: Do you believe that the residents of downtown Denver have easy access to farmers markets and organic foods?
A: I believe it is getting better, and as residents demand better access, to farmers markets as well as local food markets, they will continue to see more.
Q: Do you think improving Denver’s building energy efficiency will help the economy?
A: Absolutely! We have used the following statement in many of our presentations on building energy efficiency program impacts: “Improving building energy efficiency will not only help reduce these emissions, but also protect Denver’s quality of life and strengthen the economy. Investing an estimated $340 million in improving building energy efficiency would result in 4,000 local jobs and $1.3 billion in energy savings over 10 years.” This is based on a Deutsche Bank and Rockefeller study from 2012.
Q: How has commercial waste reduction improved over the years?
A: Here’s a great report on the State of Colorado recycling. Although the metro area is better, the commercial sector still lags. This is due to numerous factors including space and access constraints. Many of our small businesses are limited with the amount of space it takes to have both a container for recycling and trash. In addition, sometimes the landlord will not allow them to have a recycling container on site. We really encourage businesses to practice the 3 R’s; reduce, reuse, recycling. This is a great cost savings opportunity.
Q: Do you think people specifically live or work in Denver due to its status as a green city?
A: I believe it’s a combination of things, including the reputation as a green city. Denver is a very beautiful and vibrant city, with close access to numerous outdoor and cultural activities. Currently our economy is booming, with a number of businesses moving their operations to the metro area.