The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), along with nine other leading organizations, has formed a new consortium to advise the Department of Energy on high performance buildings. The High Performance Commercial Green Building Partnership (HPGCBP) brings together key organizations from all aspects of the building community to provide guidance and technical leadership on sustainability issues to the DOE Building Technology Program.

The consortium was formed in response to a request from DOE as it implements Section 421 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007). Section 421 establishes within DOE a new net-zero commercial building initiative which is intended to develop a research, development, and deployment strategy for achieving net-zero energy commercial buildings. The consortium, once formally selected by DOE, will advise DOE in pursuit of that strategy.

According to NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis, this consortium will play a critical role in advising federal agencies as the country moves forward with high performance buildings.

“High performance buildings, which address human, environmental, economic, and total societal impact, are the result of the application of the highest level design, construction, operation, and maintenance principles—a paradigm change for the built environment,” Gaddis said. “It is frequently overlooked that buildings consume 40 percent of the primary energy and 70 percent of the electricity in the U.S. annually.”

The consortium is actively seeking participation from representatives of organizations and other leaders in the building industry. In addition to NEMA, other members of the steering committee include the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), American Institute of Architects (AIA), Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), International Code Council (ICC), Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). ASHRAE will serve as the consortium’s secretariat.

For more information, visit www.hpcgbp.org. 

NEMA is the trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. The Association’s Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) Division represents manufacturers of medical diagnostic imaging equipment including MRI, CT, x-ray, and ultrasound products. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity. These products are used in utility, medical imaging, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. Domestic production of electrical products sold worldwide exceeds $120 billion. In addition to its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, NEMA also has offices in Beijing and Mexico City.

http://www.nema.org